STARKVILLE - Handing out scholarships to walk-on players these days has become quite a production for a lot of college football programs.
These moments are usually captured on video and create a lot of positive publicity for the university.
When it came time for Mississippi State's Joe Moorhead to pass out a scholarship to senior safety Stephen Adegoke, there was not a lot of pomp and pageantry.
Moorhead simply called the senior from Snellville, Georgia, into his office, delivered the good news to him one-on-one and shook his hand.
"He's been on (scholarship) for a while," Moorhead said. "I'm not one of those guys that drops a football scholarship letter from a hot air balloon, make a big scene out of it and have it filmed. That's not my deal."
Adegoke arrived in Starkville last season from San Diego Mesa College and made five tackles and a pass deflection over three games.
The 6-foot, 210-pounder who Moorhead referred to as a "Swiss Army knife" flashed in the spring for the Bulldogs making an interception in the first scrimmage and had a team-high-tying four tackles in the spring game. Adegoke has continued to impress during camp.
"He embodies everything that you'd like to coach," said MSU defensive coordinator Bob Shoop. "He's a good man, a good student and a good player. Really in some ways a unique leader, maybe not necessarily on the field but off the field. He's got a nice feel for the pulse of the team."
The Bulldogs still have one open scholarship available.
MSU will host its annual fan day inside the Palmeiro Center on Saturday beginning at 2:30 p.m.
Moorhead and Bulldog players will be available for autographs from 3-5 p.m. Players will sign schedule posters that will be provided for free at the event while Moorhead will sign an additional personal item per person.
Mascots Bully and Jak will make appearances along with the MSU cheer and dance teams. Inflatable games will also be available for kids.
Free parking is available in the Palmeiro-Griffis, Humphrey Coliseum and MSU Soccer Field lots.
The Templeton Athletic Academic Center received a facelift for this fall.
The new atrium of the facility celebrates the Bulldogs' historic success and a uniformed mannequin representing each sport. A backlit 10-foot "StarkVegas" sign hangs at the back of the entrance.
"The atrium of the Templeton Athletic Academic Center is a showplace for many visitors and student-athletes - both current and prospective - throughout the year," said MSU athletic director John Cohen. "We had a vision to modernize the space and tell the story of our athletic success."
Fans can tour the Templeton Center renovations on Saturday from 3-5 p.m. as part of fan day.