By Stephanie Gross
Staff Writer

Each fall, college football rosters feature walk-on players chasing their dreams. In 2002, a certain freshman at Mississippi State University took the field with a familiar name.

Braxton Sherrill was a walk-on defensive back for the Bulldogs. At the time, his father Jackie Sherrill was MSU’s head coach.

“It was a very interesting and neat experience,” Braxton Sherrill said. “It was nothing like the movies where you are portrayed as ‘the coach’s son’ and having him be super hard on you and singling you out. He just let me be and treated me like anyone else on the team.”

After playing for Mississippi State his freshman year, Braxton Sherrill transferred and graduated in 2011 from Texas A&M University, another school with ties to his father. Jackie Sherrill coached the Aggies from 1982-1988 before ending his coaching career at Mississippi State.

Throughout watching his father coach as well as playing under him, Braxton Sherrill knew he would follow in his father’s footsteps and begin a coaching career.

After playing college football at the University of Alabama from 1962-1965 under legendary coach Paul “Bear” Bryant, Jackie Sherrill began his successful head coaching career at Washington State University in 1976. He served as head coach at four universities – Washington State, Pittsburgh, Texas A&M, Mississippi State – until his 2003 retirement.

During the time Sherrill was coaching at Texas A&M, his son Braxton was born and ever since has grown up with football in his blood.

“He has had the ability to coach for a long time,” Jackie Sherrill said. “He just got started, but he has the ability to communicate and teach. Great coaches are great teachers. You have to figure out a way out to communicate and teach the player what to do.”

Braxton Sherrill gives all of his credit to his father. He is the main reason that Braxton got into the profession to begin with.

“I would not be a coach if it weren’t for my dad. I would not know what coaching was really like if I didn’t have him in my life and be able to experience all the great things along side of him,” Braxton Sherrill said.

This is Braxton Sherrill’s first year coaching at CHS. As a football and track coach, he always strives to make his athletes the best they can be.

“Coach Sherrill brings a lot of intensity to the field and brings a lot of prior knowledge, considering that his dad was a very successful college coach. He has the background to coach and he brings a lot of positive energy to practice,” CHS football and track coach Stu Johnson said.

Before entering the CHS athletics program, Braxton coached for two years previously at Allen Academy. Although he is new in the profession, his father knows that he has what it takes to be successful.

“Coaching football is no different than being a teacher. You have to teach players how to play the game. It comes down to where you have to make it understandable for the players,” Jackie Sherrill said.

Not only does his father admire Braxton for becoming a coach, but his players look up to him and value him as well.

“One of his greatest strengths is how personal he is and how he gets to know you. He is not just there to coach, he is very personal and will always ask how you are doing,” senior defensive end John Herubin said.

Herubin also had the opportunity to meet Braxton’s father during one of his summer practices.

“I have had a chance to meet coach Sherrill’s dad. He came down to one of our practices over the summer,” Herubin said. “It was interesting because he was asking me questions about how I was doing and he gave me a lot of pointers and tips. Getting tips from a legendary coach was pretty awesome.”

Having a father who coached college football pays off. Not only did Braxton Sherrill take away valuable lessons on the field but off the field as well.

“It was pretty incredible seeing the relationships that my dad built and seeing all of the kids that he coached,” Braxton said. “It was really cool being able to grow up with those relationships and being able to experience the games and all of that is the reason I am a coach, I would not have been exposed to any of the otherwise I would not be able to have the best job in the world.”

Just as Braxton’s father has taught him important sports and life tips, he teaches his players the same things.

“Coach Sherrill always has good energy and is always positive and I can tell he enjoys his job a lot,” Herubin said. “One of the biggest differences would be the relationship he has with his players. He is very smart about the game of football, especially since his dad was a college coach. He always gives good advice about football and life in general. He is all around a great guy.”

Braxton Sherrill’s players look up to him as the young coach uses his father’s wisdom to apply it to his own coaching career.

“To be a young coach and get started, you have to do things others can’t do,” Jackie Sherrill said. “You have to have knowledge and be able to absorb and teach on the field. A smart coach is one who gets his players to perform.”

Video By: Shivani Burra

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-T3huw1UPs&feature=youtu.be