| Editor's note: Throughout the season, Pro Football Weekly will run a
continuing series of articles spotlighting top prospects for the 2002 draft. 
Tackling is an art, and Edward "Pig" Prather may be one of the finest
tackling artists in college football. Whether it’s splitting a screen, tripping up
ballcarriers or delivering thunderous hits, the Mississippi State senior safety rarely
misses a tackle.
Each player on the Bulldogs' defense has a tackle quota. The quota for a safety is 10
points. Two points are given for a solo tackle, one point for an assist and two points are
subtracted for every missed tackle. Mississippi State DB coach Melvin Smith has been
pleased with Prather’s ability to reach his quota.
"He always makes his tackle quota and somebody else’s," Smith said.
Smith quickly noticed Prather’s tackling prowess when he recruited Prather out of
Falkner (Miss.) High School.
"He made a bunch of tackles (in high school) — just about all of them, to be
honest with you," Smith said. "He played tailback on offense. On defense, he
played some kind of position that was behind the linebackers and in front of the safeties.
And wherever the ball went, he was always there, and he usually made the tackle. In
football, I think tackling is real important, and he can see everything — he’s
got great eyes. He can find the action."
Head coach Jackie Sherrill wasn’t sure where to play Prather when he arrived on
campus at Mississippi State. He was impressed with Prather’s versatility in
basketball and football.
"When I watched him in high school, he played linebacker, nose guard, defensive
back, safety and cornerback," Sherrill said. "He played center on the basketball
team, so he could jump. He’s a talented, talented player."
Sherrill decided the Bulldogs needed to get Prather the ball. As a true freshman, he
returned kickoffs and carried the ball 25 times for 100 yards and two touchdowns, before
being moved to the defensive side of the ball his sophomore year.
Prather, 21, played free safety one year and then progressed to the strong or
"dog" safety in defensive coordinator Joe Lee Dunn’s blitzing attack.
According to Smith, the position is a combination of a defensive back and an outside
linebacker.
"The ‘dog’ rushes the quarterback, plays man-to-man on receivers and
sometimes he plays free safety," Smith said. "It’s actually a free safety,
strong safety, defensive end and cornerback’s position in one."
Playing the dog position has allowed Prather to showcase all of his talents, including
rushing the passer, covering receivers and displaying his specialty against the run —
crinkling ballcarriers. Last year, Prather finished third on the team in tackles with 78,
posted five sacks and led the team with 11 tackles for loss in 10 games.
In the second quarter of the 10th game last year against Arkansas, Prather tore his
anterior cruciate ligament with the Bulldogs up 10-0. With Prather out, Arkansas tied the
game at 10-10 in the second half and secured a victory with a touchdown in overtime. With
Prather out for the season, Mississippi State lost to Mississippi the following week and
just barely eclipsed Texas A&M 43-41 in overtime at the Independence Bowl to finish
the season 8-4.
Dunn thinks the Bulldogs’ demise at the end of last season could mainly be
attributed to Prather’s absence.
"We were not a real good defensive football team when we lost him last year,"
Dunn said. "We lost him in the first half of the Arkansas game and ended up losing
the game without him. Then we lost the next one to Mississippi. I think Pig would have
been the difference in both of those ballgames. We didn’t play very good in the bowl
game without him either. In fact, practice was really kind of dull without him."
The 6-1 1/2, 195-pounder was off crutches almost two weeks ahead of schedule last
December after undergoing surgery to repair his torn ACL.
Strength coach Mike Grant said Prather came back faster from the injury than anybody
he’d ever seen. Grant had to keep his eye on Prather last spring to make sure he
wasn’t going full speed too early in his rehab.
Red flags follow Prather’s name on NFL scouting reports because of his ACL injury,
but he has shown no sign of the injury this season, according to Dunn. Dunn is happy to
have Prather’s presence back on the practice field.
"You can’t even tell he had surgery," Dunn said. "He has done real
well. If you knew Pig, you would know he’s someone who could come back from something
like that. He is a really hardworking guy. I don’t think anything will keep him down.
He practices real hard and has fun at practice every day. He makes it fun for everybody
else. He’s just fun to have around. He chases the ball all the time, runs all the way
across the field just about every play. You just can’t beat that kind of an
attitude."
