As freshmen, neither Tawonn Troop nor Deitrick McCray walked into Columbus High School as sure-fire college football prospects. But there they were Saturday, announcing their decisions to continue their academic and athletic careers at Northeast Mississippi Community College.
Falcons coach Joshua Pulphus said it was no secret how his seniors, both of whom are graduating early, made themselves into college players.
“Deitrick and Tawonn have been three-year starters for me,” Pulphus said before a ceremony celebrating the announcements in the school’s auditorium.”They believed in what we were saying about putting yourself in position to be great.
“Both of them improved tremendously each year, each week and each practice. When they started to get locked in, focused and believing in what we were telling them, the small mistakes that they were making were eliminated.”
As a running back, Troop’s talents were easy to see each Friday night. Listed on one website as 5 feet, 8 inches and 205 pounds, Troop said he is up to 230, and he looks it. A battering ram of a back, Troop rarely goes down on the first hit and, when he does, usually finds a way to twist or turn for extra yardage before hitting the turf.
“The reason I picked Northeast is that they fit my style,” Troop said. “I’ve been watching film on them for the past month, and I like their run game. They do a lot of power, counter, and I like the way they coach.”
“Tawonn is a dynamic player,” Pulphus said. “He takes care of his business. He does a great job in his academics, and that will put him in a great position.
“Everybody wants a kid who’s 6-foot-2, 6-foot-3, 6-foot-4, so something has to stand out for a school to come and get the average-sized player. Tawonn has done a great job of coming in, working hard and putting himself in position to make himself more marketable.”
Pulphus added that Troop “loves the weigh troom” and has improved his pass-catching skills dramatically, going from a player who got kidded for his lack of receiving skills to one who has big plays on screens and as a safety valve for quarterback Omari Williams on internet highlight videos.
At 6-1 and 250, McCray has been a lineman since pee wee football when he was 12, switching from offense to defense along the way. Northeast was an easy pick for him.
“It’s a good school, and they showed interest in me first,” said McCray, who plans to study physical therapy.
“One thing I’m proud of about Deitrick is that he didn’t think that he could do it, but when he put forth the work and started seeing it add up, he did,” said Pulphus, noting McCray was chosen to play in a postseason all-star game. “What’s going to make Deitrick successful is he’s willing to learn.
“Deitrick has become a student of the game. He’s been patient with the game. People think it’s about making plays, but it’s not always about making plays but being in position for your teammates to make plays.”
Pulphus said Troop and McCray put academics first and are not afraid of hard work, and both players said they felt prepared to play at the next level.
“Our record may not dictate it, but our kids do a good job of putting themselves in position to be successful,” said Pulphus, whose Falcons went 4-7 in 2021, going 3-4 in their district. He estimated about a dozen Columbus players have gone on to play in college during his tenure at the school.
Northeast Mississippi posted a 3-6 record last fall, including 3-3 in the MACCC. The Tigers averaged 186 passing yards and 117 rushing yards per game with wins over Itawamba, Northeast’s biggest rival, Coahoma and Holmes.
And now they will be getting some help from Columbus.
“We appreciate what both of these young men have done not only for our program but also for the community as well as our school,” Pulphus said.
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