Derick Hackett remembers his days at Alcorn State as magical, especially his first two in Steve McNair’s junior and senior years.

And it’s no wonder, considering Hackett was the sports information director at the Lorman school and he was promoting the Braves’ quarterback for the Heisman Trophy.

That quarterback is starting for the Tennessee Titans in today’s Super Bowl. He would finish third in the voting for the Heisman in 1994 and Hackett would receive the Dead SID’s Society’s Hypesman Award, which is given to the sports information director who promotes a Heisman candidate successfully despite the odds.

&uot;I remember the exteremly long hours and meeting all people you see on TV, like Tom Mees, who later drowned trying to save his child in his pool,&uot; Hackett said. &uot;Tom was one of the original guys on ESPN along with Chris Berman. I was in awe of people who came in from the USA Today and Philadelphia Inquirer.&uot;

Hackett said he was thrilled to be able to introduce media from around the country to Alcorn.

&uot;I had to explain to all of them how to get to Alcorn,&uot; he said. &uot;They all asked what was the best airport to fly into. I told most of them to take the Natchez Trace and get a taste of the real beauty of the area. They were amazed at the real beauty of the area.&uot;

When Hackett, who celebrated his 31st birthday Friday, arrived at Alcorn he was the youngest SID&160;in the country.

&uot;It was kind of overwhelming, but I got a lot of volunteer help from a lot of students,&uot; Hackett said. &uot;It was pleasureable for me seeing the fruits of all that hard work pay off.&uot;

Hackett attended the Heisman presentation. McNair finished behind top vote-getter Rasshaan Salaam of Colorado and Ki-Jana Carter of Penn State.

&uot;All the candidates were signing footballs at a ceremony and Warren Sapp was complaining the whole time,&uot; Hackett said. &uot;Jay Barker was joking that McNair had passed for more yards in one year than he had his whole career.&uot;

Hackett said he watched the 1994 Alcorn-Jackson State football game on ESPN Classic last week.

&uot;They had that game and a Kurt Warner game when he played with the Iowa Barnstormers,&uot; Hackett said. &uot;I was laughing at some of players remembering them. I noticed the stadium (Jackson Memorial) was packed with 60,000-plus. That right there made me think back more than anything else. I haven’t had that feeling again until Southern started coming back against Grambling in the Bayou Classic this season and everybody started really getting loud.&uot;

Hackett left Alcorn after the 1997-98 and joined the University of Iowa as Director of Women’s Sports.

Hackett’s wife, Lamara Williams Hackett of Natchez, got a job at the university, which prompted the move.

Both wanted to get back to the warmer climate of the South and that opportunity became available when Hackett was hired last August by his alma mater Southern University as Director of Student Media Services. Lamara is working as an instructor in the LSU library.

&uot;We had a good times in Iowa and worked with some good people and it was a good period in our lives,&uot; Hackett said. &uot;But I really wanted to get out of sports information because you have no weekends and basically no life.&uot;

Hackett said he is extremely proud of how far McNair has come.

&uot;All the way back at Alcorn he did stuff people said he couldn’t do,&uot; Hackett said. &uot;He’s one of those people who deserves everything he gets. He’s always treated people kindly and fairly.&uot;

Joey Martin is sports editor of The Democrat. He can be reached by calling 446-5172 ext. 232 or at joey.martin@natchezdemocrat.com.

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