By Staff
TALKING FOOTBALL – Rockey Felker speaks with Winn Umphlett during an alumni meeting at the MSU-Meridian Campus Tuesday night. Photo by Paula Merritt/The Meridian Star
By Jeff Byrd / staff writer
July 3, 2002
About four years ago, current Mississippi State head football coach Jackie Sherrill asked his predecessor whether he would consider a position on Sherrill's football staff.
MSU football legend Rockey Felker declined, saying the timing wasn't right.
This past winter, Sherrill called Felker again, offering the position of coordinator of football operations. This time Felker accepted. The former Bulldog quarterback was going back home to Starkville.
On Tuesday night, Felker was in Meridian to address the Lauderdale County Chapter of the Mississippi State Alumni Association. The meeting was billed as a Bulldog Family Celebration. No one knows what the State family means more than Felker.
Felker ended his insurance business that was based in Fayetteville, Ark., and began what he told the Bulldog faithful was his 11th move of his professional career. Since resigning as the Bulldogs head coach after the 1990 season, Felker had two stints as an offensive coordinator in Tulsa sandwiched in between an offensive assistant's job at the University of Arkansas.
Perhaps a big factor in Felker's decision to return was the nature of the job. He would not have to do any on-the-field coaching. He would be a key person in recruiting, but it will be on-campus based.
Basically it's a role of an administrator.
While Felker will not be involved with the day-to-day coaching of the team, he will still play a big part in the program's success. He gave the State fans a brief assessment of the 2002 team and the season ahead.
Being a standout Bulldog quarterback in the early 1970s, Felker said the Bulldogs have a good one coming back in Kevin Fant of Moss Point.