Photo by: Austin Perryman/MSU Athletics
Emerson's Grind Helped Him Become Elite
April 26, 2022 | Football
STARKVILLE – Martin Emerson's first inkling that he had a future in football came in the summer of 2017 when he received his first scholarship offer from Mississippi State.
More than two dozen offers would soon follow and after a successful three-year career with the Bulldogs, Emerson is now ready to move on to the next stage. The 6-foot-2, 201-pound cornerback is expected to hear his name called in the opening rounds of this week's NFL Draft.
"When I got my first offer from Mississippi State my sophomore year (of high school), I just put my head down and started griding because when I got to college, I didn't want to flop or let anybody down," Emerson said. "I just kept on grinding and that's what got me to this point. I'm just thankful."
Emerson was rated as a three-star prospect out of Pine Forest High School in Pensacola, Florida and transitioned into one of the top corners in the Southeastern Conference. He made an immediate impact at MSU, appearing in every game as a true freshman and made five starts.
As a sophomore, Emerson led the league with 11 pass breakups and earned second team All-SEC honors from Pro Football Focus, who ranked him as the No. 3 cover corner in the conference. It was more of the same this past season, as he racked up 50 tackles – three of which went for a loss – and three pass break-ups.
"Mississippi State was very crucial to my development," Emerson said. "Coming out of high school, I had a lot of raw talent and knew some things but I learned a lot here. I'm just thankful and wouldn't change my decision for nothing. I've been blessed to be a part of this family."
Like many elite cornerbacks, Emerson's statistics simply do not tell the entire story. Most opponents essentially chose to avoid throwing his way throughout much of his career.
"He's a guy that if you turn on the film, you see what he does," said MSU cornerbacks coach Darcel McBath. "It doesn't show up on the stat sheet, but he's taking away half of the field."
Although it was frustrating for Emerson to not have the interception numbers or action that he would have liked, NFL scouts have been able to look beyond the stat sheet and see the skill set that has him ranked as one of the top 10 corners in this year's draft.
"I'm a bigger corner so a lot of quarterbacks didn't want to make those tough throws," Emerson said. "(The NFL scouts) watch the film, they know what's going on. They like my size and my ability to change directions and come up and tackle. They like my all-around game. I really haven't gotten any negative feedback so I must've been doing something right while I was here."
There are also intangibles that Emerson brought to the Bulldogs off the field as well. He was one of the unquestioned leaders in the cornerbacks room and earned the respect of his teammates early on in his career.
"He was the standard," McBath said. "It was unbelievable to watch him work and see the guys try to emulate that. That to me is a true leader. He set the tone on how we were going to do things and the guys followed."
Emerson made an impression on McBath the very first game he coached him in the 2020 season opener at LSU. Not only did Emerson play exceptionally well in the Bulldogs' 44-34 upset over the defending national champions, he displayed his toughness and passion for the game as well.
Emerson's shoulder popped out of place while making a tackle that day and pleaded with McBath to let him return to the field. McBath – a former second round pick and NFL defensive back in his own right – obliged and saw Emerson tackle another Tiger on his very first play back on the field.
"He's one of the toughest guys I've been around, mentally and physically," McBath said. "He brought it every day and really wanted to be great. He pushes himself to do that and I've always admired that about him."
Emerson is rated the No. 9 cornerback prospect in this year's draft by CBS Sports and projected as a third to fourth round pick by NFL Draft analyst Lance Zierlein.
Â
More than two dozen offers would soon follow and after a successful three-year career with the Bulldogs, Emerson is now ready to move on to the next stage. The 6-foot-2, 201-pound cornerback is expected to hear his name called in the opening rounds of this week's NFL Draft.
"When I got my first offer from Mississippi State my sophomore year (of high school), I just put my head down and started griding because when I got to college, I didn't want to flop or let anybody down," Emerson said. "I just kept on grinding and that's what got me to this point. I'm just thankful."
Emerson was rated as a three-star prospect out of Pine Forest High School in Pensacola, Florida and transitioned into one of the top corners in the Southeastern Conference. He made an immediate impact at MSU, appearing in every game as a true freshman and made five starts.
As a sophomore, Emerson led the league with 11 pass breakups and earned second team All-SEC honors from Pro Football Focus, who ranked him as the No. 3 cover corner in the conference. It was more of the same this past season, as he racked up 50 tackles – three of which went for a loss – and three pass break-ups.
"Mississippi State was very crucial to my development," Emerson said. "Coming out of high school, I had a lot of raw talent and knew some things but I learned a lot here. I'm just thankful and wouldn't change my decision for nothing. I've been blessed to be a part of this family."
Like many elite cornerbacks, Emerson's statistics simply do not tell the entire story. Most opponents essentially chose to avoid throwing his way throughout much of his career.
"He's a guy that if you turn on the film, you see what he does," said MSU cornerbacks coach Darcel McBath. "It doesn't show up on the stat sheet, but he's taking away half of the field."
Although it was frustrating for Emerson to not have the interception numbers or action that he would have liked, NFL scouts have been able to look beyond the stat sheet and see the skill set that has him ranked as one of the top 10 corners in this year's draft.
"I'm a bigger corner so a lot of quarterbacks didn't want to make those tough throws," Emerson said. "(The NFL scouts) watch the film, they know what's going on. They like my size and my ability to change directions and come up and tackle. They like my all-around game. I really haven't gotten any negative feedback so I must've been doing something right while I was here."
There are also intangibles that Emerson brought to the Bulldogs off the field as well. He was one of the unquestioned leaders in the cornerbacks room and earned the respect of his teammates early on in his career.
"He was the standard," McBath said. "It was unbelievable to watch him work and see the guys try to emulate that. That to me is a true leader. He set the tone on how we were going to do things and the guys followed."
Emerson made an impression on McBath the very first game he coached him in the 2020 season opener at LSU. Not only did Emerson play exceptionally well in the Bulldogs' 44-34 upset over the defending national champions, he displayed his toughness and passion for the game as well.
Emerson's shoulder popped out of place while making a tackle that day and pleaded with McBath to let him return to the field. McBath – a former second round pick and NFL defensive back in his own right – obliged and saw Emerson tackle another Tiger on his very first play back on the field.
"He's one of the toughest guys I've been around, mentally and physically," McBath said. "He brought it every day and really wanted to be great. He pushes himself to do that and I've always admired that about him."
Emerson is rated the No. 9 cornerback prospect in this year's draft by CBS Sports and projected as a third to fourth round pick by NFL Draft analyst Lance Zierlein.
Â
Players Mentioned
CB
/ FootballFOOTBALL | Jeff Lebby Postgame vs. Wake Forest
Friday, January 02
FOOTBALL | Jeff Lebby Bowl Practice
Sunday, December 28
FOOTBALL | Fluff Bothwell Bowl Practice
Wednesday, December 17
FOOTBALL | Nic Mitchell Bowl Practice
Wednesday, December 17