As the Gulf South Conference has released their All-Decade teams for the 2000s in each individual sport, Delta State University athletics has been well recognized.

Out of all the accolades DSU has received, two local standouts have been honored for their accomplishments during their college careers.

Former DSU linebacker and Cleveland High School graduate Michael Eubanks was named GSC Defensive Player of the Decade in football earlier this month, and former DSU outfielder and Bayou Academy graduate Jud Thigpen was named GSC West Division Player of the Decade in baseball Thursday.

Eubanks, who is currently going for his master’s degree in biomedical education at William Carey, said winning the award caught him by surprise.

“Somebody called me and was telling me congratulations, and I said thank you,” Eubanks said when talking about the day he received the news. “He said you don’t know what you’re being congratulated for and I said ‘nope.’ He said you earned GSC Defensive Player of the Decade. I looked it up on the GSC website and there it was and I read about it.

“I was real excited about it,” Eubanks added. “I was honored to have received such an award of that magnitude.”

Eubanks, who played at DSU from 2004-07, is DSU’s all-time leader in sacks with 42. That number also allowed him to finish his career as the all-time career sacks leader in Division II Football history. Eubanks’ play enabled the Statesmen to go to the playoffs in 2006 and 07 with a GSC Championship in 07. Eubanks earned GSC Defensive Player of the Year twice, All-American honors three times and was a finalist for the Harlon Hill Award.

“When I look back over my career at Delta State, I look at the hard work that not only myself but the work the caliber and quality of guys who were around me,” Eubanks said. “If it wasn’t for my teammates and coaches, I wouldn’t have accomplished what all I accomplished.

“I think it was the environment that allowed me to be successful,” Eubanks continued. “Everything played an important role in my success at Delta State. Even the academics played a significant role in my success. My family was huge. Growing up in a household where my parents taught me right from wrong showed me how to be better and how to be a man.”

Delta State head football coach Ron Roberts said there was no player more deserving of that honor than Eubanks.

“He was an outstanding football player but, more important, he was a better person,” Roberts said. “We’re extremely proud of him and so proud he represents Delta State and this football program.

“He has obviously set a standard here playing linebacker and playing linebacker in the GSC,” Roberts continued. “It was just an incredible career he had here at Delta State.”

Eubanks said he will teach biology at Hattiesburg High School in the upcoming school year and will more than likely be an assistant football coach. He also said after he gets his master’s degree, he will go for a specialist degree in higher education administration.

Thigpen had a solid career at Delta State University and he closed it out by leading the Statesmen to the NCAA Division II National Championship in 2004. That year, Thigpen was named ABCA/Rawling National Player of the Year. He earned First Team All-American honors in 2003 and 04. Thigpen posted a .394 career batting average and is the school’s all-time leader in runs scored with 233. He is also second on DSU’s all-time list in career home runs (41), RBIs (217), doubles (60) and total bases (442).

After his career at Delta State, Thigpen went on to play professional baseball for six years, advancing as high as triple-A in the Colorado Rockies organization. He is currently a hitting instructor at Performance Sports Academy in Jackson.

Thigpen said he is still in awe about winning the award.

“I’m definitely honored,” Thigpen said. “It’s something you can tell your kids about. I just got engaged, and I’ve hung up the cleats for now. To be honest, it’s one of those things that’s more exciting for my close friends and family than it is for me. I just kind of don’t know what to think about it.”

Thigpen said his teammates around him made him better.

“All the awards in college I’ve got were due to the fact that I had great teammates and coaches,” Thigpen said. “All the individual awards come from having great teammates. You can’t drive in runs if nobody is on base, and you can’t score runs if no one drives you in.”

Delta State head baseball coach Mike Kinnison said Thigpen did it all in his career at the school.

“He had the total package,” Kinnison said. “You look at what he produced offensively, those numbers speak for themselves. They stack up with anyone we’ve had in the program. I think defensively, his speed and instincts got him the Easton Redline Award for his defensive work.

“You also look at his leadership and heart and desire,” Kinnison continued. “He contributed so much in that regard. From a coaching perspective, that’s really important. He was a great leader for our team. He made himself the player he became through his work ethic.”

Thigpen said he hasn’t ruled out trying to play baseball again. He also said he would love to be a hitting coach someday.

No matter what happens, Thigpen said winning the honor leaves a lasting impression.

“This award puts things into perspective about what I’ve accomplished,” Thigpen said.