Mississippi State Athletics
Football
Joel Coleman, Senior Writer
STARKVILLE – Mississippi State long snapper Hayes Hammond is set to head to Birmingham, Alabama, to represent the Bulldogs at the annual meeting of the Southeastern Conference Football Leadership Council.
The Tupelo, Mississippi, native will join 13 other players – one from each SEC school – over the course of Friday and Saturday.
On the agenda for the group this weekend will be a meeting with SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey, a review of NCAA and SEC legislative items, a conversation with SEC Chief Medical Advisor Dr. Katie O’Neal and engagement with football officials on rules of the game. , student-athlete/referee interaction and careers in officiating. The group will also review SEC student-athlete engagement opportunities.
The Football Leadership Council is one of three components of the SEC Student-Athlete Leadership Council. The other two components are the Men’s and Women’s Basketball Leadership Councils. Student-Athlete Leadership Councils for the sports of football and men’s and women’s basketball, along with the conference’s longstanding Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC), provide student-athletes with additional opportunities to engage with campus leaders and conference office staff. The councils serve as a conduit of communication to the conference office on issues related to student-athlete experience, student-athlete wellness and playing rules.
The other SEC athletes joining Hammond include Alabama’s DeVonta Smith, Arkansas’ Cam Little, Auburn’s Malcolm Johnson, Florida’s Derek Wingo, Georgia’s Jalon Walker, Kentucky’s Eli Cox, LSU’s Mekhi Wingo, Ole Miss’ Cedric Johnson, Missouri’s Darius Robinson, South Carolina’s Kai Kroeger. , Tennessee’s Omari Thomas, Texas A&M’s LT Overton and Vanderbilt’s Ethan Barr.
Hammond just completed his third season at Mississippi State. After redshirting during his true freshman season in 2020, he appeared in 12 games in 2021 serving as the State’s primary long snapper on punts. This past season, Hammond appeared in all 13 games and snapped for both punts and field goals. He also recorded three tackles.