Top 5 Running Backs in Mississippi State History

Number 4: Walter Packer

Walter Packer played for Mississippi State from 1973 through 1976. He is still third among the all time leading rushers for the Mississippi State Bulldogs. He ran for a total of 2,820 yards in those four years. His 5.8 yard per carry average is still the second best for any Bulldog running back.

The ground game success that Packer had helped lead the Bulldogs to success in the Win column. The Bulldogs won 28 games in the four years that Packer was on the team. However, many of those games were then vacated by the NCAA with the famous “Larry Gillard Discount”. All but two games of the 1975 season were vacated, and the entire 1976 season saw their wins evaporate in to thin air. The year after Packer graduated saw all the wins from the 1977 team have those vacated as well.

Nevertheless, Packer did actually play on the field despite what the records book shows. He was a highly successful running back in his time at Mississippi State, and his success on the field led him to get drafted in the 8th round of the NFL draft in 1977 by the Atlanta Falcons.