STARKVILLE – Former Mississippi State University tailback Vick Ballard will get his first start in the National Football League Sunday.
Ballard, a rookie drafted in the fifth round of the 2012 NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts, will get the nod due to Colts starting running back Donald Brown undergoing knee surgery on Tuesday to repair torn knee cartilage.
The news was announced Wednesday by Indianapolis interim head coach Bruce Arians.
“One thing that Vick Ballard always did while he was here for us is he’s a guy that takes advantage of every opportunity and is one of the hardest-working guys I’ve ever been around, and that allows him to take advantage of those opportunities,” MSU head coach Dan Mullen said Wednesday during his Southeastern Conference media teleconference. “It really is not a surprise, the success he sees. Everybody always kind of focused on what Vick couldn’t do, instead of what he does, which is go out there, work hard and do his job every single day to the best of his ability. That’s what’s made him successful, and I’m sure it’ll make him successful during his NFL career as well.”
After arriving from Gulf Coast Community College, Ballard finished his two-year career as the starting running back with 2,157 rushing yards and 29 touchdowns. Despite spending only two season in Starkville, Ballard left MSU ranked second all-time in rushing touchdowns and 10th in rushing yardage.
In his first season, MSU found Ballard and the then-newcomer from Gulf Coast Community College went on to run for 968 yards and a school-record 19 touchdowns. Ballard quickly went from a junior college transfer who had never had Division 1 experience to becoming a major offensive weapon on a team that won the 2011 Gator Bowl.
“He’s a young man coming out of high school that was overlooked by a lot of people, went on to junior college, became an All-American in junior college, was overlooked by many, many college,” Mullen said. “I think we were really his only scholarship offer. Came here, and we weren’t sure what we were getting. But every coach you talked to, his high school coach said, ‘You’re getting a great player and his junior college coach said, ‘You’re getting a great player.'”
Arians is a former offensive coordinator at MSU from 1993-1995 under head coach Jackie Sherrill. Ballard has just 42 yards on 21 carries in the first four games of the 2012 season. The Colts, travel to play the New York Jets Sunday, who have given up 414 yards on the ground combined against the San Francisco 49ers and Houston Texans in the past two weeks. The Colts will also have second-year running back Delone Carter, who had two rushing touchdowns last season.
Phil Steele Magazine names CB Johnthan Banks and OG Gabe Jackson as preseason All-Americans: MSU senior defensive back Johnthan Banks and junior left guard Gabe Jackson were named midseason All-Americans by Phil Steele Magazine, the publication announced Wednesday.
Banks was named to the first-team defense, while Jackson earned second-team honors. Banks, a preseason All-America selection by six different publications, has led the Bulldogs to the 11th-best scoring defense in the country, while holding opponents to under 200 yards passing per game. The Maben native has been thrown at 24 times in man coverage, allowing just 15 catches for 108 yards (4.5 yards per game) and zero touchdowns, as well as intercepting three passes and breaking up two.
Among active Football Bowl Subdivision players, Banks currently ranks first in career interception yards (274), second with 15 career interceptions, is tied for third with three interceptions returned for touchdowns along with ranking fifth in career interceptions per game (0.36).
As a result of offenses avoiding him, MSU is tied for second in the country in turnover margin, while the cornerback opposite of him (senior Darius Slay) being tied for fourth in the FBS in interceptions per game (1.0).
“These guys are NFL guys,” University of Tennessee head coach Derek Dooley said. “They are legitimate, dang-good football players (who are) incredibly instinctive, long and athletic. Their scheme helps them play a lot of zone so they can just prey on a quarterback breaking down and they make the play. There are not that many big-time corners out there who have the size, the athleticism and the instincts and these guys have it. They are good. You don’t that many interceptions by luck, you just don’t.”
Jackson, a preseason selection to the Lombardi Trophy and Outland Trophy watch list, has been the anchor on an offensive line that is tied for fifth in the FBS with just three sacks allowed. Individually, the Liberty native has tallied 33 takedowns while grading out a champion in all five games this season.
Jackson, a preseason All-Southeastern Conference guard has been a prominent blocker for junior tailback LaDarius Perkins, who is second in the league in rushing yards per game and is one of five FBS tailbacks to rush for a touchdown in all of his games thus far this season. Jackson also helped Perkins run for a SEC season-high 179 yards at Troy University on Sept. 15.
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