Croom’s departure sad event for those who bleed maroon
Saturday was a dreary, sad day for Mississippi State. Don’t take it from me. Listen to Roy Ruby, the university’s interim president.
“Nobody’s happy about this,” Ruby said, moments after the press conference announcing the end of Sylvester Croom’s five-year tenure as football coach. “We wanted this to work. Everybody wanted this to work. It was just as important for Mississippi State for this to work as it was for Coach Croom.”
Listen to Greg Byrne, the first-year athletic director, between yawns after a fitful, sleepless night: “I love the guy. I wanted him to be my coach for a long time.”
Listen to Kent Hull, one of the school’s all-time football greats: “I’m a Sylvester Croom fan. He took a program that was in total turmoil, character-wise and otherwise, and made it better. We’re graduating real students with high character now, and that might not mean much to the average football fan, but it means a whole heckuva lot to me. These guys are going to be representing us for the rest of their lives.”
Listen to Tyson Lee, the team’s quarterback, on Croom: x”He’s more than just a coach; he’s a role model. Any time you lose somebody like that, it hurts.”
Clarion Ledger
11/30/8
Magnolia Tribune
