State Reveals M-Club Hall of Fame Class Of 2023
June 02, 2023 | Baseball, Football, Athletics, Men's Basketball, Women's Basketball, Volleyball, Joel Coleman
STARKVILLE – Six Mississippi State greats are set to take their place in the MSU Sports M-Club Hall of Fame on the weekend of the Bulldogs' November 4 home football game against Kentucky.
Baseball's Jay Powell, women's basketball's Sharon Fanning-Otis, football's Don Smith and Robert Bell, men's basketball's Jerry Jenkins and volleyball's Edwina Denise (Anthony) Arnold will all be Class of 2023 inductees.
The inductions will occur as part of the 2023 MSU Sports M-Club Hall of Fame Gala on Friday evening, November 3. More information on the Gala is forthcoming. Members of the public wishing to attend can RSVP by CLICKING HERE. Active M-Club members are able to purchase discounted tickets and can register through their Athlete Network portal.
Here are further details for those set to be celebrated this fall:
MSU SPORTS M-CLUB HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2023
Jay Powell (Baseball – 1991-93)
From his time at Mississippi State through his career in Major League Baseball, there weren't many relievers more reliable than Powell. A Freshman All-American, Powell was an All-Southeastern Conference selection as a freshman in 1991 and went on to earn a pair of all-region honors. He led MSU in saves in 1991 (10). Over 67 career appearances, Powell totaled 11 victories and 17 saves with 160 strikeouts in 161 innings of work. In three seasons, the right-hander helped MSU to an NCAA Regional each season.
In the 1993 Major League Baseball Draft, the Baltimore Orioles selected Powell with the 19th overall pick, and he spent 11 seasons in professional baseball. A part of the 1997 World Series champion Florida Marlins club, he was the winner in the decisive Game 7. Powell completed his entire 10-plus-year MLB career without ever having a losing record.
Powell was chosen as an SEC Baseball Legend in 2014.
Sharon Fanning-Otis (Women's Basketball – 1995-2012)
The winningest women's basketball head coach in MSU history with her 281 Bulldog victories, Fanning-Otis made postseason Mississippi State hoops a frequent occurrence.
Fanning-Otis guided the Dawgs to either the NCAA Tournament or NIT in 11 of her 17 seasons in Maroon and White, highlighted by the 1999-2000 season in which she won a school-best 24 games and was named the SEC Coach of the Year, as well as the 2009-10 season that featured MSU's first-ever NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 appearance.
Over the course of her head coaching career, which also featured stops at Chattanooga and Kentucky, Fanning-Otis won 608 games, coached 27 All-Conference selections and 11 All-Americans.
Don Smith (Football – 1983-86)
Smith stands as one of the most productive quarterbacks to ever put on the Maroon and White. He still ranks among the top 10 in school history in multiple categories including career total yardage, career touchdowns responsible for and career passing yardage.
Smith was a four-year letterwinner for the Bulldogs that racked up multiple honors in his State tenure including First Team All-SEC accolades from the Associated Press, UPI and league coaches in 1986.
Following his MSU career, Smith was selected in the second round of the 1987 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He also later played for the Buffalo Bills, scoring a touchdown in Super Bowl XXV.
Robert Bell (Football – 1969-1972)
Bell was a Mississippi State trailblazer. The standout defensive lineman was one of the first Black student-athletes in MSU football history, along with Frank Dowsing, Jr.
Bell was an outstanding teammate and made an immediate impact at MSU with his leadership, courage, and work ethic. He helped guide State to its first winning season in seven years in 1970. An inspirational leader, standout starter and fan favorite, Bell would often have his name shouted by the Bulldog faithful with chants of, "Give 'em hell, Robert Bell."
Prior to MSU, Bell was an honor student, team captain, and All-Big Eight selection at Meridian High School. He went on to earn three letters for the Bulldogs from 1970-72 and graduated in 1973 with a degree in business administration.
Bell passed away in 2022. However, his legacy continues to live on at MSU.
Jerry Jenkins (Men's Basketball – 1972-75)
Jenkins, along with teammate Larry Fry, were groundbreakers at MSU as the first Black men's basketball players in program history. In addition, Jenkins put together a stellar career.
Jenkins captured a pair of All-SEC First-Team selections by the coaches during the 1973-74 and 1974-75 seasons. He currently sits 11th on MSU's all-time scoring list and fourth among players who played only three seasons with 1,503 career points.
Jenkins, a native of Gulfport, Mississippi, is one of only seven players to secure at least 1,500 career points and 500 career rebounds in program history. He averaged 19.3 points per game over his career which is fourth only behind Bailey Howell, Jim Ashmore and Jeff Malone.
Jenkins was honored as an SEC Basketball Legend earlier this year at the conference tournament.
Edwina Denise (Anthony) Arnold (Volleyball – 1982-85)
Arnold is among the greatest volleyball Bulldogs of all time. She easily stands as the school's all-time leader in career solo blocks with 117 of them – 34 more than the next-closest Bulldog. In terms of single-season solo blocks, three of the top 10 campaigns in school history belong to Arnold, including the top two.
A 1985 team captain with the Bulldogs, Arnold's success carried over into her post-MSU playing career. Arnold is a retired Army Colonel whose life has been dedicated to leadership and service. While in the armed forces, Arnold's volleyball career continued as she was a captain for the 8th Army team in Korea in 1988 and for the All-Army squad at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania from 1991-92.
In Arnold's retirement, she has leveraged her background to inspire the next generation through volunteer work in the classroom and on the volleyball court, working with students in multiple states including Alabama, Georgia, Kansas and Texas.
