The Return Of The Dawg Walk
September 03, 2022 | Football, Joel Coleman
After a three-year absence, the Mississippi State pregame tradition is back in its original form.
STARKVILLE – Walton and Suzanne Webster, along with their children Ellie Paige and Jackson, waited patiently along a guardrail in The Junction just outside of Davis Wade Stadium.
It'd be only moments before Mississippi State coaches and players made their grand entrance into their home venue. Walton, Suzanne, Ellie Paige and Jackson were four of thousands that gathered to welcome the Bulldogs to their stadium. The atmosphere was electric. For the first time in three years, the Dawg Walk was back the way it was meant to be.
The smiles were back. The high-fives and handshakes were back. Yes, the Dawg Walk was truly back, and you better believe its return was special for everyone – including Walton, Suzanne, 6-year-old Ellie Paige and 5-year-old Jackson.
"We are so glad to be here – it's fantastic," Suzanne said. "It's pretty cool because the kids are at the ages where they're going to start remembering all this. So today's a big day."
Added Walton: "It's pretty cool. [Suzanne and I] both graduated from State. I can remember being here throwing the football with my dad. It's pretty cool coming back and experiencing all this with our kids. They don't understand what it means, but as parents, we do."
It marked the first time since 2019 that The Dawg Walk has been experienced the way it was first designed. The COVID pandemic put the practice on pause, save for an abbreviated, altered version. But there is no more audible calling. There are no more adjustments. It's back to business as usual, and make no mistake about it, it's not just the fans loving it.
"It's a big motivation for us, I can guarantee it," State offensive lineman Kwatrivous Johnson said. "It makes us feel good going into the games knowing we have that support and everybody behind us."
Added defensive lineman Nathan Pickering: "It definitely motivates us. And it definitely provides a different perspective for us with how people come out and support us. I mean, hours before the game, people come out and sit in the hot sun just to touch our hands or bring their kids out there to meet us and it's amazing."
For Johnson and Pickering, Saturday's jaunt through the Junction felt like old times. The two had experienced it all before. Johnson has been with the Bulldogs since the 2018 season. Pickering arrived prior to 2019. As long-time MSU veterans, Johnson and Pickering were among a handful of Bulldogs who'd walked this walk before.
For most of State's roster though, all this was an all-new experience. Even central figures for the Bulldogs like quarterback Will Rogers, receiver Jaden Walley, cornerback Emmanuel Forbes and others – guys that have been around for awhile now – hadn't gotten the chance to enjoy this kind of Dawg Walk. Nor had head coach Mike Leach and the majority of his coaching staff.
That's all changed now.
There is no more waiting or wondering when. The Dawg Walk – the real Dawg Walk – is back creating memories once again.
"It's amazing that it's back," Pickering said. "It's definitely going to make a difference on game day."
Â
