Nick Fitzgerald was sitting at Starkville Mexican food staple La Terraza with a group of friends when his phone started buzzing. A quick glance told him the incoming call was an unknown number out of Lousiana, so he sent it to voicemail and put his phone back down.
A minute later, his phone buzzed one more time, letting the Mississippi State quarterback know that he had a new voice message. Fitzgerald swiped his phone open to quickly listen while he ate.
“Hey, Nick,” the message began. “This is Archie Manning.”
“I almost dropped my phone,” Fitzgerald recalled.