Friday night lights are king of high school falls, but in the spring and summer, it is seven-on-seven football that rules the high school football landscape.
Cover Story: A Deeper Connection
November 02, 2018 | Football
By Greg Campbell, Assistant Director/Communications
The following feature story can be found in the Nov. 3 Mississippi State Football Game Program, which can be purchased for $5 in and around Davis Wade Stadium on Saturday.
Friday night lights are king of high school falls, but in the spring and summer, it is seven-on-seven football that rules the high school football landscape.
For Mississippi State senior defensive backs Johnathan Abram and Mark McLaurin it was summers on the field with the Mississippi Grind that spurred a connection between the pair.
McLaurin, the cerebral leader of the defensive backs, chose State as a high school senior and has made 46 appearances – 25 starts – in four seasons. Abram, one of the hardest hitters in the SEC, has appeared in all 21 of his game in the maroon and white, after spending time at Georgia and Jones Community College to start his collegiate career.
Those summers with the Grind were a partial reason that Mississippi State stood out when Division I program came calling for Abram, the No. 1 junior college safety in 2016.
"[Playing with McLaurin] was so much fun," said Abram, "and that was one of the reasons I wanted to come to Mississippi State, because I got a chance to be with all my friends. That includes Mark."
That friendship has developed into an almost joined-at-the-hip relationship between the two and neither is afraid to admit it. They motivate one another, carrying an edge that you normally see from brothers – the ability to be brutally honest without creating a divide.
Though they might need a boost from time to time, each carry their own reasons for pursing degrees – Abram in interdisciplinary studies and McLaurin in business administration – and a coveted spot on an NFL roster.
"There is so much that motivates me," said McLaurin. "I hope the people back home are proud where I'm at today. I also have great support from my mom and my grandmother, and I [take motivation] from my teammate Keith Joseph."
Keith Joseph Jr. and McLaurin arrived on the Starkville campus in the fall of 2015, but Joseph Jr. was tragically lost in a car accident that took his life and the life of his father, a MSU football standout himself from 1989-92, Keith Joseph Sr., on Nov. 6, 2015.
Joseph and McLaurin spent just a couple of months as roommates, but the bond was instant.
"Keith rides with me every day, still," said McLaurin. "I know he's always with me and this team. No matter where I go or what I do, it's always in remembrance of him. He was such a nice guy, never did anything wrong and he was a hard worker. Just a great guy."
Joseph Jr.'s impact on McLaurin is clear to Abram, who shared a mutual friend with the late-Bulldog student-athlete.
"Keith means a lot to these guys, especially Mark," said Abram. "I got here after it all happened, but I kind of knew him because we had a mutual friend."
While McLaurin's motivation comes from a friend lost too soon, Abram looks to a life that began earlier than expected and has quickly become his world.
"My daughter, Harlee, is one," said Abram, "and she means the world [to me]. Seeing her wake up and smile: she's just so joyful. She's been through a lot as a premature baby. So just seeing her get to where she's at is just wonderful. There's no better feeling."
One of the few married student-athletes in college athletics, Abram and his wife, Bri'Anna, were married this summer and welcomed Harlee in May of last year.
Oddly, his teammates didn't even know that he had married Bri'Anna, until McLaurin saw the ring on his had one day.
"I saw the ring [on his hand] and just said 'Hold on. What is this?'" McLaurin said. "He finally told us, and I just told him congratulations. It was just a great day [when we found out]."
"Yeah, I didn't really make a big deal about it," said Abram. "For me, at the point I was at, [getting married] was something I needed to do."
The two friends both wore wry smiles when talking about Abrams secret nuptials, and, for McLaurin, the look in his eyes spoke volumes of how he felt about his friend.
"He's a great man," McLaurin said of Abram. "He's a great father and a great husband. He's a guy that is going to put in the work and handle business, on and off the field. He is a guy that you can always count on."
-----
And while they couldn't agree on who was the better looking of the two or, really, who was the hardest hitter on the football field, they did agree that friendship has helped them on and off the field.
"Mark matches my energy," said Abram, "and that's one thing I love about him. He is going to be successful in anything: football, as a father or whatever he chooses."
