Sherrill played football at the University of Alabama under Bear Bryant from 1962 to 1965, helping the Crimson Tide win two national championships.
When asked about retirement, Joe Paterno once said that he would not, because it would leave college football in the hands of "the Jackie Sherrills and the Barry Switzers".
[1] Paterno apologized to Switzer for the comment, but wrote in his book that he "didn't give a damn about what Sherrill felt.
[4] On January 19, 1982, Sherrill was hired by Texas A&M as a replacement for Tom Wilson, signing a record six year contract for over $1.7 million.
Sherrill began his Mississippi State career with an upset victory over the defending Southwest Conference champion Texas Longhorns.
A 22-21 win over Arkansas garnered the Bulldogs an appearance in the SEC Championship Game, but they lost to eventual national champion Tennessee.
They finished the season with a loss to the Texas Longhorns and Heisman trophy winner Ricky Williams in the Cotton Bowl Classic.
Sherrill elevated the performance of the Mississippi State program despite playing in the same division as Alabama, Auburn and LSU from 1992 onward, with the SEC’s expansion to twelve teams.
However, just like his tenure at Texas A&M, Sherrill still had difficulty beating Arkansas, finishing with a 3-8-1 record against the Razorbacks, to include losing his last five games against them.
Sherrill also achieved notoriety by having his team observe the castration of a bull as a motivational technique prior to a game versus Texas.
Penalties included being stripped of eight scholarships over the next two seasons, being banned from postseason play, and being limited to 45 expense-paid recruiting visits in each of the 2004-05 and 2005-06 academic years.
Despite the sanctions imposed on the Mississippi State football team, allegations of unethical conduct against former coach Jackie Sherrill were dismissed.