Mississippi State SEC Players of the Year

The Bulldogs football program has produced several
players regarded as the league’s best

The SEC has named it’s best football player annually since 1933.  This list includes some of MSU’s
brightest stars that built the legacy of Mississippi State football

msRocky Felker – 1974

Felker starred for MSU while leading the Bulldogs to a 9-3
record that included a victory over North Carolina in the
Sun Bowl.  While under the direction of Head Coach Bob
Tyler, Felker led the Bulldogs to key wins over Georgia
and LSU.  The regular season was also highlighted by a
31-13 Egg Bowl win over Ole Miss.

The MSU quarterback completed 73 of 155 passes for
1147 yards , 8 TDs and 8 Interceptions.  Felker also
added 446 yards and 7 touchdowns on the ground.

Felker would later coach Mississippi State when he took
over the football program before the 1986 season.  Felker
became the first MSU coach in 30 years to begin his
career with a winning record.  However, he was fired after
the 1990 season.

ms1Art Davis – 1954

Although making a big impact for Mississippi State in
1952 as a true freshman, it was Davis’ junior season that
saw him gain top conference honors.  The two-way player
scored 10 touchdowns on the season and grabbed for
interceptions.  His four TD’s against LSU in a 25-0 road
win at LSU provided great momentum for his award.  With
Coach Darrell Royal at the helm, MSU posted a 6-4
season that also included a key win over 12th ranked
Alabama.

Following his Bulldogs career, Davis was selected in their
first round of the 1956 draft when the Pittsburgh Steelers
drafted the Clarksdale, Miss. native with the 5th overall
selection.  Injuries forced him out of football and Davis
retired prior to the 1958 season.

ms2Jackie Parker 1952 and 1953

After playing his first two collegiate seasons at Jones
County Junior College, Parker became the first two-time
and back-to-back winner of the Southeastern
Conference’s Player of the Year Award.

Nicknamed “The Fast Freight from Mississippi State”,
Parker led the nation in scoring with 120 points in 1952.
That record stood for four decades until Georgia’s
Garrison Hearst broke the mark in 1992.  Along with being
selected as the SEC’s best, Parker earned All-American
honors in 1953 while helping MSU posted a 5-2-3 record.

Although selected by the New York Giants in the 1953
NFL Draft, Parker opted to play in the Canadian Football
League.  Parker became a Edmonton Eskimos legend
and a 3-time CFL Player of the Year.


ms3Tom McWilliams – 1944

Not only did the Meridian, Miss. native star for the
Bulldogs in 1944 and 1946-48, but “Shorty” (was actually
6-3) also played for the undefeated Army team in 1945.
Along with winning top SEC player honors in 1944,
McWilliams finished in the top 10 of the Heisman Trophy’s
voting twice.


When World War II ended in 1945, McWilliams eventually
made it back to Mississippi and earned All-SEC honors
three more times.  McWillims played professionally for the
Los Angeles Dons and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

ms4Erwin Elrod- 1940

Along with being named the SEC’s top player in 1940
“Buddy” also earned Consensus All-American honors that
season as well.  Elrod was the first MSU player to earn
that honor and has been regarded by many Bulldog fans
as the school’s greatest defensive player of all-time.

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