Dec. 5—ATHENS — Spencer Dowland has a fever, and the only remedy is more cowbell.
He needn’t worry. He’ll get plenty of that where he’s going.
Wednesday morning the 6-foot-6, 290 pound offensive tackle from Athens inked his letter of intent to play, not only Division I football, but SEC football. His destination? Mississippi State University, home of the cowbells.
“I’m not going to lie, the first time I was there for a game, all the cowbells did give me a little bit of a headache,” Dowland said. “But it was such an amazing atmosphere. The fans were so crazy and passionate. I can’t wait to experience it as a player.”
Just before his signing ceremony Wednesday, Dowland was gifted his first Mississippi State cowbell, a time-honored tradition that officially welcomed him to the family.
“I was told it was bad luck if you weren’t gifted your first cowbell, so now I’m ready to go,” Dowland said.
Dowland had been committed to another SEC school, Auburn University, for more than a year, but he decommitted from the Tigers just a few weeks ago. It didn’t take him long to find his new home.
“Auburn was over their scholarship limit, so I was put on a collective scholarship. It wasn’t a bad deal, but I wanted to explore my options a little more,” Dowland said. “I took a visit to Mississippi State, and they showed me the opportunity there and what I could do for them. I fell in love with the place. They made my parents feel at home, and it just felt like a family.”
“It felt like home to me, and I knew that was the best move for me,” Dowland added.
Mississippi State is coming off a 2-10 season in head coach Jeff Lebby’s first year, but Dowland sees a bright future for both the Bulldogs and himself.
“There’s a guy there now (Luke Work) who played as a freshman at right tackle. We’ve built a connection, and he was in the same spot last year that I’m in now. Seeing a guy come in and start six games makes me realize that maybe I can make a similar impact,” Dowland said.
Athens head coach Cody Gross has no doubt his soon-to-be former player, who started all four seasons with the Golden Eagles, will be a key player for the Bulldogs. After all, Dowland is the first Athens player to sign with an SEC school since Stephen Rivers in 2010.
“The first thing is he’s a big ole’ dude, but his biggest thing is the intangibles,” Gross said. “Usually you say that about small guys, not guys that are 6-6, 290, but when you talk about character, hard work, worth ethic, humility, he embodies all that.”
“Add that to his size: He’s a wrestler, and he’s a farm boy. There’s not much else you can ask for in an SEC offensive lineman,” Gross added.
— caleb.suggs@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2395. Twitter @CalebSuggs2
