LSU joins the mix for MGCCC’s MSU commit. He’ll fulfill a pledge to his ‘rock’ either way
Life is good at the moment for Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College sophomore linebacker Navonteque Strong with major offers rolling in, and things may soon get even better for the Forest native.
With a victory over Northwest Mississippi in Saturday’s 7 p.m. state title game in Perkinston, the Mississippi State commit can wrap up his junior college career with a record of 18-0, two state championships and one 2019 national title.
There is no NJCAA championship game this season because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but it’s hard to imagine the MGCCC Bulldogs not being atop the national rankings if there were such a thing this year.
Also, if Gulf Coast wins Saturday it will clinch the first back-to-back undefeated and untied seasons in school history.
Navonteque Strong weighs LSU offer
On top of all that, Strong recently picked up a scholarship offer from the defending national champion LSU Tigers.
“It feels good,” Strong said Thursday in a phone interview with the Sun Herald. “It’s another opportunity and a blessing.
“It just made me want to go harder.”
Strong picked up his LSU offer on Nov. 29, and Texas Tech jumped on board with an offer the next day.
Strong has been firm with his commitment to MSU since he first made it public in June, but he is leaving himself some wiggle room.
“As of right now, I’m still committed to Mississippi State. But anything can change,” he said Thursday.
With multiple opportunities on the table to play college football in the nation’s top conference, Strong is on pace to make good on a pledge he made as a kid to his grandmother, who died two years ago.
“Ever since I was little kid, it was my dream to play in the big league,” Strong said. “I promised my grandma she could hold me to that promise.”
Strong described his grandmother as “my rock.”
“I worked my tail off to achieve what I want to do,” he said.
Navonteque Strong wreaks havoc on MGCCC opponents
In MGCCC’s abbreviated five-game season, Strong has collected 53 tackles, five sacks, two forced fumbles, two pass breakups and 11 ½ tackles for negative yardage
The 6-foot-1, 230-pound Strong has been a nightmare for opposing offenses, laying licks on opposing running backs with a loud thud that can be heard throughout the stadium.
“It feels good to take life out of another man and not get in trouble for it,” Strong said.
A year ago, MGCCC traveled to Northwest for the state championship game and traveled back to Perkinston with a 22-19 victory and another trophy for its collection.
Northwest, which is 5-0 like MGCCC, has won its past three games by the combined score of 111-28, but the Bulldogs will be the favorite on their home field.
The MGCCC offense has turned a corner with 75 points scored in the past two games, and the defense has allowed only 14 points over the last three contests.
“They play with a lot of effort,” coach Jack Wright said of his defense “They come into these games and they make their mind up that they’re not going to be out-efforted, and they’re really talented on top of that. Their performance is just indicative of their mindset towards defense.”
If Strong and the rest of the rest of the chainsaw-toting defense show up Saturday, MGCCC will claim its 17th championship of Mississippi’s junior college system.
This story was originally published December 3, 2020 at 4:33 PM.
