Mississippi State honors Sam Westmoreland with helmet sticker

Mississippi State will honor offensive lineman Sam Westmoreland on Saturday during its game against Alabama, days after the true freshman was found dead shortly before his 19th birthday.

As you can see below, players will wear “SW 78” helmet stickers during the game in memory of their deceased teammate:

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— Mississippi State Football (@HailStateFB) October 22, 2022

Westmoreland, an all-region player at Tupelo (Miss.) High School, walked on to the Bulldogs football program. He was an industrial technology major according to his Web bio.

Head coach Mike Leach opted to make Wednesday’s practice an optional one as the team prepared to take on the Crimson Tide.

“Sam was a beloved son, brother and teammate, and a tremendous young man with a limitless future,” Leach said in a statement. “He will always be remembered and deeply missed by everyone who knew and loved him.”

Sydney Hunte

Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.