The biceps-bulging safety has made his presence felt on Saturdays as well. After six
games this season, Prather leads the Bulldogs with 49 tackles and has returned 14 kickoffs
for 253 yards. Sherrill thinks Prather’s athleticism and return skills will make him
valuable at the next level.
"There are a lot of defensive players in pro ball, but they can’t catch and
run back kickoffs like he can," Sherrill said. "He’s a tremendous player.
There’s no doubt about that. In the open field, he can certainly tackle, but he also
has the ability to come on the blitz and the ability to cover."
Smith expanded on Prather’s talents from coaching him every day in practice.
"He is really good at beating blocks," Smith said. "He’s hard to
knock down. He has great balance. He knows how to use his hands to keep his legs away from
you. He stays busy. He can make plays right at him, and he can make plays away from him.
He can make plays against the run or pass. His strength is his versatility, his eyes and
his athleticism. He’s just a good football player. For a safety, he doesn’t have
a weakness, in my opinion. His only weakness is he is not perfect. Sometimes he’ll
miss a tackle, but he doesn’t miss many. He has been very productive for us."
An NFL scout agreed with Smith’s assessment and compared Prather to former
Mississippi State and current Denver Broncos FS Eric Brown.
"He is pretty effective on kickoff returns. He is a fast, quick DB — very,
very active. He plays close to the line of scrimmage, like the old true strong safety in
the mold of Eric Brown. He runs real well and has a good close. He’s one of those
tough guys that will just knock your socks off. I don’t see him coming off the hash
as a true two-deep safety. He’s real, real, real solid in the run game. He is kind of
a short-area zone cover guy right now, which he is pretty effective in that. He’s a
stud. He’ll hit you."
And hitting is something Prather loves to do. Smith said Prather’s hits leave
teammates oohing and aahing in film sessions every week, like a shot he took on a Troy
State running back trying to avoid Prather. Prather read the play, ran nearly 40 yards
across field, never breaking his stride when the back tried to cut back. Prather drilled
him, shifting all of his momentum into the runner and sending him flying.
Some critics have said that Prather’s aggressiveness and tendency to gamble on the
big hit have hurt the defense. Smith disagrees.
"Pig knows when to hold them and when to fold them," Smith said. "Every
hit he makes is not a kill shot. He knows the difference — the reason why I think he
is good is because of that position he played in high school. It was kind of like he had
to make the tackle. So not every one of them was a big hit. He’s not like some guys
— they just knock you out or miss it. That’s not how he plays. He goes to make
the play."
But Smith acknowledged that Prather makes at least one big hit every day he straps on
the helmet, even in practice.
"Every now and then — he hit a guy the other day that I didn’t like
where he used his arms and just knocked him down," Smith said. "But he hit him
so hard the guy flew. I don’t really like that kind of tackling, but he uses his arms
and his hands and his eyes, and he knows how to tackle you."
Smith teaches his players to form-tackle — to bend their knees, hit on the rise
and wrap up — but he understands very few tackles are going to happen according to
the textbook.
"Not all tackles are form tackles. Very seldom do you tackle a good back that
way," Smith said. "You cut a good back. You get a good back on the ground the
best way you can. Sometimes you get legs, knees, shoulders. I would separate tackling into
two categories — confined area and open field. Pig can do both. He is a guy who can
make all the tackles, kind of like a quarterback making all the throws. He knows when to
cut you and when to grab you; that’s the art of tackling."
But Smith still derives a lot of enjoyment by watching Prather lay the wood, as he will
do any time he sees an opportunity. Smith chuckles, thinking back to the Alabama and
Kentucky games last year.
"If you want to see how hard he plays, watch the Alabama game last year,"
Smith said. "Our free safety intercepted a ball. Pig passes him up and knocks this
guy down, knocks two guys down. He’s going to block for his man. And you’ll see
it against Kentucky."
Kentucky was driving on the opening possession of the game last year when Mississippi
State S Eugene Clinton intercepted the ball at the Bulldogs’ own 19-yard line.
Prather zoomed across the field in front of Clinton and labeled a 300-pound offensive
lineman, dropping him to the ground and springing Clinton for an 81-yard interception
return and a 7-0 Bulldogs lead.
"He loves to hit," Smith said laughingly. "He’s fun to watch."
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