Before he was a Bulldog, Sherrill was one of Bear's Boys

STARKVILLE, MISSISSIPPI - When Mississippi State coach Jackie Sherrill announced that he would retire at the end of the season, he said he&#39;d always be a Bulldog.<br> <br> That may be true, but first he was one of Bear&#39;s Boys.<br> <br> Sherrill played for revered Alabama coach Bear Bryant from 1962-65, winning national championships the final two seasons, and began his coaching career as a graduate assistant under Bryant in 1967.<br> <br> Sherrill will coach against his alma mater for the final time Saturday as Alabama (3-6, 1-4) tries to climb out of last place in the SEC West against Mississippi State (2-6, 1-3).<br> <br> Never one to get sentimental in public, Sherrill said facing the Crimson Tide won&#39;t tug at his emotions.<br> <br> But get him talking about the late Bryant, and Sherrill opens up a bit.<br> <br> ``It&#39;d be a lot more special if coach Bryant was here,&#39;&#39; Sherrill said. ``Coach Bryant in his lifetime had a big impact on a lot of people, regardless, but if you were a player for coach Bryant you got to know him in a certain way. If you were a coach you knew him in another certain way. And if you were a fan, then you knew him in another way.<br> <br> ``He gave his players a lot more of himself than he gave anybody else,&#39;&#39; Sherrill said.<br> <br> Sherrill&#39;s 26-year career as a college head coach started at Washington State and led him to Pittsburgh and Texas A&M before he moved to Mississippi State 13 years ago.<br> <br> He said there was a time he considered becoming the coach at Alabama.<br> <br> ``Did I have some formal talks? Yes,&#39;&#39; said Sherrill, though he would not say when.<br> <br> Sherrill also said that when he was at Pittsburgh in the early 1980s, Bryant told him that he was one of three people Bryant was recommending to be his successor.<br> <br> ``But I made a decision then to go to Texas A&M so I took my name out of it,&#39;&#39; said Sherrill, who left Pitt for Texas A after the 1981 season.<br> <br> Bryant retired after the 1982 season and died in January 1983.<br> <br> Sherrill turned Texas A&Minto a national power before being forced out under the cloud of an NCAA investigation that resulted in some heavy sanctions.<br> <br> Sherrill said he doesn&#39;t regret not returning to Tuscaloosa.<br> <br> ``I&#39;ve never given an awful lot of thought to would&#39;ves, could&#39;ves and should&#39;ves,&#39;&#39; he said.<br> <br> During the mid-to-late 1990s, the Bulldogs had unprecedented success under Sherrill, including more victories over Alabama than longtime Mississippi State fans could have ever dreamed of.<br> <br> Alabama&#39;s 68 wins against Mississippi State is its most against any opponent. The Bulldogs can claim just 16 victories in 87 meetings with Alabama, and one of those was a Crimson Tide victory in 1993 that Alabama was forced to forfeit because of NCAA sanctions.<br> <br> From 1958 to 1995, Mississippi State beat Alabama once.<br> <br> Then in 1996, Sherrill and the Bulldogs stunned nationally ranked Alabama 17-16 in Starkville.<br> <br> It was a landmark victory for Mississippi State. And it wasn&#39;t a fluke.<br> <br> Mississippi State won three straight and four of five against the Crimson Tide.<br> <br> ``It gave the Mississippi State people that live and work in Alabama the ability to put that (Bulldogs) coffee mug up on their desks with a pretty good smile,&#39;&#39; Sherrill said.<br> <br> As the Mike Dubose era at Alabama was coming to a dreary end in 2000, an Alabama newspaper polled its readers to find out who they&#39;d pick among several choices to be the next coach of the Crimson Tide.<br> <br> Sherrill received the most votes.<br> <br> Shortly after the poll was done, Sherrill became the winningest coach in Mississippi State history by beating Alabama in Starkville. He was carried off the field by his players.<br> <br> Three years later, Alabama is still trying to recapture past glory the Crimson Tide have lost four straight SEC games under first-year coach Mike Shula and Sherrill&#39;s Bulldogs have become a laughingstock.<br> <br> The recent plights of both programs can be best summed by this: In the past three seasons, Alabama has had as many coaches (3) as Mississippi State has Southeastern Conference victories (3).