Growing up in Starkville and spending his prep days at Starkville Academy, Will Prosser always thought he’d play for Mississippi State.
“I always thought I was going to play baseball, to be honest,” the sophomore wide receiver admitted.
A high school shortstop, Prosser had no problem staying in town to play college sports, but as a three-sport standout-football, basketball and baseball-he waited to see which game would provide the most financial benefit.
“I decided early on that if I didn’t play football here, I wasn’t going to play anywhere,” he said. “State (baseball) showed interest, but it wasn’t anything the magnitude of the (football) scholarship, so it’s not the route I took.”
Instead, Prosser signed on to run routes with the football team in February 2001.
After sitting out his freshman year entirely and redshirting in 2002, Prosser played every game as a freshman, mainly on special teams. He only caught one pass in 2003, but an off season fueled by a strong work ethic has landed him as the No. 1 flanker on the depth chart.
“Will Prosser, from spring practice to now, has just emerged as a consistent player who makes plays,” new head coach Sylvester Croom said. “That’s the most impressive thing about him.”
The paper stat that often fails to impress, though, is the number under Prosser’s 40-yard dash time-4.6 seconds.
But with the West Coast offense that Croom has brought to MSU, Prosser might never have to outrun a cornerback over a 40-yard span.
“His 40 might say he can run a 4.6, but he can cover 10 yards faster than me,” said split end McKinley Scott, whose 40 time is notably lower. “That’s good because most of our routes are like 10 or 15 yards.
“With the West Coast offense, you need people that can go across the middle and catch the ball with confidence, and that’s what Will brings to the game,” Scott said.
Scott added that reliable hands and strong concentration have helped Prosser make some dazzling catches in practice, much to the amazement of quarterback Omarr Conner.
“I throw it behind him; he still makes the play to bail me out,” the rookie signal caller said.
“Will just gets the ball and makes plays. He’s real quiet. He just goes to work.”
Prosser says his willingness to work has been a major factor in his jump to the starting lineup.
“I think Coach Croom really is the one who gave me the opportunity,” he said. “He’s a big guy on hard work, and I knew if I worked hard, he’d give me an opportunity.
“I’m just glad he’s here because he really emphasizes hard work and doing what you’re supposed to do, and I think that’s something we were lacking.”
With so many similarities to Croom, it’s no wonder Prosser has found favor in the coach’s eyes. And despite the lack of flash, Prosser’s 6-foot-3, 205-pound build has Croom pleased with his size.
“He really does everything well,” Croom said. “But again, all of our players are getting familiar with the offense. There are little things technique-wise understanding the concepts that our receivers haven’t quite mastered yet.”
Prosser, however, has become a student of the game. When he found out about the new offense, he got a playbook and began to study. Because of this, he says he has become a more versatile receiver.
After Tuesday’s press conference, Prosser said he was nervous about Saturday’s game–a feeling he hasn’t known since high school. Against Tulane, maybe those butterflies in his stomach will put a kick in his step.