Preston's Hard Work Is Paying Off
October 26, 2023 | Football
STARKVILLE – Shawn Preston Jr. is coming off the best performance of his career.
The graduate safety at Mississippi State earned a 91.3 defensive grade from Pro Football Focus (PFF) after recording three stops, one tackle for loss, one interception, one fumble recovery and breaking up a potential game-winning Hail Mary on the final play of the game to help preserve the Bulldogs' 7-3 win at Arkansas last Saturday.
Preston was selected to PFF's National Team of the Week for his efforts, the first weekly honor of his six-year career at MSU.
"It's beautiful to see the fruits of your labor paying off," Preston said. "This is all God and His blessings washing down on me. I'm just so happy."
But Preston's accolades against the Razorbacks were not an anomaly. His outings against Arizona and South Carolina earlier in the year could easily be considered his among best games as well.
The 6-foot, 205-pounder provided seven tackles, two tackles for loss, one quarterback hurry, one interception and forced a fumble in the win against the Wildcats while earning an 82.3 grade from PFF. He also made four stops and forced a fumble on the road at South Carolina, which garnered an 84.8 grade.
In fact, Preston tops the Bulldogs with an 88.9 overall defensive grade this season. That grade includes team-best marks in run defense (90.8) and coverage (88).
"I'm enjoying the way Shawn is playing right now," said head coach Zach Arnett. "He's got three picks on the season and made some really big tackles and forced a fumble back in that Arizona game…He's made some big plays for us, plays that have changed games. He had a big pick in our last game on a post right down the middle, which is what you expect your free safety to do in the coverage we were in. We're going to need him to play even better down this final stretch of the season."
Following last season, Preston had a decision to make whether or not to return for his final year of eligibility. With his degree in interdisciplinary studies in hand, the St. James, Louisiana native weighed his options but ultimately decided to return to MSU for one last ride.
"You think about everything – the pros and cons of the (transfer) portal and also what I'd be coming back to here," Preston said. "A lot was going on but after thinking over everything, coming back here was my best option. I couldn't be happier with the decision that I made and wouldn't change it for nothing."
Coming into the year, Preston had appeared in 42 games and been a spot starter in 15 of those. His past reps and experience on the field have proven precious as he entered 2023 guiding a safeties group that lost all three starters last season.
"I wasn't a consistent starter in the past, but those snaps are valuable because obviously that's experience," Preston said. "I had some big-time moments during those games and all of that was good experience for me and I'm definitely grateful."
Preston has started six of seven games this season and currently tops the Bulldogs with three interceptions and is tied for the team lead with two forced fumbles. He also ranks third in tackles (36) and tackles for loss (4.5) and is proud to be in this position after all the years of sweat equity he has contributed to the program.
"This place has been the epitome of hard work for me," Preston said. "I've experienced a lot of hardships here and could've gone somewhere else that wasn't as tough. But I stuck it out through those hard times and all that did was make me tougher and more prepared. This whole experience has been a rollercoaster ride that I'm so grateful for. I've experienced adversity and so much success. All that has made me a better man and prepared me for those moments. This has all been a blessing and I'm definitely grateful."
