It is hard to miss new Mississippi State defensive line coach John Blake when you pass him on campus, but when you walk into his office in the Bryan Building the dominating figure that you notice behind the desk might not be the coach.
Sitting against the wall on the desk are two, two-foot replicas of the silver Vince Lombardi Trophy given to the winner of the National Football League’s Super Bowl. After the initial shock of seeing the Lombardi Trophy subsides, the glare from the enormous ring on each of Blake’s hands catches the attention.
But that is not all of the football memorabilia in the office; next Blake brings out his ring collection. Yes, ring collection. As he goes through each ring, he picks it up, explains what it is for and then places it back in the wooden case. The case features numerous rings from high school, to college, to professional, but the last one he shows is the one of which he is the most proud. He brings out his University of Oklahoma class ring that signifies he finished his degree.
“That is what I went to college for and that is what I am the proudest of,” Blake explained as he held the ring. “All of these rings were hard to get, but this one is the most rewarding.”
Blake has now brought that same dedication to MSU. He puts definite emphasis on the “student” in the term “student-athlete,” and he passes his work ethic onto every player and recruit that he comes into contact with.
“One of the first things he did when he we talked was stress the importance of being a good student,” said MSU defensive line signee Devrick Hampton of Greenville-Weston High School in Greenville. “We talked about academics first, and that is one of the things that impressed me most.”
Blake has been a coach in some capacity since finishing his playing career at Oklahoma, but not all has been on the collegiate level. Blake coached under his former Oklahoma head coach Barry Switzer at Oklahoma and on the Dallas Cowboys staff as the defensive line coach.
While Blake was in Dallas, the Cowboys won the Super Bowl in 1995 and were NFC Champions in each of his three seasons. His 1994 defensive line led the league in rush defense and was second in the NFL in sacks. And during his three seasons he coached five linemen that were selected to the Pro Bowl.
After finishing his stint with the Cowboys, Blake took the head-coaching job at his alma mater, Oklahoma. His overall record was only 12-22 during his three years, 1995-98, but he recruited 18 of the 22 starters on the 2000 National Championship team to Norman.
Once he was replaced in Oklahoma, Blake started the “A Chance to Advance Football Camp.” The camp focused on preparing defensive linemen for the NFL. Among his clients are, Pro Bowler Jason Taylor of the Miami Dolphins. Keith Brooking of the Atlanta Falcons and Adam Archuletta of the St. Louis Rams are also clients.
This extensive knowledge of the game of football, particularly the defensive line, has already won over the current Bulldogs.
“I have been playing football for a while, and I have learned things this spring that I had never known,” Bulldog defensive linemen Kamau Jackson explained. “He has been to the next level; he knows what it takes to get to the next level. And that is where we are trying to get.”
His coaching knowledge and ability might not be the most important things that he passes down to his player’s though; his character has already begun to rub off.
“We know that out here he is all business and we have to be all business,” Bulldog defensive linemen Tommy Kelly said. “There are other times to goof off, and he will goof off then too, but out here (on the football field) it is all business.”
Blake has also gained the Bulldog’s respect.
“He has treated me like the father I never had,” Jackson said. “He expects us to take care of our business. He treats us like men.”
That same character that he displayed while coaching in the NFL and recruiting eventual National Champions to the University of Oklahoma are already on display in Starkville. Blake is not just reaping success on the practice field. He also helped MSU dominate the Mississippi high school recruiting scene.
“He was like a walking light when he came in my house,” Hampton said as he described the first time Blake visited him. “He talked about discipline and what it takes to be a winner. He had evidence for everything: graduation rate, on the field and off the field. I know I need that kind of discipline. That is why I chose MSU.”