STARKVILLE — It’s an early spring afternoon on the fields behind the Leo Seal Jr. Football Complex.
Gathered on the turf field closest to the entrance of the indoor facility, senior long-snapper Nathan Swanson, junior punter Tucker Day and junior kicker Jace Christmann gather on the 40-yard line.
Swanson lies with his chest on the ground. His elbows dig into the turf — bolstering his upper body and head that sit just above the rubber pellets and plasticy surface below.
Day kneels to the right. Perching a football on Swanson’s head, his eyes are squinted while his right hand points off into the distance.
Christmann completes the scene. With his left foot planted and his right posed as if he is milliseconds away from kicking the ball off Swanson’s head, his eyes are skewed as they peer down toward the ground.
The image is quickly captured on a camera roll and the trio disperses.
The picture later resurfaces on Twitter. Posted alongside an almost identical 1930s or 1940s image of the Three Stooges, the photo’s caption reads “Preparation. Effort. Execution.”
One the 66 tweets the Mississippi State specialists Twitter account, “@4thDownDawgs,” boasts, Day, Swanson and Christmann’s recreation of the iconic image is just a slight insight into the comedic nature of the Bulldog special teams room.
“I guess they’re like most specialist units — they’re very unique in their own way,” MSU coach Joe Moorhead said. “Spend a couple periods during the day practicing special teams and the rest of the time planning in their twitter game plan.”
The account
Day and Christmann were the initial architects of the account.
Known as much for their outgoing personalities as their on-field exploits, the duo long desired a place to “get (their) names out there.”
Christmann finally took charge — creating the account during spring ball.
Posing as a unit with special teams coordinator Joey Jones and quality control coordinator Allen Tucker, the account’s inaugural tweet bore a caption that defined specialists as, “A group of mediocre athletes who dress up as football players on Saturdays and can punt, snap and kick footballs and that’s about it.”
It also included a handful of synonyms — Average Joes, outcasts, game-winners and ballers.
“We’re a different breed,” Day said through a hearty laugh.
The posts range in scope and scale. From the Three Stooges to a gallery of first day of school portraits, the account is founded in funny. Yet, it’s also an outlet of support.
When senior holder Kody Schexnayder was named a captain and put on scholarship, a congratulatory tweet with words like “proud” and “respect” was quickly crafted.
The post also made sure to remind the newly minted scholarship player he could buy the group food and drinks in the immediate future as his own money no longer needed to go toward tuition.
“Whatever people tell you around here, if you hang out with the specialists you’re in for a great time,” Day said.
Flipping the switch
On the field, there’s little middle ground as a specialist.
From game-winning kicks and pinpoint punts to mishandled holds or wayward snaps, specialists are either the center of celebration or the scapegoats in defeat.
Even in practice the group is under a microscope.
Lining up for an extra point during the spring, sophomore Scott Goodman pushed a simulated extra point left — missing the uprights entirely.
“You’re a kickoff specialist and can’t make an extra point?” Moorhead yelled. “Kick that s— again!”
Goodman obliged, narrowly sneaking his second chance inside the right upright.
“Did he make it?” Moorhead posited to no one in particular.
“Yeah,” echoed a voice somewhere along the field.
“Good job!” Moorhead responded sarcastically.
Similar sentiments were further manifested in last Saturday’s season opening victory over Louisiana.
Marred by a handful of botched kickoffs and a missed 27-yard field goal in the first half alone, Moorhead reamed the group at halftime.
“Decorum prohibits me from saying exactly what I said, but I will paraphrase: We got hit with the punt, which turned it over then we missed the field goal so I said ‘We needed to make a play on special teams,'” he explained postgame.
Following his rousing reveley, the specialists refocused. Day began the revenge tour by dropping his first punt of the day right on the Louisiana one-yard line.
Seven minutes and 28 seconds later, he reprised his role — placing his second punt of the day inside the one-yard line once more.
Junior kicker Jordan Lawless added to the successful string of events as he sent home a 37-yard kick with 1:02 remaining to put MSU ahead by 10.
While the first half was plagued by inconsistencies and ineptitude, the 4thDownDawgs executed when needed.
“Specialists are known as the funny guys on the team,” Lawless said. “We have a lot of personality, we have a lot of fun — but we know when it’s time to flip the switch and be serious.”
‘Plotting to destroy the world’
Walking along the practice fields during spring ball, quarterbacks coach Andrew Breiner stopped in his tracks.
Boasting a stern look on his youthful face, he turned and glared at Day. The two have had a handful of conversations at best. Breiner began to speak.
“Every time I look at you guys I either think you’re plotting to destroy the world or you’re up to something,” he says, beginning to laugh.
“I don’t know coach,” Day recounts through his trademark grin. “But I’m kind of horrified that I give off that look.”
“I don’t mean it, but there’s something about you guys — the whole specialist squad,” Breiner says, continuing to chuckle.
While not quite maniacal, there is a level of craziness to the group. Day characterizes it as lunacy, but insists he means it in the most positive way. Lawless maintains the specialists play a class-clown role to a degree.
It’s this free-wheeling, fun-loving nature that led Day to the group’s official introductory video.
Ahead of the Week One win, Day compiled footage of all the specialists — including Jones, Tucker and senior special teams consultant Adam Scheier.
Modeled after the pre-show credits of the late 1980s-early 1990s sitcom “Full House,” the one minute, 27 second video introduced viewers to the players and coaches that comprise the 4thDownDawgs.
As of Thursday, the post had 480 likes and 112 retweets.
“I think it’s awesome,” Jones said of the account. “Anything to promote specialists because those guys tend to get pushed to the side sometimes and I’m glad they’re doing it. I think it shows a little personality.”
While the on-field product remains the focus, there’s a refreshing realness to the group.
Despite their kicks, punts and holds seemingly reserved for dire moments throughout the season, the group doesn’t get too high or too low. They’re outgoing and passionate, whimsical yet dedicated.
In Day’s mind, they’re the same fun-loving “lunatics” found on twitter and on the field.
“At the end of the day if you’re not having fun, it’s not something you should be doing,” he said. “…And we all love doing it.”
Ben Portnoy reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @bportnoy15.
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