'The Ultimate Teammate'
September 06, 2024 | Football
STARKVILLE – There was a lot to like about Mississippi State's season opener last Saturday.
Following the Bulldogs' 56-7 win over Eastern Kentucky, Jeff Lebby was presented with the game ball to celebrate his first victory as a head coach. With the entire team huddled together inside the locker room, Lebby complimented their collective execution but also highlighted the play of one individual.
Lebby singled out sixth-year linebacker JP Purvis, who blocked a punt that was recovered in the end zone for a touchdown. But Lebby's praise stemmed from more than merely that one play. He wanted recognize Purvis' perseverance through adversity and for being the consummate teammate through it all.
Before Lebby could even finish talking, the entire team gave Purvis an echoing round of applause along with plenty of high-fives and hugs.
"I cannot brag on JP enough," Lebby said during his postgame press conference. "He's a guy that's been through a ton since he's been here and is the ultimate teammate. So, for him to be able to go create the block and (Mario Craver) being able to scoop and score it was a lot of fun to see."
With the Colonels essentially punting from their own goal line midway through the fourth quarter, Purvis rushed off the left edge untouched and was able to block the ball right off the punter's right foot. The football went sailing high into the night sky and Purvis was perched underneath it in the end zone wait on it to come down. At the last moment, however, a speedy Craver snatched it out of the air for the score.
Naturally, Purvis would've loved nothing more than to notch his first touchdown since his days as a high school quarterback at Pelahatchie. But simply being able to contribute to his team's victory was all that mattered him.
"It's a team game, so I'm just happy that we got the touchdown," Purvis said.
After making just four tackles in his first three years in Starkville, Purvis has been a solid contributor for the Bulldogs since 2022. The 6-foot-1, 245-pounder has appeared in 27 consecutive games and drawn seven starts during that span.
But playing the same position as the top two tacklers in the Southeastern Conference – Jett Johnson and Nathaniel Watson - the last two years left Purvis with limited opportunities. Still, he made the most of those chances and stacked up 61 stops and 1 ½ sacks over the past two seasons.
"It was always about not getting complacent," Purvis said. "Just knowing your role and working hard every day and bringing energy and effort. Control what you can control, that's the main thing"
After starting six games and finishing with a career-best 39 tackles last fall, Purvis was bound and determined for his final year in Maroon and White to be his defining one. Not even nagging injuries during the spring and fall camp have been able to derail his plans.
"It's just all adversity," Purvis said. "I have been through a lot. I've been through a lot of things since I've been in college. But when adversity hits, you've just got to keep telling yourself that God's got you. At the end of the day, you can only control what you can control. Just come out and keep working, keep striving to do your best every day."
Purvis has experienced plenty of change since arriving as a safety in Starkville in 2019. Not only has he played for four different head coaches, he's also been able to sponge some sage advice from eventual NFL stars like Willie Gay Jr. when he was a freshman that he's now passing along to the next generation of Bulldogs.
But perhaps the best lesson future State standouts can learn from Purvis is to simply stay positive no matter what and find the simple pleasures that playing football on this stage provides. Â
"It's just what I do," Purvis said of his positivity. "I just show up with the right attitude, give the right effort every day and just have fun. I just enjoy playing the game. It's something I do every day. I've been here for a long time. Most guys, at this point in their career, would've just laid down and said, 'it may not be for me.' But regardless of where God takes me, I'm here to stay."
