More than two dozen Mississippi State graduates are competing or coaching in the NFL as Week 4 of the season approaches, according to school athletics officials.
MSU has 24 alumni involved in the league, including 19 players and several coaches. Among the players are Pro Bowlers Dak Prescott, Jeffery Simmons, Chris Jones, and Montez Sweat. Simmons, Sweat, Charles Cross, and Emmanuel Forbes Jr. are all first-round draft picks.
Prescott, who was the 2016 NFC Offensive Rookie of the Year and 2022 Walter Payton Man of the Year, is on the Dallas Cowboys roster. Simmons and Jones are key contributors for Tennessee and Kansas City, respectively. Jones also earned a Super Bowl title with the Chiefs.
Other alumni are making an impact off the field. Stephen Adegoke is a safeties coach for the Houston Texans, and Fred Walker is an offensive assistant for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Former NFL players K.J. Wright and DeAndre Ward Sr. now serve as coaching staff for the San Francisco 49ers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, respectively.
Mississippi State’s current players also face injury and game-day challenges. Linebacker Nathaniel Watson is on the Cleveland Browns’ injured reserve with a knee injury, while offensive lineman Elgton Jenkins has been ruled out for this week with a concussion.
The NFL schedule features multiple games involving MSU alumni, including the Cleveland Browns versus the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday night, and a full slate of Sunday matchups with several Bulldogs in action. The week concludes with Monday night games, including the New Orleans Saints hosting the Atlanta Falcons.
