In Mr. Bill Atkinson’s letter to the editor published in the Sept. 28 Reflector, he stated that MSU football was a source of embarrassment and a waste of time and money for MSU. In response to Mr. Atkinson, I would like to say that his comments are an embarrassment to all MSU students, alumni and fans.
I believe that a school’s football record is not the only source of pride it could possibly have. Mississippi State has had a long history of pride and excellence in football, and a team’s record in football is in no way indicative of the respect our players and coaches deserve.
I have been a tutor for the athletic academics department for two years now. Through my job, I have had the opportunity to know and work with many of our school’s football players. I see a side of them that few fans in the stadium know, or even care about. I see husbands and fathers, working hard to not just play football, but to get an education so that they can support their families. I see the bond between these players and their respect for each other, as well as for their coaches. Most importantly, I see the respect and attitudes they have for those of us that sacrifice our time to help them with their studies.
To those of you that think football players have it easy, I challenge you to take 16 hours of classes a semester, have days that begin at 5 a.m. with training and end at 10 p.m. with study hall, with classes, meetings and practices in between. Try travelling on the weekends to road games when you have three tests coming up the next week, only to get home and be ridiculed and humiliated by those that do not care who you are, where you are from or what you want to do with your life.
Our coaches work just as hard as our players, and thus deserve just as much, if not more, respect. Not only are they teaching players how to play the game, but they are also molding young boys into men, with discipline, respect and honor.
I have never met Coach Croom. But the attitude he has instilled in our players shows through their actions, their faces and their hard work as MSU students and as MSU football players. That dedication, on the part of the coaches and on the part of the players, is deserving of pride and respect over anything that will go in a win or loss column.
Yes, winning is important. Winning is a source of pride and respect for our team and our school. But until we all have pride and respect for our team and coaches, they will not have the one thing they need to win: Someone to win for.
We cannot be fair-weather football fans like Mr. Atkinson. It easy to support your team when it wins. The true fans support their team no matter what.
Jim Whitehead is a third year student in veterinary medicine.