Mardye McDole, football star at Murphy High, Mississippi State, dies at 63

[jbcarol]

Mardye McDole, a football star at Murphy High and at Mississippi State, has died after a lengthy illness, multiple sources confirmed to AL.com. He was 63

McDole was an All-State wide receiver at Murphy in 1976, when the Panthers reached the state championship game. He caught six passes for 242 yards — including touchdowns of 88, 70 and 32 yards — in that game, a 52-26 loss to a Mountain Brook team led by former Alabama star Major Ogilvie.

McDole went on to play from 1977-80 at Mississippi State, where he was a three-time All-SEC wide receiver. As a sophomore in 1978, he was the first 1,000-yard receiver in Bulldogs history.

McDole was named an All-American as a senior in 1980, when Mississippi State finished 9-3 and beat top-ranked Alabama 6-3 in Jackson in November of that year. He finished his career as the school's all-time leader in receiving yards (2,214) and receptions (116).

After his college career, McDole was a second-round pick of the NFL's Minnesota Vikings in 1981.