It was another scorching day at football practice. Only weeks before Sylvester Croom would coach his first game as head coach of Mississippi State.
Croom sat in his golf cart and watched as the ball ricocheted off of Tee Milons’ hands and hit the turf. The sound was familiar. Another dropped pass by the wide receiver, and this time the ball literally hit him in the hands.
Was he ever going to catch on a consistent basis? Did he have the heart and mind to play on this team? Was he good enough to lead this team’s wide receiving core? The questions loomed in Sylvester Croom’s head.
Croom leaped from his golf cart and got into Milons’ face, barking orders at him, embarrassing him in front off his teammates and friends. He scolded him for several minutes more.
It was clear what was happening: Croom saw the potential in Milons, yet he only displayed it on certain occasions. He had to display it all the time, and for that to happen, Croom was using his method of rebuilding the Mississippi State football program on Milons: He was tearing him down, in order to one day see him rebuild into a better player.
Almost a year later, Milons is the starting wide receiver for the Bulldogs heading into the 2005 season. And he’s not dropping balls that hit him in the hands, anymore.
“I’ve made a whole lot of progress (since last year), just knowing how to practice and knowing how to finish,” the 5-foot-10, 173-pound senior said. “I’m doing whatever it takes to win and basically just doing everything coach asks us to do.”
Milons leads a young group of receivers into the uncharted waters of the west coast offense. Junior Will Prosser, a 6-foot-3, 205-pounder, holds the other starting spot at receiver and is the only experienced receiver along with Milons.
“Tee has been real consistent,” wide receivers coach Guy Holliday said. “He is a senior; he’s supposed to lead.”
Prosser, also a Starkville native, caught a team-leading 24 passes for 328 yards last season, but broke his leg over the summer and will see his first action of the fall this week.
Red shirt freshman Keon Humphries, sophomore Joey Sanders and true freshman Tay Bowser are the three primary backups, competing for a starting role. True freshman walk-on Jamayel Smith is also showing that he can practice well on a consistent basis. Smith has a great work ethic and is definitely competing for a starting position.
“Joey Sanders has really shown great improvement, and we know that Tay Bowser can run,” Holliday said. “And we know Keon is going to be able to play for us.”
But there’s no doubt that if Milons plays his best, he will never be taken out of the starting lineup, like he was a year ago, when he watched State beat Tulane from the stands.
“I’m the leader,” Milons said. “I have to keep everyone focused in, and I have to realize that everyone is watching me because everyone is striving to (be a starter).”
Humphries, who has shown great catching ability during pre-season practice, was granted a medical red shirt last year due to a bone spur on his ankle that he had surgically removed in September of 2004.
The Montgomery, Ala., native received playing time in the Tulane game, but underwent his foot surgery shortly after, ending the season.
“Keon had a very good night tonight,” said Croom, referring to the play of Humphries in one of the first pre-season practices in early August. “He made some plays that he didn’t make in any of the practices last year.”
But again the obvious stands out: Milons has to be the guy who takes control and draws attention away from running back Jerious Norwood. He has to make the catches this year, his last year as a Bulldog.