DALLAS (FWAA) - The Mississippi State football team is the weekly nominee for the2010 Discover Orange Bowl Courage Award, to be announced at the end of the season by the Football Writers Association of America.
The Bulldogs are dealing with the tragic death of a teammate earlier this month.
Nick Bell, 20, a sophomore defensive end from Bessemer, Ala., died Nov. 2 after a brief battle with cancer. Bell had played in the Bulldogs' first four games, starting two, but after experiencing headaches and weakness in a hand, doctors found a mass on Bell's brain. The diagnosis was synovial sarcoma, a rare and aggressive form of cancer.
Bell underwent surgery Oct. 1. Doctors were hopeful Bell would return to football after treatment was completed. Wearing a camouflage hat, he watched Mississippi State's win over UAB from the sidelines Oct. 23. But before chemotherapy could begin, his health worsened.
When Bell noticed he couldn't touch his thumb to his index finger and his vision was blurry, he was rushed to the hospital Oct. 31 for emergency surgery to remove another mass from his brain, according to the Birmingham News. Buses from Starkville, Miss., carried more than 50 teammates and coaches to the Birmingham, Ala., hospital, but Bell did not regain consciousness.
"We grabbed a bus and loaded up a bunch of guys," coach Dan Mullen told the Associated Press. "I think it's great that a lot of our players got to go over there, see the situation and get to say their goodbyes."
His teammates have persevered. Despite losing both games (to ranked opponents Alabama and Arkansas) since his death, Mississippi State is 7-4 heading into the annual "Egg Bowl" battle with in-state rival Mississippi.
The school has honored Bell's life in several ways. At last Saturday's home game with Arkansas, Bell's mother, Linda, ended an emotional pregame ceremony with MSU's greatest tradition, raising a cowbell above her head. The MSU marching band honored Bell with a formation that spelled out "36," his jersey number. Each 36-yard line was painted black rather than the traditional white, and the number 36 was painted on the field inside a maroon-and-white circle.
The Bulldogs are wearing patches with Bell's name and number on their jerseys. Against Arkansas, tight end Kendrick Cook wore Bell's jersey number.
"Nick lived his life like a champion and will always be remembered in our hearts that way," Mullen said in a statement released by the school. "During this impossible time, we pray for Nick's family and all those he has touched."
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