Bulldogs on the Big Stage: Former State Stars Take on NFL Divisional Round
After a tough wild-card weekend filled with exciting, hard-fought games, just eight teams remain in the NFL playoffs.
Of those eight teams, only two feature former Mississippi State stars: The Kansas City Chiefs and the Green Bay Packers.
Saturday, January 20
Green Bay Packers at San Francisco 49ers 3:30 p.m. CT, ESPN
Linebacker Preston Smith and offensive guard Elgton Jenkins are set to take the field for the Packers against the NFC's No. 1 seeded San Francisco 49ers in the divisional round.
Smith, a veteran of the league, was drafted to Washington in 2015, but signed with Green Bay ahead of the 2019 season as a free agent. This season, the linebacker started in each of the Packers' games and recorded 48 tackles, 8.0 sacks and 4.0 TFL's.
He played in Maroon and White from 2011-2014, racking up excellent numbers in the process. As a true freshman, Smith appeared in eight games, finishing with just seven tackles, a forced fumble and a pass breakup. By his sophomore season, Smith led the team in sacks with 4.5, and by his junior and senior seasons, the former 2-star was wreaking havoc on opposing offensive lines week in, week out.
Jenkins, another legend of the Mississippi State program, was drafted by Green Bay in 2019 and has since been one of the league's premier offensive linemen.
The five-year veteran has started nearly 70 games at various spots along the offensive line and has played at a high level at each of them. In 2023, the former 3-star from Clarksdale, Mississippi allowed zero sacks on over 500 pass-blocking snaps.
Sunday, January 21
Kansas City Chiefs at Buffalo Bills 5:30 p.m., CBS
Former State greats Willie Gay, Jr. and Chris Jones will both suit up for Kansas City and make the trip to icy Buffalo for yet another matchup between the Bills and Chiefs in the playoffs.
Gay, a second round draft pick in 2020, has been a productive member of the Chiefs defense since his arrival in Kansas City. This season, the third year linebacker racked up 58 tackles, 4.0 TFL's and a sack.
In three years in Starkville from 2017-2019, Gay recorded 99 tackles, 11.0 TFL's and 6.0 sacks.
Finally, possibly the best of the bunch taking the field this weekend is defensive tackle Chris Jones.
Jones, since arriving in Kansas City in 2016, has been one of the NFL's top interior defensive linemen. In eight seasons, the Houston, Mississippi native has 273 tackles, 78.0 TFL's and 75.5 sacks.
He played for Mississippi State from 2013-2015 and put together an impressive legacy as a Bulldog. In just three seasons, Jones put up 102 tackles, 18.0 TFL's and 8.5 sacks, and also helped lead State to its only 10 win season in the last 24 years in 2014.
