As freshmen on their first day of college and returning students gathered in front of Lee Hall, first-year head football coach Sylvester Croom briefly left his team practicing drills to attend another Drill and vowed his team will not embarrass Mississippi State University.
“I don’t make a lot of promises, but I promise all our alumni and I promise you that our football team will represent you and make you proud,” Croom said. “You will never leave the field with your head hung low.”
The event was named “The Drill” in honor of the Drill Field and featured speeches from Croom, University President J. Charles Lee, Roy Ruby and Student Association President Adam Telle, as well as performances from the Famous Maroon Band, the cheerleaders and the Pom Squad. The melody of clanging cowbells in the crowd chimed in throughout the evening.
The Drill was organized by the Residence Hall Association, Panhellenic Council, Inter-Fraternity Council, National Pan-Hellenic Council, Black Student Alliance and M-Club.
“This was not an SA event; this was a student event,” Telle said. “I had very little to do other than calling the meetings and getting up talking.”
Although Croom’s speech was originally scheduled to be the finale, he spoke before Lee and Ruby so he could return to practice, where he has been instilling his values in the football team.
“Our players will take pride in wearing that maroon jersey. It is an honor and privilege, not a right. If only 50 players earn that right, that’s all we will dress,” Croom said. “That jersey will mean something to every last one of them.”
Junior Dahlia Ashford, who transferred to MSU from Mississippi University for Women last year and majors in biological science, said the event built her enthusiasm.
“I thought it was a real good gathering-a diverse crowd,” Ashford said. “It really got the crowd hyped. I was really pumped up after Coach Croom’s speech.”
John Kennedy, a senior computer engineering major, said he has seen highs and lows of MSU football since coming to Starkville in 1999.
“Well, it started out really good,” recalled Kennedy. “That first year we beat Ole Miss in come-from-behind fashion and went to the Peach Bowl and the year after that we went to the Snow Bowl.”
Kennedy, who went to every game last season despite less than desirable results, said he likes the changes in attitude that Croom is bringing.
“I’m looking forward to seeing what happens. I expect us to play better than last year,” Kennedy said. “If we win, that’s a bonus.”
Lee also praised Croom’s performance.
“We hired him on the basis of his professional credentials and his philosophy about students and student athletes. We didn’t know that we were going to wind up with the most high profile coach in America. I can not tell you how much recognition this university has gotten from people all over this country who are so inspired by Coach Croom’s views about life, views about hard work, views about rewards and honest values and most of all concern for student athletes.”
While much talk was about the changes in the football program, Lee and Ruby also focused on some of the university’s traditions.
“Mississippi State is a special place because of the experiences and contributions of students, faculty, administration and staff that have gone before me and you,” said Ruby, adding, “Mississippi State students and former students believe they are not better than anybody else on Earth, but equal.”
Lee went on to praise the student body:
“The greatest excitement is the life you bring to this campus,” he said. “The values you display are the reasons that we continue to be the largest university in this state, that we continue to have the highest retention rate and the highest graduation rate.”
Telle did not yet know if The Drill would be a new tradition on the first day of school.
“I think if this is repeated it could become something that every student would come to five years down the road,” he said.