100 Day Bulldog Countdown: 99 Days - Remembering Keith Joseph Jr. and Sr.

Jeff Lebby’s era of Mississippi State football has arrived.

The Bulldogs are on their third coach in as many years as Mike Leach’s tragic passing opened the door for defensive coordinator Zach Arnett’s debut as head coach last year. That experiment failed before the year even ended for State and now it’s Lebby’s turn to take the wheel.

While there is always a risk in hiring first time head coaches, Lebby brings to Starkville an exciting offensive scheme that has been productive everywhere he’s been. The coach has also brought with him some swagger that has the fanbase ready to see what’s next.

Over the course of the next 100 days, we will take a look at Lebby’s roster and even some fun historical rewinds that will bring back memories for Dawg fans of all ages.

Today, we look back at the tragic passing of two former Bulldogs.

99 Days- Former No. 99, the late Keith Joseph Jr. and Keith Joseph Sr.

Many of us remember where we were when we heard the news all the way back in 2015.

I was sitting in the Starkville High School press box with our own Paul Jones. We were watching the Starkville Yellowjackets on the road to a state championship that season. On the field below us was head coach Dan Mullen that Friday night and he was there to see Kobe Jones and AJ Brown play football.

Suddenly, Mullen was gone and our phones began to buzz.

“Keith and his dad were just killed”, the message said. After some phone calls were made, we found out that the freshman defensive end Keith Jr. and his father Keith Sr. had tragically died in a car wreck as he was gone home for the weekend.

After building a relationship with those two over the course of the last year, I was stunned, heartbroken and at a loss. At the same time, it almost felt fateful for those two to be together when they were taken from the earth so soon. Keith Jr. adored his father and his father admired the young man that he had raised.

Keith Jr. went under the radar as a recruit in one of Mullen’s best classes during his tenure at State. He picked up some early Power Five offers but MSU was always where he intended to be. When the Bulldogs pushed for his commitment after June camps, he jumped on it.

He went about his business his senior year of high school with 70 tackles, 14 tackles for loss and seven sacks. He shined in the postseason All-Star game and came to campus with a chip on his shoulder.

Of all of the players interviewed before and during the season of Joseph’s redshirt year, the majority of them mentioned him as the standout in practices. He relentlessly attacked his pass rush and was a menace against the first team offense. He was a rising star with a million dollar smile and a pass rush to match it.

As his redshirt year came to a close that November, he was prepared to make his mark in 2016 on the football field. Instead, his number donned the back of his best friend and fellow freshman Jamal Peters the next week as MSU took on Alabama. The Bulldogs were able to honor his memory that evening, and he is still sorely missed.

On this late May afternoon, we ask that you continue to pray for the family of Keith Jr and Sr that the hole in their hearts will continue to mend. Both of these men were the epitome of true maroon and great representatives for the university.