Mississippi State's McPhee finds new life at defensive end

By Ray Glier

For the AJC

In Pahokee, Fla., the teenage Pernell McPhee found himself hung up in the middle of life’s turmoil, somewhere between despair and hopelessness.

He wasn’t a thug, he said, but he did skip school, chased the girls and schemed for a little walk-around money. His high school wouldn’t let him play football because of his grades and his mischief.

Then one day before his senior year, McPhee looked around the apartment he shared with his grandmother. It wasn’t much, he thought. Not much at all.

“A lot of people just go on with it and stay where they are,” said McPhee, a second-team All-SEC defensive end for Mississippi State last season. “I decided after my junior year that I wanted to get me and my grandma out of there. It was real, real tough and I thank God for getting me to Mississippi and far away from the home boys. Who you hang around with is who you become.”

McPhee began to do the school work, regained eligibility his senior season and played on Pahokee’s undefeated state championship team in 2006. It was just one year of high school ball, but it was enough to get an scholarship offer from Southern Miss. He could not become NCAA eligible, however, and ended up at Itawamba Community College in Mississippi for two years.

Now look at him. In his junior season at Mississippi State in 2009, he had 12 tackles for a loss and five sacks. At 6 foot 4, 280 pounds, McPhee comes into the the season expected to perform well enough to become a high-round NFL draft pick next spring.

If he stays healthy, he won’t have to go back to that apartment in Pahokee. And his grandmother will not have to live there either.

McPhee, 21, needs 19 hours to graduate with a degree in physical education, which is going to be a tough task while playing major college football.

“Got to man up and do what you gotta do,” he said.

He has done a lot as it is. McPhee has become a leader for a defensive line rated among the best in the SEC. He is on the Rotary Lombardi Award watch list for the nation’s top defensive lineman. He accomplished all that last year relying on his speed and strength.

Imagine his technique -- his footwork and football savvy -- catching up to his physical gifts this season.

For instance, instead of being over-eager to find the ball in the backfield and chase whoever had it, McPhee said he has reset his priorities. He is playing his man first and then the ball, which has made him more difficult to handle in the preseason.

“Eyes on the man, then the ball. Don’t look into the backfield too soon,” McPhee said. “I’m also getting better with a lot of get-off drills, keeping our feet moving. I’m working.”

McPhee knows protections are going to slide toward him on passing downs. But he is working his moves to try to freeze the feet of the offensive tackle, run around him and then run down the throat of any running back who might try to chip-block him.

The Bulldogs hired a new defensive line coach, Chris Wilson, from Oklahoma and McPhee says the attitude along the line has become “mean and aggressive.”

That suits him just fine. He’s faced tougher challenges.

“Where I’m coming from, I have no choice but to be proud of myself,” McPhee said. “Most people don’t make it out of there. They can end up dead or in jail.

“That’s how that environment is. Some people want it more than others. I wanted it.”