STARKVILLE — Mississippi State University’s former live bulldog mascot Bully XXI, commonly known as “Jak,” died Thursday at the age of 10. He was a native of Copiah County and was once featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated and saw the Mississippi State Bulldogs reach new athletic successes. 

Lisa Pritchard, who served as Jak’s handler at Mississippi State, announced the news Thursday. Jak served as the mascot at MSU from April 2015 to April 2023. He retired in April 2023 and was succeeded by Bully XXII “Dak.”

Jak was raised in Hazlehurst by Tammy Nelson for the first months of his life before being sent to Mississippi State where mascot handler Lisa Pritchard trained him. Jak was born to Nelson’s bulldog Pippa and Champ, Bully XX in 2014. 

The English Bulldog has been the live mascot of MSU since 1935, when “Ptolemy” or “Tol” first captured the hearts of State fans after Head Football Coach Major Ralph Sasse acquired “Tol” from a Memphis family.