STARKVILLE — Mississippi State may have been trailing by 30 points to Alabama late in the fourth quarter last October, but Shawn Preston Jr. could not have been more excited.
The Bulldogs’ senior safety had just seen his younger brother, Crimson Tide freshman wide receiver Shazz Preston, come onto the field for some playing time. Following an incomplete pass, Shawn noticed his brother was near him, trailing the play, and jumped on his back — as if they were roughhousing in their driveway in St. James, Louisiana.
“My brother was a true freshman, so honestly, Bama did not have to put him in the game,” Shawn said. “I didn’t think he was going to get in the game. But he got in the game and he ran behind me, and (it was) nothing but excitement. I can’t ask for something better than that, to be on the field with my brother.”
Poor video quality, but caught this in the Bama/Miss St game and looked into it.
Younger brother Shazz Preston (a Bama freshman playing in reserve time) ran up behind his older brother Shawn on the field, and was hype to see they were on the field at the same time 😂 pic.twitter.com/otUZJ1ny4P
— Cam (@coverton_) October 23, 2022
The oldest son of Lori and Shawn Preston Sr., Shawn Jr. was a consensus three-star recruit at St. James High School who chose Mississippi State over Vanderbilt, Texas Tech, Purdue and Arizona, among others. After redshirting as a freshman in 2018, he became a key piece of MSU’s secondary, with 92 tackles, 12 pass breakups, two forced fumbles (both of which have come this season) and three interceptions over his lengthy tenure with the Bulldogs.
Shawn had a career night on Sept. 9 against Arizona, when he made an interception, forced a fumble and made seven tackles, including two for a loss.
“He’s physical (and) he does a good job in coverage as well,” defensive coordinator Matt Brock said. “It’s hard to replicate that kind of experience.”
Shazz Preston, who is four years younger than Shawn, got considerably more attention as a recruit. A consensus four-star, he was ranked as a top-10 prospect in Louisiana and had offers from 10 current or future SEC programs, including Mississippi State. Other perennially strong teams like Florida State, Clemson and Oregon were also interested.
But at a football factory that produces talent the way Alabama does, playing time In Tuscaloosa has been hard for Shazz to come by. He played in five games in 2022 but did not register a catch. This year, he has not seen the field since the Crimson Tide’s season-opening win over Middle Tennessee.
Still, Lori and Shawn Sr. have made every effort to see both of their sons as much as possible. Shawn Sr. was in Tuscaloosa last weekend for Alabama’s SEC opener against Ole Miss, while Lori made the trip to South Carolina to see MSU take on the Gamecocks, even though Shawn Jr. was suspended for the first half due to a targeting penalty the previous week against LSU.
“A lot of stuff that my parents do, regular parents wouldn’t really do,” Shawn said. “I’m eternally grateful for them and I play so hard mostly for them because of all the sacrifices they made. I really show my gratitude through my game for them. I didn’t even play the first half, and (my mom) came all the way to South Carolina by herself.”
Lori did get to see Shawn make a big play in the third quarter, when he forced a fumble from Gamecocks running back Dakereon Joyner that linebacker Nathaniel “Bookie” Watson recovered. The turnover gave the Bulldogs the ball in South Carolina territory and led to a game-tying field goal.
Saturday night will be a family affair at Davis Wade Stadium as the Preston brothers prepare to face each other for the second and final time as SEC opponents. Shawn said Lori asked him for 20 tickets to the game, and added that he was looking for someone to make a split jersey for their parents with both of their numbers — similar to what NFL stars Jason and Travis Kelce’s mother wore when her two sons’ teams played each other in the most recent Super Bowl.
“I can’t wait to play him,” Shawn said. “This is stuff that we’ve thought about since we were kids. I’m completely grateful.”
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 47 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
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