The annual Egg Bowl clash between Ole Miss and Mississippi State is routinely one of the most fiercely played and intensely followed football games in America.
Sports Illustrated celebrated the 150th anniversary of college football in 2019 by naming the top ten rivalries in the history of college football. To no one’s surprise, the Egg Bowl rivalry between Ole Miss and Mississippi State made the honored list.
So how did America’s premier sports magazine describe it? “In Mississippi, there is Christmas, Easter and Egg Bowl day.”
Amazingly, the football fighting began even before the kickoff of the rivalry’s first game.
When the two teams clashed for the first time in 1901. They didn’t even wait for the kickoff to strike the first blows of the football feud. According to Egg Bowl, the book about the rivalry by Danny McKenzie and William G. Barner, the first game began 40 minutes late because the teams argued over the eligibility of a Mississippi State (then Mississippi A & M) player.
Given the rich history and intense rivalry, it should come as no surprise that both teams have recruited and depended on many players from the Clarksdale Press Register coverage areas of Coahoma, Quitman, and Tunica Counties.
Because the list of Egg Bowl contributors from each school is too lengthy for one article, this will hopefully become the first of an annual Egg Bowl-week article on players from our area who have made an impact on the universities of this storied rivalry.
Terrence Metcalf
Ole Miss
Clarksdale
In the world of football, Terrence Metcalf did it all. At Clarksdale High School, he terrorized the competition, earning Parade All-American honors. At Ole Miss, he did the same, becoming a first-team All-American after being a second-teamer in the previous season.
And then it was time to excel in the pros. Drafted by the Chicago Bears, Metcalf made the people of the Mississippi Delta proud, playing seven outstanding years in the NFL. So what else could someone possibly do? How about coaching, which he now does at Pearl River Community College. And then there is his son, DK Metcalf, who also played at Ole Miss and now excels for the Seattle Seahawks of the NFL.
Elgton Jenkins
Mississippi State
Clarksdale
This has been a disappointing week for Elgton Jenkins, the star pro-bowl guard for the Green Bay Packers. On Monday night, he suffered an ACL injury to his knee and will miss the remainder of the 2021 season.
Jenkins is not only a pro-bowl lineman, he is also a rare talent who can effectively play either guard or tackle at an elite level. He had started 38 of his first 40 games in the NFL.
To their credit, the Mississippi State coaches saw what some of the so-called recruiting experts did not. Elgton Jenkins, the pro-bowl star guard for the Green Bay Packers, was amazingly ranked as the number-42 player in Mississippi and the 1663rd player nationally.
After an outstanding career at Mississippi State, Jenkins was drafted in the second round of the NFL Draft by the Packers with the 44th overall pick.
Benardrick McKinney
Mississippi State
Rosa Fort High School
Long before he became a star in the NFL, Benardrick McKinney was a do-it-all player for Rosa Fort. He played offense, defense, and even punter for the Lions. He was ranked by 247 Sports as the number-76 player in America at the “Athlete” position, meaning someone whose contributions are beyond the scope of one or two positions. He was recruited by a number of major schools, and ultimately chose to sign with the Mississippi State Bulldogs.
After spending his first year as a redshirt (being held out to grow and physically mature) McKinney burst onto the scene of SEC football. He basically forced his way into the starting lineup and kept it. After rolling up 12 tackles against Kentucky, he shared the Freshman of the Week award with Johnny Manziel of Texas A & M. He later made 14 tackles against Tennessee and again against Texas A & M. After being named to the Freshman All-American team, he ultimately became an All-American.
McKinney was taken in the second round of the NFL Draft by the Houston Texans, and now plays for the New York Giants.
Parker Hall
Ole Miss
Tunica High School
Before Hall took the reins of the Ole Miss offense in 1938, the Rebels had not won an SEC game in two years. In a magical year, Hall led all of college football in the national leader in rushing average, kick return average, most interceptions, and touchdowns responsible for. In 1939, he played for the Cleveland Browns and became the Most Valuable Player of the National Football League.
