Mississippi State receiver Creed Whittemore: 'I just want to win games'

Creed Whittemore took advantage of his limited opportunities as a true freshman last season and the Mississippi State slot receiver showed flashes of his potential. In that debut season Whittemore had 11 catches for 102 yards and two touchdowns, and also rushed four times for 60 yards and another score.

Heading into this season, the former On3 four-star prospect is looking for more opportunities and more production under a new coaching staff.

Following Friday’s training camp session, Whittemore met with the media to discuss camp and his responsibilities heading into the season:

Q: How’s training camp been for you so far?
Whittemore: It’s going good. It’s hot out there but it’s hot everywhere so you can’t complain about that. But we look really good and I’m excited about the progress. Every day we’re putting in more and more plays. So I feel like it’s going really well and I’m excited about the trajectory that we’re on.

Q: How much has that wide receiver room changed from last year?
Whittemore: I think most importantly, we’re really close. It’s a tight-knit group. We all love each other, care for each other and we’re playing for each other. I think that’s the biggest difference. Obviously, we have talent but everybody has talent. But it’s how are you going to separate yourself from other schools? I think we can really separate ourselves.

Q: How are you finding your role within the receivers room?
Whittemore: Just that grind. You got to be that guy that comes out and works hard every day. That’s where I have separated myself. I feel like I come out and give 100% every day. I’m going to run hard, run the right route. Just knowing the plays is something big with Coach (Jeff) Lebby. He always says he’s going to play the guys he can trust. So I want to be a guy he can trust.

Q: You have other duties on special teams as a returner and holder on field goals.
Whittemore: I try to be a utility player. I played quarterback in high school and I obviously changed to receiver when I came here. So I feel like I can do a lot of stuff on the football field, whether that’s holding, punt returning, running down at gunner. Just wherever they need me and I want to be a utility guy for them.

Q: Last year you had big plays in the first game and then didn’t get many opportunities after that. Was that frustrating?
Whittemore: I don’t think so. I was playing behind a guy (Tulu Griffin) that is playing for the Raiders right now. So he was obviously pretty good. I was just thankful for that opportunity in the first game. I was thankful to be on the plane and the bus for the game. A lot of people redshirt or don’t even get to go to the games. I was just thankful for that opportunity and I wasn’t frustrated or anything. I learned a lot from Tulu and they gave me the opportunity in the first game to go make a couple of plays.

Q: Do you feel like this season is a chance to break out in your second year?
Whittemore: I think everybody wants to break out. That’s everybody’s goal and it’s obviously my goal. I hope all of us break out. To your question, I hope to break out but I want to win games, first and foremost.

Q: How’s is that routine of splitting duties at receiver and special teams?
Whittemore: It’s obviously a grind. But like I said, I like being a utility guy. I like being a guy they can put in different places. So that’s something I take pride in.

Q: Who are some guys in the defensive backfield that have caught your attention in camp?
Whittemore: Obviously, Isaac Smith. He was my roommate last year and we’re really close. He’s a guy that got a lot of reps last year and I think he’s only gotten better. He’s a big hitter, he comes down and make plays. Then Brylo (Brylan Lanier) is a guy that stands out to me. He tackles, covers and can do it all and is smart. He’s a general back there for them. There’s a bunch of other guys that I could mention but those are two guys that stand out to me.

Q: There seems to be a lot of different things going on in drills offensively. Does that make it hard for defenses to focus on just one thing?
Whittemore: I think we’re able to spread it out a lot. That’s something that Coach Lebby does. You see us running on and off the field and getting guys fresh. That’s something Coach Lebby provides, just the ability to spread the ball throughout the field.

Q: What did you learn from Tulu Griffin last year when you were around him?
Whittemore: I think Tulu was a guy that played fast, obviously. That’s something you can catch yourself not doing as a freshman. You can catch yourself thinking a lot. I think I learned from him to just go out there and play fast and just play football, and then the plays will come to you.

Q: It seems like receivers coach Chad Bumphis is more excited this year with the receivers?
Whittemore: I think he’s fired up just like everybody else. He’s a great coach and he’s done a lot for me with my transition. He gives us the tools to go out there and make plays.

Q: What have you seen from receiver Trent Hudson so far?
Whittemore: Trent is a guy that can really go up and get the ball. I think we’ve seen that from him several times this fall camp. If he’s down the field, he’s one of those guys that if you see him down the field, you just throw it up to him. He has big-play ability, for sure.

Q: What do you like the most about this offense?
Whittemore: I think it’s our ability to just throw it anywhere. We’re going to stretch defenses. We’re going to have short passes and long passes, across the field, handoffs. We are just so versatile in what we do.