COLLEGE FOOTBALL DAILY REPORT : AROUND THE NATION : Steer Put to Death After Breaking Leg

Wild Willie, the steer castrated on the Mississippi State football field last fall, was put to death after breaking his leg.

Billy Walker, part-owner of the steer, was quoted in the Greenwood Commonwealth on Tuesday as saying the animal apparently got his feet tangled in a rope, fell and broke his leg Sunday outside a building in Morgan City, where he was being kept.

The animal was rushed to Mississippi State University’s veterinary school, where several doctors worked on the leg, Walker said. After several hours, Walker and the doctors decided the best thing to do would be to put the steer to sleep.

Wild Willie became a national item after being castrated on the MSU practice field the week of the 1992 season-opener against Texas. Coach Jackie Sherrill was criticized for his action, which he defended as educational and motivational. Mississippi State beat Texas, 28-10.

Willie was purchased by Walker and another Greenwood man last September. The steer became a state celebrity, appearing at the Mississippi State Fair and taking part in various activities for charity.