Christmas Wish List  RICK CLEVELAND: Stars rise on Fridays
’round here  Rick ClevelandJACKSON – As another Mississippi high
school football season begins, this question looms as pertinent
as ever: What is it about Friday nights in our state that
produces the greatest players in the history of the sport?  How
did small-town Mississippi high school football produce the
leading passer in NFL history (Brett Favre), the leading
receiver (Jerry Rice), the leading scorer (Rice again), the
second leading rusher (Walter Payton) and the patriarch of the
first family of American football (Archie Manning)?  And while
we’re at it, let’s throw in the all-time leading yardage
producer in NCAA history (Steve McNair).  These are small-town
guys who grew up in Kiln, Crawford, Columbia, Drew and Mount
Olive and they have set the standard for people from much
larger, more populous states. Surely, Mississippi has produced
more pro football players and more Pro Football Hall of Famers
per capita than any state.  How could this hap