A Symbol Of Toughness And Greatness
August 15, 2023 | Football, Joel Coleman
The interlocking MSU is back to commemorate the 25-year anniversary of State’s 1998 SEC Western Division championship.
STARKVILLE – Wayne Madkin sees it with great regularity.
When the former Mississippi State quarterback looks at all the memorabilia that commemorates his playing days in Starkville, there it is – that bold, beautiful interlocking MSU logo.
"I've got it on all my commemorative stuff," Madkin said. "I look at it almost every day. It brings back so many good memories. It's most definitely a brand that sticks out."
Now, 25 years since Madkin and the Bulldogs sported the mark in the Georgia Dome as the Southeastern Conference's Western Division champions, the interlocking MSU is back.
The current Mississippi State squad is set to wear nearly identical uniforms as its 1998 predecessors when the Bulldogs host Kentucky for homecoming on November 4. Everything from the 'Miss. State' across the chest, to the old-school SEC logo near the collar is included.
Of course, it'll all be topped off with the legendary maroon helmet with the interlocking MSU symbol so many have longed for to return for so long.
"That mark is special to me," 1998 offensive lineman Pork Chop Womack said. "It's like our mark in history. When you see that logo, you know what it means. It was one of the best times in Mississippi State history, and I got to be a part of it. I'm forever grateful."
The ones who experienced it with Womack – either as a teammate or fan – know precisely where Pork Chop is coming from. Those too young to remember can now get a better taste for why so many treasure the interlocking MSU.
It represented toughness. It represented greatness. And in 1998, it represented one of the most successful, memorable units to ever suit up in Maroon and White.
"We were just a bunch of guys willing to do whatever it took to get the job done," Womack said. "Everybody goes into every year saying they're going to do this or that…But those were all special guys and it showed. The team we had and the leaders on that team that we had were completely fearless."
Adds Madkin: "One word that sticks in my mind to describe our team was resilience. That team was resilient and had a never-quit attitude. There wasn't any game in the SEC that we didn't feel like we could win. That was something unique about that team. We didn't back down from those tough games."
Alabama, Auburn, a Top-10 Arkansas team, Ole Miss and more all fell at the hands of the '98 Dawgs. They pushed eventual National Champion Tennessee to its limit on SEC Championship Saturday.
It was a team that left an indelible mark on the Mississippi State program and, in many ways, laid a foundation for what the Bulldogs now are.
Ask anyone associated with State to describe what makes up a Bulldog and familiar terms are repeated. Hard-working. Tough. Blue collar.
Those characteristics might've been treasured in Starkville long before 1998, but Madkin, Pork Chop and the rest cemented them as necessities to take Mississippi State football to the highest of heights.
It's one of the many reasons Madkin and Womack are so excited to see the interlocking MSU return this year and get to be worn by the 2023 team. They see current State head coach Zach Arnett putting an emphasis on the same things that made Jackie Sherrill's bunch the trailblazers they were a quarter-century ago.
"One thing about it, when you see the energy we have right now, it's amazing," Womack said. "[Coach Arnett is] bringing that to us right now. You see the fire in his eyes. It's just going to trickle down to everyone and you're seeing that fire in their eyes, too."
Madkin echoes those sentiments.
"When I met [Arnett], I was very pleased with his vision on what he's trying to get accomplished," Madkin said. "He has a blue-collar mentality, and I think he's going to relish being the underdog and capitalize as much as possible. I think he might do his best work when he's the underdog like we did in '98. That '98 team, we were the underdogs. No one thought we'd do what we did, but we kept at it, and we had a no-quit attitude and were resilient and it paid off. We shocked a lot of people who never saw it coming."
Maybe, just maybe, Arnett and this year's Bulldogs can do the same. And for at least one step in their journey, they'll be able to pull from the power of the mighty interlocking MSU.