"The one thing I respect about him is that he holds me accountable and I am able to hold him accountable, in football and life," said McLaurin. "I see a bright future for both of us, whether that be in football or not."
The following feature story can be found in the Nov. 3 Mississippi State Football Game Program, which can be purchased for $5 in and around Davis Wade Stadium on Saturday.
Friday night lights are king of high school falls, but in the spring and summer, it is seven-on-seven football that rules the high school football landscape.
For Mississippi State senior defensive backs Johnathan Abram and Mark McLaurin it was summers on the field with the Mississippi Grind that spurred a connection between the pair.
McLaurin, the cerebral leader of the defensive backs, chose State as a high school senior and has made 46 appearances – 25 starts – in four seasons. Abram, one of the hardest hitters in the SEC, has appeared in all 21 of his game in the maroon and white, after spending time at Georgia and Jones Community College to start his collegiate career.
Those summers with the Grind were a partial reason that Mississippi State stood out when Division I program came calling for Abram, the No. 1 junior college safety in 2016.
"[Playing with McLaurin] was so much fun," said Abram, "and that was one of the reasons I wanted to come to Mississippi State, because I got a chance to be with all my friends. That includes Mark."
That friendship has developed into an almost joined-at-the-hip relationship between the two and neither is afraid to admit it. They motivate one another, carrying an edge that you normally see from brothers – the ability to be brutally honest without creating a divide.
Though they might need a boost from time to time, each carry their own reasons for pursing degrees – Abram in interdisciplinary studies and McLaurin in business administration – and a coveted spot on an NFL roster.
"There is so much that motivates me," said McLaurin. "I hope the people back home are proud where I'm at today. I also have great support from my mom and my grandmother, and I [take motivation] from my teammate Keith Joseph."
Keith Joseph Jr. and McLaurin arrived on the Starkville campus in the fall of 2015, but Joseph Jr. was tragically lost in a car accident that took his life and the life of his father, a MSU football standout himself from 1989-92, Keith Joseph Sr., on Nov. 6, 2015.
Joseph and McLaurin spent just a couple of months as roommates, but the bond was instant.
"Keith rides with me every day, still," said McLaurin. "I know he's always with me and this team. No matter where I go or what I do, it's always in remembrance of him. He was such a nice guy, never did anything wrong and he was a hard worker. Just a great guy."
Joseph Jr.'s impact on McLaurin is clear to Abram, who shared a mutual friend with the late-Bulldog student-athlete.
"Keith means a lot to these guys, especially Mark," said Abram. "I got here after it all happened, but I kind of knew him because we had a mutual friend."
While McLaurin's motivation comes from a friend lost too soon, Abram looks to a life that began earlier than expected and has quickly become his world.
"My daughter, Harlee, is one," said Abram, "and she means the world [to me]. Seeing her wake up and smile: she's just so joyful. She's been through a lot as a premature baby. So just seeing her get to where she's at is just wonderful. There's no better feeling."
One of the few married student-athletes in college athletics, Abram and his wife, Bri'Anna, were married this summer and welcomed Harlee in May of last year.
Oddly, his teammates didn't even know that he had married Bri'Anna, until McLaurin saw the ring on his had one day.
"I saw the ring [on his hand] and just said 'Hold on. What is this?'" McLaurin said. "He finally told us, and I just told him congratulations. It was just a great day [when we found out]."
"Yeah, I didn't really make a big deal about it," said Abram. "For me, at the point I was at, [getting married] was something I needed to do."
The two friends both wore wry smiles when talking about Abrams secret nuptials, and, for McLaurin, the look in his eyes spoke volumes of how he felt about his friend.
"He's a great man," McLaurin said of Abram. "He's a great father and a great husband. He's a guy that is going to put in the work and handle business, on and off the field. He is a guy that you can always count on."
-----
And while they couldn't agree on who was the better looking of the two or, really, who was the hardest hitter on the football field, they did agree that friendship has helped them on and off the field.
"Mark matches my energy," said Abram, "and that's one thing I love about him. He is going to be successful in anything: football, as a father or whatever he chooses."
"The one thing I respect about him is that he holds me accountable and I am able to hold him accountable, in football and life," said McLaurin. "I see a bright future for both of us, whether that be in football or not."
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