The Poll

6
SEC football championships won by Ole Miss.

7
College World Series appearances by Mississippi State.

51-20-5
Mississippi's record against Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl football rivalry.

1996
Year that Mississippi State made its lone Final Four appearance, losing to Syracuse in the national semifinals in East Rutherford, N.J.

GREATEST MOMENT
No football game in Mississippi had ever drawn so many fans. The 63,808 who flocked to Jackson for the Nov. 4, 1984, Division I-AA showdown between unbeaten rivals Alcorn State and Mississippi Valley State saw Alcorn's No. 2-ranked defense battle a Jerry Rice-led offense that was averaging 64 points per game. Despite Rice's eight catches, Alcorn got a pair of late TDs to win 42-28.

MEMORABLE QUOTE

"It's kind of like Diana Ross saying she doesn't want to sing anymore."

—OKLAHOMA FOOTBALL COACH BARRY SWITZER IN 1983 ON STAR RUNNING BACK AND FORMER PHILADELPHIA (MISS.) HIGH LEGEND MARCUS DUPREE'S DECISION TO LEAVE THE SOONERS MIDWAY THROUGH HIS SOPHOMORE SEASON; DUPREE, A FRONT-RUNNER FOR THAT YEAR'S HEISMAN. NEVER PLAYED ANOTHER COLLEGE GAME AND HAD ONLY A BRIEF, INJURY-MARRED PRO CAREER

ALL TIME BEST
For Mississippi's top 50 homegrown sports figures, go to SI.com/50

Walter Payton, Football player
The Hall of Famer from Columbia starred at Jackson State and for the Chicago Bears, with whom he broke Jim Brown's career rushing record in 1984. Sweetness retired in 1987 with 16,726 rushing yards. He died of a rare liver disease in November 1999, at age 45.