Four inducted in Mississippi State Hall of Fame

Former standout athletes from the football, baseball, golf, and track programs were inducted into the Mississippi State University Sports Hall of Fame in October.

Former quarterback and head football coach Rockey Felker, pitcher Jack Lazorko, golfer Ben Nelson, and the late track Olympian Commodore S. Cochran were inducted prior to the Oct. 11 Mississippi State vs. Northeast Louisiana football game at Scott Field.

Inducted into the Mississippi State University Sports Hall of Fame in October were, left to right, Babe and Mary Felker, accepting for their son, quarterback/coach Rockey Felker; golfer Ben Nelson; and pitcher Jack Lazorko. Felker was unable to attend the ceremony. Inducted posthumously was trackman Commodore Cochran.

Felker, now an assistant football coach at the University of Tulsa, lettered in football in 1972-74. He was the Southeastern Conference's Player of the Year in 1974, while leading the Bulldogs to a 9-3 record and a Sun Bowl victory. In 1986, he returned to campus as the youngest head football coach in the country at age 33.

Lazorko was the ace of Coach Ron Polk's pitching staff in 1977-78, winning 18 games and being named All-SEC and All-South Region twice. He enjoyed a 15-year professional career with the Milwaukee, Seattle, and California organizations. He currently is director of baseball operations for the new Texas-Louisiana Professional League.

Nelson played golf for the successful Mississippi State teams in 1965-66, before beginning his post-graduation career as a golf pro and member of the Professional Golfers' Association. He has held all offices of the PGA's Gulf States Section, including president in 1978-80 and again in 1986-87. Since 1992, he has been assistant tournament director for the PGA Tour and was instrumental in bringing the Professional Golf Management Program to Mississippi State.

Cochran was a standout track athlete at Mississippi A&M in 1920-23, running the 100-, 220-, 440-, and 880-yard dashes, among other events. He was captain of the 1923 team, and was a part of the United States' gold medal winning 1,600-meter relay team in the 1922 Paris Olympics. He passed away in 1969.