STARKVILLE — A smirk came across Darcel McBath’s face underneath his Mississippi State straw hat as he reflected on the texts he received when the play happened.
Former MSU corner Martin Emerson, making his NFL debut in a Cleveland Browns preseason game last week, bullied the Jacksonville Jaguars. It was a pass intended for receiver Jeff Cotton Jr. and it looked to be a successful one as it hit his hands. That was until Emerson went over the top, took the ball away and returned it 74 yards for a touchdown.
As the play made it to social media, including a tweet from the official NFL account, McBath’s phone started blowing up. The MSU cornerbacks coach wasn’t surprised.
“(MSU’s corners) kept sending it in the group text,” McBath said. “They’re fired up about it. More importantly, the technique he was using and stuff like that are things that we do.”
Junior corner Emmanuel Forbes was among those to react to Emerson’s play on Twitter. He also called Emerson soon after.
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Emerson’s talent deterred SEC quarterbacks from throwing his way and Forbes was the beneficiary. He intercepted five passes as a freshman in 2020, returning three for a touchdown, before picking off three passes last season.
“I used to mess with him and give him a hard time about not intercepting the ball,” Forbes said. “That was impressive to see him do that and go score.”
![Cleveland Browns cornerback Martin Emerson Jr. (23) scores a touchdown after an interception during the second quarter of a preseason NFL game against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Friday, Aug. 12, 2022 at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]](https://www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/2022/08/13/NFTU/5b66d9b9-b4e6-4453-9c66-7f3d74a99239-JKI_Jaguars_vs_Browns_20.jpg?width=660&height=440&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp)
Mississippi State’s preseason practices have featured scouts from teams such as the Dallas Cowboys, Seattle Seahawks and Chicago Bears. McBath is often pulled aside after practice to answer questions about his unit — primarily Forbes who could go in the first half of the 2023 NFL Draft if he elects to forego his senior season.
Between the scouts and Emerson’s success, McBath’s work to motivate an already chippy unit has become easier.
“I know the kids see it and they get excited about it,” McBath said. “For them it’s good to see because hard work pays off. What we’re doing and how we do it translates for them to the next level because for most of them it’s their ultimate goal.”
The former Denver Broncos second-round pick is making sure nobody forgets about the talent he once possessed, too.
“They just don’t know the scouts are asking me do I have any interest in playing anymore,” McBath joked. “I turned them down.”
Stefan Krajisnik is the Mississippi State beat writer for the Clarion Ledger. Contact him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter @skrajisnik3.