Tough As Fluff
September 23, 2025 | Football, Joel Coleman
Mississippi State running back Fluff Bothwell has displayed strength on and off the field for the Bulldogs.
STARKVILLE – Fluff Bothwell is a young man with a big heart. That comes out when you hear him speak about his pets.
The animal lover is the proud owner of three dogs, a snake and a pair of guinea pigs. It might sound like a lot.
"It's not too much though if it's something that you love," Bothwell said.
Yep. There is a soft side to MSU's talented sophomore running back who's making a lot of early-season noise for the Bulldogs. But don't mistake Bothwell's gentleness for weakness. This bruising ball-carrier is as tough as they come, both on the football field and between the ears.
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Before we get into Bothwell's talent and resilience, let's go ahead and get this out of the way: exactly how does a 5-foot-10, 230-pound running back get labeled as Fluff?
"Oh, I was an 11-pound baby," Bothwell said. "My mom just called me her big fluffy baby. It was Fluffy at first, then it got shortened down because my dad thought Fluffy was too girly. So, it got shortened to Fluff and it's been that way since."
On the birth certificate, Bothwell's name is Da'Marion. That's one of the only places you'll read or hear him called that though.
"It might have been middle school I think [the last time anyone called me Da'Marion]," Bothwell said. "But really I can't even remember the last time I was called that. It's just Fluff."
Don't ever let his name fool you.
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Bothwell's football skill alone is enough to prove that Fluff is all kinds of tough.
He spent his freshman season last year at South Alabama and immediately announced his arrival to the college football stage by rushing for 834 yards and 13 touchdowns. Bothwell averaged 7.4 yards per carry on the way to All-Sun Belt Conference honors.
It was enough for Bothwell – who grew up in Southeastern Conference country in Oneonta, Alabama – to know he could shine under the bright lights of the SEC.
"The SEC is really all you know growing up around here," Bothwell said. "To be able to come [to Mississippi State] and be a part of an offense like this, it's what you want."
Bothwell certainly has fit right in at State. Entering this Saturday's showdown against No. 15 Tennessee, Bothwell has helped lead MSU to its first 4-0 start in over a decade. He's rushed for 271 yards and four touchdowns. He's also caught four passes for 29 yards.
This past week, Bothwell rushed for 100 yards in a game for the first time in his State career after doing so four times last year at South Alabama. MSU head coach Jeff Lebby indicated last week was only a tease for how good Bothwell can really be.
"Having Fluff and his addition has been huge for us," Lebby said. "It's been great to be able to get him going. I think the good thing for him is he sat and watched the tape [from last week's game] and he left a lot out there too.
"I talked to him about not wasting a play and being able to score now. If you have a chance to get a first down on second-and-8, get it. All those things inside the game is critical. As he watched that, I thought it was really good for him. He played really tough, but there was still a lot left out there and that's what we're excited about."
Running backs coach Anthony Tucker has praised not only Bothwell's ability, but also his demeanor.
"His personality fits who we are and our culture," Tucker said. "He's got a ton of energy. He's the same guy every day. He's consistent and always smiling. He wants to be coached hard.
"It's always, 'Yes sir, no sir,' from him. There's no entitlement or any of that type of deal. He fills our workman, blue collar, dirty, hard-work-in-the-dark type of mentality. He's young and is really playful a lot, but he's really sharp – especially for a young guy. He really fit into our locker room and who we are as an organization. From the strength and conditioning staff, to our [running backs] room, to the team, he's been a great addition."
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You've seen Bothwell's incredible runs. You've seen his highlight-reel moments in Maroon so far. What you haven't seen and may not know is all he's gone through off the field as he's grinded to excel on it.
On Christmas Eve of 2023 – shortly after Bothwell's senior season of high school and shortly before he began his football career at South Alabama - Bothwell's home in Oneonta burned. It was a total loss.
No one was home at the time as Bothwell and his immediate family were celebrating Christmas in Huntsville with other family members. The next morning, Bothwell returned home to assess the damage with his own eyes.
"First thing I really thought of was all the memories that were made there and all the stuff that was lost," Bothwell told Mobile television station Fox10 at the time. "We had baby pictures in there and stuff from family members that'd passed, and we couldn't get any of it back."
These days, what stands out the most from the fire to Bothwell isn't the damage it did. It's not the items lost. It's how Oneonta and surrounding communities rallied together to help his family.
"Everyone just showed so much love," Bothwell said. "Even people that don't realize how much they're really helping you were showing love."
Bothwell is also grateful that everything happened when no one was around.
"You know, you can always get another home, but you can't get somebody back," Bothwell said. "It was tough, but you know, we all got through it and we're back on our feet now."
Bothwell of course rallied from it all to post his fantastic freshman season at South Alabama. Unfortunately, it wasn't the last time he'd face tragedy.
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This past January shortly after Bothwell arrived in Starkville as a Bulldog, his cousin, Malikih Montgomery, passed away in a car accident.
The two were almost inseparable – like brothers, Bothwell says. Even when life had them in different places, they were always in communication with one another.
"Sometimes people say they talk to someone every day, but they really don't. But I talked to [Montgomery] every single day," Bothwell said. "He was actually the first person I told [I was going to Mississippi State]. I told him before even my parents knew."
Bothwell briefly went home following Montgomery's passing but quickly returned back to Starkville.
"I came back because I knew he wouldn't want me to miss anything with football," Bothwell said. "He'd want me to keep going. So, I haven't stopped since."
Bothwell hasn't quit talking to his cousin either.
"He used to always text me on gameday [to wish me luck]," Bothwell said. "He'd be sending me emojis and everything, saying, 'You know what you can do. Do what you do.'
"And now, even though he doesn't respond, I still text him and let him know it's game day. It's just something I do to let him know what I'm about to do that day."
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This Saturday, Bothwell can text Montgomery about his biggest game yet at MSU. The undefeated Bulldogs get the chance to make a huge statement in front of a sold-out crowd against the mighty Volunteers.
Bothwell is looking forward to the challenge.
"It's just about believing," Bothwell said. "That's been our thing since the winter. We have a lot of belief in ourselves and what we're able to do and how we prepare ourselves."
Time will tell how Saturday will turn out, but Bothwell is pretty sure he knows part of the path to get the Bulldogs to the summit of Rocky Top.
"Fans, bring your cowbells and ring them loud," Bothwell said.
Responsibly, of course.
And keep the pressure on.
For four quarters (and more, if needed), make Davis Wade Stadium tough to tackle for Tennessee.
As tough as Fluff.
