Northeast Mississippi Community College Athletics

Harry T. Cosby anchored one of the best defenses in Northeast Mississippi Community College football history while under the tutelage of National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Hall of Fame coach W.B. (Bill) Ward.

During his sophomore year of 1977, Cosby and the Tigers held opposing teams to only 10.9 points per game. That mark is good for the third best in a season at Northeast.

The Tigers also posted three shutouts against Coahoma (32-0), Holmes (10-0) and Mississippi Delta (10-0), which is tied for the school record for most scoreless games for an adversary in one campaign.

Only two other Northeast squads have posted a trio of shutouts – the first ever Tiger team in 1949 that finished as the Mississippi Valley Conference champion at 5-5-1 under Woody Johnson and the Horace McCool led 1956 group that posted a program-best 10 victories.

Northeast finished with a winning record for the first time in nine seasons at 6-4 and as North Division runner-up in Cosby's final year in Booneville.

During the two-year span that the Iuka native starred on the gridiron at Northeast, the Tigers went a combined 10-10 with a 7-5 division record.

Cosby continued his football career at East Tennessee State University from 1978-79. In his two years at Johnson City, Tenn., the Buccaneers went 11-11 and notched their first winning campaign in nine seasons.

Among the list of those he played with at East Tennessee State is current Atlanta Falcons head coach Mike Smith.

Cosby graduated with a degree is general dentistry and still has a practice today in Tupelo.