Legendary Bulldogs Football HC Sylvester Croom Named to 2022 College Football Hall of Fame Class

Sylvester Croom-- the barrier-breaking Mississippi State head football coach-- will be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

Storied Mississippi State football head coach Sylvester Croom further instilled himself into Bulldogs history on Monday afternoon when he was named to the 2022 class of the College Football Hall of Fame.

Croom started his long career like nearly every other football coach in the nation: as a talented athlete. He played as a center for the University of Alabama from 1972-1974 and had a brief NFL stint with the New Orleans Saints. 

After one season as a professional, Croom decided that he would better serve others as a coach. Paul "Bear" Bryant allowed him to return to Alabama, where he held various positions as an assistant coach for 11 years. Croom eventually transitioned to the NFL as a running backs coach for four different teams and as an offensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions. In 2004, he finally got his big break-- Croom was given the opportunity to be the head coach for Mississippi State. 

With that hire, Croom became the first African American head coach in SEC history-- something that would go on to shake the college football landscape forever. He was gifted with a losing Bulldogs team that was overwhelmed with a variety of NCAA sanctions but vowed to improve things.

2007 was the best year of Croom's coaching career. His Bulldogs finished the season 8-5 with key wins over SEC opponents Alabama and Ole Miss as well as against UCF in the Liberty Bowl. Croom also picked up a handful of accolades that honored him as one of the top coaches in the nation. He was named the Coach of the Year for region two by the American Football Coaches Association on Dec. 4. One day later, he was named the SEC Coach of the Year by both the Associated Press and by a vote of the SEC coaches. 

Croom resigned after the 2008 season and finished his time as the Bulldogs' head coach with a 21-38 overall record. He went on to spend a few years as a positions coach with various NFL teams before announcing his retirement after more than 40 years as a coach. 

This is a huge honor for one of the most well-known coaches in Mississippi State history. Croom became a part of history during his time in Starkville, and his legacy will live on forever. 

Congratulations to Coach Sylvester Croom on being named to the 2022 class of the College Football Hall of Fame! #HailState🐶 pic.twitter.com/0cHumbU2F3

— Mississippi State Football (@HailStateFB) January 10, 2022