A Natural Leader
July 17, 2024 | Football, Joel Coleman
As season draws near, quarterback Blake Shapen is a unifying force for the Bulldogs.
DALLAS – Sporting a stylish suit and custom shoes, Blake Shapen strolled around at Southeastern Conference Football Media Days on Wednesday looking like a man in charge. The Mississippi State quarterback, making his highest profile appearance since transferring to MSU from Baylor, bounced from room to room at the Omni Hotel in Dallas in complete control, facing hundreds of questions head on without batting an eye.
Don't let it shock you. Shapen's confident demeanor and poise are qualities that have quickly solidified him as a guiding light for the Bulldogs ahead of the first season of the head coach Jeff Lebby era. Shapen prides himself on standing tall and being one others can look to, and the secret behind it all is a drive to build a connection with his teammates he believes can be the foundation for an exciting season of football in Starkville.
"I want to be able to get to know the guys and spend time with them in the locker room after workouts and practices," Shapen said. "And jell with them because that's what makes our offense run."
Put another way, Shapen isn't all that focused on the number of yards he's going to throw for this fall or how many points the Dawgs will mount on Saturdays. Instead, he's keyed in on the backbone behind his and his team's production.
That footing, Shapen says, is relationships.
"If [my teammates] don't know who I am and I am trying to tell them how to do things or how we should be doing things, they won't listen," Shapen said. "They've got to know me as a person first, and I have to dive deep into them and know them on a personal level so they can trust me."
In only a few short months, Shapen has been extremely successful at accomplishing his mission of camaraderie. He's spent a countless amount of time with his receivers getting on the same page. He's built bonds with his offensive linemen – not hurting Shapen's cause that one of the ways he's touched their hearts was by providing for their stomachs.
"I took them out to dinner not too long ago," Shapen shared.
And how big was the bill, QB1?
"I won't speak on that," he said.
Regardless of how much lighter Shapen's wallet got, it was worth every penny to get a little closer to the boys that'll protect him throughout the year.
Like coach, like quarterback.
Hearing Shapen speak on the importance of bonds and brotherhood almost seems like an echo of the things Lebby has preached since he was hired at State. He did it again Wednesday in Dallas.
"At the end of the day, we've got 120 guys on the roster, and we've got 63 people from a personnel standpoint inside the building that, man, I want to be connected," Lebby said.
Shapen has certainly been at the forefront of that cause in the Bulldog locker room. He's serving as State's super glue. He's creating hopefully unbreakable links of a Maroon and White chain.
The best part of it all is it's just who Shapen is. It's how he's wired.
"I think he's just a natural leader," State offensive lineman Albert Reese IV said of Shapen. "He just leads the team in a way that he doesn't have to force it."
Not to be lost in Shapen's drive to lead is his ability to perform. Let no one forget, this is a young man who has already thrown for 36 touchdowns and more than 5,000 yards in his collegiate career. He's earned All-Big 12 honors as a signal caller and won a conference title in 2021.
Whether Shapen's helmet is on or off, he brings a ton to the table for State players, coaches and fans alike to love.
But what made Starkville the place for Shapen in the first place? Such a talented guy had options, but one place stood out and that was Mississippi State.
"I think it starts with Coach Lebby," Shapen said. "I got to watch him coach at [Oklahoma]. I got to see that offense in person. It was kind of a no-brainer when he got the job at Mississippi State and he contacted me. Obviously I wanted to play in the SEC, and I heard Mississippi State is a great place so it was a no-brainer."
The feelings Lebby had for Shapen were mutual, and through a spring together and the summer months, Lebby has gotten exactly what he wanted.
"Being a QB guy, calling the plays, getting the right quarterback was something we had to get done, and we've got our guy," Lebby said. "I could not be more proud of how Blake has gone about his business and how he does what he does every single day.
"He's just getting more and more comfortable and more and more confident in the day-to-day and understanding he's the guy for us to be able to go get it done. I love his toughness, his passion and how he goes about things. So, I'm proud of him and he's excited about this year."
There's a lot to be enthusiastic about for sure. With Lebby's track record as an offensive guru and Shapen's sharp mind and skill set, the stage is set for the cowbells to clang as loudly and as frequently as ever at Davis Wade Stadium.
And one of the key reasons why is the man calling the shots behind center has gotten everyone in lockstep.
"He's very good at bringing everybody together and just making sure everybody is on the same page, knowing what the expectations are and holding people accountable," Reese said of Shapen. "I think that's actually his biggest and best asset."
