Pat Byrd has seen Mac Thompson grow mentally and physically over his three years and there’s no coincidence that the anchor of the offensive line has been right in the middle of the foundation of the program build.
The Patriots went from two wins in Byrd’s first season and that was Thompson’s sophomore year as he made his debut as a starter at tackle. When the big blocker moved inside as a junior and became the team’s center, WA made the playoffs in 2019. This past season saw the Patriots win more games than the last two years combined as they went 7-5, won the MAIS District 2-4Achampionship and got to the semifinals of the state playoffs.
Thompson was a big reason for the jump as he became a stronghold on the offensive side of the ball.
“The thing about Mac is he’s steady. He was a good center and you never had to worry about his snaps. He was also a good influence on the ones around him and was always doing his job,” Byrd said. “He’s a leader by action and when he did speak it meant something. You don’t replace it, you just hope that someone can step in there and do similar to what he did.”
The All-District offensive center caught the eye of Delta State after his big two seasons at center and the Fighting Okra wanted him to join their program. After seeing campus and meeting with coach Todd Cooley and the rest of the staff, Thompson felt he fit right in with what DSU wanted.
“It meant a lot to me and I’m really excited about it to see what the future holds,” Thompson said. “I really like the program and love the coaches. I’m really excited about what’s going to happen.”
Byrd believes that Thompson can be successful on the next level and he’ll be doing it with a solid program.
A year to adjust to the rigors of college football will be needed, but Byrd sees no reason why Thompson couldn’t play his way into competing for the Statesmen down the road. He’ll certainly be missed on Patriot Field next season.
“You can’t ask for a better kid. He’s a hard worker and I think he’ll be perfect for a redshirt situation so he can get a year to get acclimated to a different speed,” Byrd said. “He’s 6’2 about 275 pounds and I think he can be 300 pounds and wind up being a good lineman.”
