STARKVILLE — As soon as Logan Burnett heard the word, ‘interesting,’ he pulled out his phone and went to Instagram.
That’s probably the best way to describe Travis O’Connor’s gameday suit choices.
Dawg Walk has turned into a bit of a runway opportunity for several members of the Mississippi State football team, including O’Connor, a walk-on freshman from Kenner, Louisiana. The secret contest among them has a small audience compared to the games, just the people lining the sidewalk for Dawg Walk, but that doesn’t make it less important to them.
“I feel like I take the cake,” O’Connor said. “I don’t feel like I have to worry about it.”
Simply put, it’s a clothing war, and O’Connor’s determined to be well armed.
He showed that when LSU came to town in September: that statement of a bright red blazer with gold studs was met with the, “finishing touch,” of gold shoes and the gold chains around his neck.
Consider it the first win of that day.
“I had my headphones on by (the time I got on the bus), but I had a lot of eyes (on me),” O’Connor said. “I’m sure (my teammates) were saying something.”
Therein lies part of the fun: O’Connor said the contest maintains an unspoken nature among the participants. O’Connor’s not alone in the game: he said fellow walk-on, quarterback Logan Burnett, and running back Aeris Williams are the two that step it up more than most.
Then there’s wide receiver Donald Gray. Several MSU players did preseason photo and video shoots in suits of their choosing: when MSU announces its starters before home games, the videos played on the jumbotron feature the results of those shoots. Gray opted to do his in a plaid suit that stands out from the rest of the roster, being a loud combination of black, red, green and other tones.
If only he knew what he started.
“He might have started it, but I don’t think he knew he started it,” O’Connor said. “When I saw him, I thought I had to get in on it.”
Truthfully, O’Connor didn’t need the encouragement to get out there with his suit selection. His taste is proven to be widely varied and he’s often got an eye out for something to add.
“It just pops up sometimes,” O’Connor said. “Sometimes I see it on the internet, sometimes I’m just walking through the store and see it. If I like it, I get it.
“I don’t just go crazy, it’ll be spread out when I get it. When I do get something, I have the money to get something nice. I’m not constantly looking for stuff.”
Even with the impressive red blazer look already used for this season, he says he still has more that’s yet to be revealed. He’s a big fan of what he has planned for Saturday’s 3 p.m. game against Kentucky: a midnight blue blazer paired with Ashton Grey shoes.
“I haven’t gotten into my real, real stuff,” O’Connor said. “I got a nice jacket coming for Alabama week.”
When asked what it was, O’Connor said we’ll have to wait and see: can’t give the competition a step ahead.
Follow Dispatch sports writer Brett Hudson on Twitter, @Brett_Hudson
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