Former MSU quarterback John Bond and former State women’s basketball star LaToya Thomas have both been selected to the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame it was announced on Thursday. Bond and Thomas will be part of the Class of 2027 and will be formally enshrined during the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame Induction Weekend on July 30-31, 2027.
Bond stands as one of the best signal callers to ever wear the Maroon and White. A four-year starter for the Dawgs from 1980 through 1983, Bond was a true dual threat in MSU’s wishbone offense of his time, passing for 4,621 yards and rushing for 2,280 more over his illustrious career.
Bond’s accolades were many, both individually and collectively. He earned Freshman All-American honors in his first season, and he was named the MVP of the 1981 Hall of Fame Bowl.
He helped orchestrate many of the biggest wins in Mississippi State history, including the 1980 upset of No. 1 Alabama and four straight victories over LSU over the course of his career.
Bond was inducted into MSU’s M-Club Hall of Fame in 2005.
Thomas is among the most decorated Bulldogs of all time. She was a four-time Kodak All-American from 1999-2003 and was a two-time SEC Player of the Year.
Thomas racked up 2,981 points in her career – a total that still stands as the Mississippi State program record. She was a three-time National Player of the Year finalist, two-time Associated Press First Team All-American and was a First Team All-SEC selection in all of her four seasons in Starkville.
After averaging 23.8 points per game over her career at State, Thomas made history by becoming the first-ever athlete from a college in Mississippi to be taken with the No. 1 overall pick in a professional draft when she was selected by the Cleveland Rockers in the 2003 WNBA Draft. She went on to play eight seasons in the league with five different teams.
Thomas was inducted into MSU’s M-Club Hall of Fame in 2015, and in 2022, Mississippi State honored Thomas by hanging her jersey No. 32 in the rafters of State’s Humphrey Coliseum, making Thomas the first female in Mississippi State history to have this honor bestowed on her.
Source: hailstate.com
