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MSU’s Brignone waiting for the call |
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Wednesday, 25 November 2009 |
 Kim Murrell/For the Daily News Mississippi State center J.C. Brignone (70) will play in Saturday’s Egg Bowl knowing his wife, Blair, could go into labor at any moment. By MATTHEW STEVENS
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It’s safe to say J.C. Brignone’s got more on his mind than his final Egg Bowl at Davis-Wade Stadium.
Win or lose Saturday afternoon, the junior center will still have to wait for what he says will be the best moment of the 21-year-old’s life – the birth of his baby daughter Millie Lane.
Brignone’s wife Blair is in the eighth month of her pregnancy and the doctor has told J.C. to be on alert for the moment to occur at any time.
“It could happen at any moment,” says Brignone. “It could be today, could be right now.”
None of this excitement will deter Blair from being in her seat Saturday morning to watch J.C. in his final Egg Bowl in Starkville.
“He’s been great with it all and I think being on the road for the final time was a big hurdle for him,” Mississippi State head coach Dan Mullen said. “His maturity allows him to deal with it better than most. He’s had more to handle than normal college juniors.”
The 6-foot-1, 300-pound center said he is the one that worries about his less-than-calm wife in the stands.
“I’ve always laughed when people always ask me what it’s like with her and she always grades me 10 times harder as my coaches,” Brignone said. “I know she gets into it during the games so I know she has to calm down during this game cause it’s getting closer.”
Bulldogs offensive line coach John Hevesy has said Brignone’s off the field situation reminds him of when he held the same position at Utah in 2003 and 2004.
“I had a lot of players there that were married and had kids,” Hevesy said. “It’s just something you need to learn to balance (as a) big boy now.”
While Brignone says he’ll look for his wife in his family section at Davis-Wade Stadium, he joked about what the plan of action would be if Blair goes into labor during the game.
“That’s a nervous habit of always looking for your family,” Brignone said. “If it happens, it happens hopefully somebody will come get me and tell me what’s going on.”
Family from both J.C. and Blair have joined the pair in Starkville this week for the holiday, which is a much better situation than last Saturday when J.C. had to leave his wife to travel nearly six hours to play Arkansas.
“That was the tough part, the away games, being away from my wife and leaving her here. Her family has been really good about leaving her and spending time with her while I’m gone.”
The 42-21 loss to the Razorbacks and the performance of the offensive line allowing four sacks didn’t help much either.
“I think the offensive line as a whole didn’t focus enough because it showed on some of the blitzes,” Brignone said. “That’s my part as a leader I failed at figuring out what’s what. I had an awful game so it’s a bad feeling overall.”
Brignone was not shy about stating his extreme displeasure for Ole Miss (8-3, 4-3 in Southeastern Conference) in what he called the “most important week of the season.”
“I don’t like nothing about them and nothing they are about,” Brignone said. “With coach Mullen having this be his first one, my legacy over my final two years is we taking those as a (win).”
The lack of a postseason possibility will not be a motivational issue for the Bulldogs.
“This is our bowl game,” center J.C. Brignone said. “No matter if you’re going to the national championship or wherever you’re going to, that’s how we’re looking at it, is you still have a rival game, you still have your bowl game, even if you’re going to another bowl after it.”
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 26 November 2009 )
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