FEATURE: The Making Of The Mayor

STARKVILLE - It was an off day for members of the Mississippi State football program, but it wasn't a day off for Kobe Jones. The Bulldogs wouldn't be taking the field on this Monday, but Jones was still headed to practice.

Whenever he feels the urge, which tends to be most off days, Jones makes a special effort to visit the Starkville Cowboys, a youth football program in town. The eight-year-old players on the field are amazed when they first see Jones, especially when he arrives wearing team gear.

"They were just assuming that I was squatting a thousand pounds, benching a thousand pounds and just throwing out these crazy, Superman-type numbers," Jones said of the kids' first impression. "Knowing that I'm probably not in the strongest group of guys in the SEC, it was just amusing and funny."

These kids are wearing the same uniform on the same field, even playing under the same coach, that Jones did while growing up in Starkville, Mississippi. The similarities they share are part of why it was so important to Jones that he stay home and play for his hometown school.

"I remember being in that position and having no physical proof of what it was to make it, what it was like to go Division I, what it was to pursue my dream of going to the NFL," Jones said. "I was just going off faith and a dream."

The first hint that his dream could become a reality came when he helped shift the balance in the youth program's annual all-star game. Every season small towns across Mississippi put their best players together and send them to New Orleans to meet the Saints' little league team.

For years, Jones watched as the Mississippi squad came home defeated each fall. When he finally got his chance, he not only made sure the streak ended, but helped establish a new series of Mississippi victories.

"I think we all took pride in it because that was just the thing you were playing for," Jones said. "People from [Mississippi] take a lot of pride in being from here, but I feel like from the outside, we're misperceived. I just really wanted to shed light on where I'm from and the community that we have."

So, Jones returns to the practice field, for both the Cowboys and Starkville High School. He's been nominated for the Wuerffel Trophy, college football's premier community service award, twice. And his leadership is unquestioned.

The senior defensive end is one of the most outspoken players on the team, leading huddles and at times even stopping practice himself when the quality is below expectations. One thing has stood out to him whether he's on the field with eight-year-olds or other collegiate student-athletes.

"As you go and talk to different age groups, it's just notable that all of them react to action," he said. "You have to live what you preach. I feel like that's just the number one golden rule."

His teammates have listened, and when the Bulldogs were preparing to host Vanderbilt for homecoming this season, they made it clear that Jones had their respect.

After the Mississippi state legislature approved a change in the state flag this summer, voters across the state approved a new design just days before the game. Jones was chosen to lead the team out of the tunnel as the first football student-athlete in the state to carry the new banner onto the field.

"Honestly, I was just grateful that I got the honor, knowing how much it means to people from here," Jones said. "It's just really running with a flag, but I never thought the Confederate symbol would come off of the [Mississippi] flag. It's surreal. I'm proud, honored."

Adding to the significance of the moment, the Bulldogs were wearing Flying M throwback uniforms for the homecoming contest. The jersey and logo last saw the field in 1971, the same year that the first Black student-athlete played football for the Maroon and White.

"Wow," Jones added. "To me, it puts an exclamation point on it that it was meant to be done. It was destiny that it was supposed to be changed that day."

As his senior year draws to a close, Jones has a hard time comprehending his legacy and putting it into words. His youth coach called him "The Blueprint." Teammates and fans call him "The Mayor." But to Jones, the monikers seem a bit too much.

After pondering the meaning of his career, he settled on a short and simple answer.

"My legacy here, in my community, at this university: I want to be a symbol of hope," he said.

For some people in the state, that hope will be that they can stay home in a Mississippi that is always getting just a tiny bit better than they remembered from childhood. For some, it might be hope that they too can attend the state's flagship land-grant institution. And for some, it could simply be a dream of playing football.

"Don't think it's some far-fetched idea. Fifteen years ago, it was a far-fetched idea, and a dude from Starkville came up playing with the Starkville Cowboys and went Division I. It was just a dream then, and I want [kids] to know that it can happen for them too."

Mississippi State University Athletics

FEATURE: The Making Of The Mayor

Players Mentioned

Kobe Jones

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