Remembering Keffer McGee
17 years. It’s hard to believe that it has been that long since we lost one of the best I have ever seen play running back for Mississippi State.
Keffer McGee has always had a special place in my heart as a Bulldog fan. He burst on to the scene in 1995 as a sophomore and gave the only sliver of good news for a team that didn’t play very well at all. A knee injury in 1996 finished his season early, but he was poised to help lead Mississippi State to a possible Dark Horse SEC West Title run in 1997. He drowned one day before the team reported for Fall practice.
Jackie Sherrill was faced with an almost impossible task in 1997. He was beginning to feel the pressure for the first time in his career at Mississippi State as the early days of surprising wins seemed to be a distant memory. But a surprising win in 1996 over Alabama helped end the season on a positive note and would provide some optimism for the next year. Then the news would break that McGee had died. Sherrill now had to try to help his players grieve while also playing in what might be a season that would determine if he kept his job.
The only way I knew him was what I saw on the football field. He was a tenacious runner, and he played with a passion for the game. Those who knew him said he had the same approach to life. He grabbed life by the horns and never let go. He was fun to watch. It’s heartbreaking to know that we only got to see it for one full season.
Some have suggested we retire his number. I don’t know if that is really needed, but I think we should do something special to honor a player who might have turned into a legend at the university had a horrible accident not taken him from us. I would love to see a scholarship or Keffer award given to a player who was the best from scrimmage. He was just as good catching the ball out of the backfield as he was running it when handed to him. He had a chance to do some special things in 1997, but we can only imagine what might have been. Rest in Peace Keffer, and we still miss you.