Kamario Taylor’s eyeblack has become one of the small but unmistakable details of Mississippi State’s fast start, and it carries a message that means something to the Bulldogs’ quarterback every time he steps on the field.
Taylor has worn the same look all season: “283” on the right side, “Baby” on the left, with a heart in the middle, all written in silver Sharpie. It’s shown up in every game so far, including Mississippi State’s 4-0 run that includes wins over Minnesota, South Carolina and Missouri.
That detail will be easy for fans to spot again this weekend when Mississippi State hosts No. 7 Alabama in what is easily the Bulldogs’ biggest test so far.
The “283” is not a random number. While it might look like an area code at first glance, Taylor uses it to honor Baptist Hill, the neighborhood where he grew up in Macon, Mississippi. Taylor explained the meaning to The Clarion-Ledger in mid-September.
“I do it every game,” Taylor told The Clarion-Ledger in mid-September. “It's where I'm from.
I'm from Macon, Mississippi, but the part of Macon I'm from is called Baptist Hill. BHC.
It's called Baptist Hill Chapel. So, B is the second letter of the alphabet, H is the eighth letter and C is the third letter.”
He then tied it all together with the phrase that has become part of his game-day look.
“So, 283 Baby,” Taylor said via the newspaper. “Just keep it simple and keep it flat. I like to represent that part of the town very well.”
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