Proffitt, Marler join Mississippi State Sports Hall of Fame

Former Bulldog hurler Mike Proffitt, left, and quarterback Dave Marler, second from left, were inducted into the Mississippi State Sports Hall of Fame last fall. Bestowing the honors during ceremonies at the Mississippi State-Kentucky football game were M-Club president Bill McGuire, second from right, of Indianola and M-Club first vice president Russ Gatlin of Jackson.

One is a Mississippi native who now makes his home hundreds of miles to the north in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The other is not a native Mississippian, but these days calls Brookhaven home. Both have left their marks on Mississippi State athletic history.

Accordingly, in ceremonies at last fall's Mississippi State-Kentucky football game, former quarterback Dave Marler and All-SEC pitcher Mike Proffitt were honored as the 113th and 114th inductees into the university's prestigious Sports Hall of Fame.

"When I heard the news, I was surprised—kind of shocked," Proffitt said. "I'm just thankful I had a chance to be a part of those teams and a part of Mississippi State."

'Those teams' were Mississippi State's 1970 and 1971 SEC championship baseball teams. Born in Gaffney, S.C., and reared in Birmingham, Ala., Proffitt—who now is director of the Brookhaven, Miss., Housing Authority—had a remarkable career as a pitcher during the Paul Gregory era.

The four-year letterman and two-time All-SEC performer piled up a 30-10 career pitching record. Along the way, he established school records for complete games (36 in 40 starts) and set school standards for shutouts in a season (four) and in a career (11).

He also played a key role in the Bulldogs' advancement to the 1971 NCAA College World Series, Mississippi State's first trip to the Omaha, Neb., tournament.

Proffitt went on to play three years in the St. Louis Cardinals' organization.

For quarterback Dave Marler, playing football at Mississippi State was a dream come true.

"It was a childhood dream of mine," the Forest, Miss., native said. "My father played football at State. He wasn't a star or a starter, just a guy who went to school and played. So I grew up with a bit of State behind me."

Marler, now a full-time financial planner who has taken on color commentator duties for Canadian Football League television, earned his spot in Mississippi State sports history in 1977-78 after transferring from Mississippi College.

He tied a school record with 13 field goals as a junior in 1977, and as a senior, moved into the starting quarterback role, earning All-SEC honors while passing for 2,422 yards. The tally included a 429-yard single-game school record set against Alabama.

Marler was drafted by the Buffalo Bills of the NFL and the Hamilton Tigercats of the CFL following his college career. He went with the Hamilton club and became a starter as a rookie.

After a knee injury ended his pro career in 1984, he moved into the business world as a financial planner.