David Dewayne Looney Jr.

 First-Team All-County honors during both 2005 and 2006. Named to the All-State team both years, making the first team as a senior in 2006.

 Graduated from Oak Mountain in 2007 as the No. 11 center in the country.

Rated the No. 11 offensive center prospect in the nation by ESPN.com

Ranked as the No. 19 prep center in the country by the Rivals.com recruiting web site

Named first-team, all-state in the Class 6A division and first-team all-metro in Birmingham by the Birmingham News on the offensive line

Ranked No. 31 in the state of Alabama, regardless of position, in SuperPrep Magazine’s season-ending All-America issue

Three-year starter for head coach Jerry Hood at Oak Mountain High School in Birmingham, AL

Ran a 4.84 shuttle time at the Tuscaloosa Scout.com combine, the sixth-fastest among all defensive tackles

His 8.4-second clocking in the three-cone run was the fourth-best time at that camp, while his 7-8 in the broad jump was the sixth-longest

Earned honorable mention all-state recognition as a junior for the Eagles

Played in the state of Alabama Junior All-Star game

Was also the top-rated heavyweight wrestler in the state of Alabama

Other top scholarship offer: Alabama

Committed to MSU in June 2006

College 2007-2010

 Mississippi State University

 Offensive lineman and three-year Bulldog letterman

Two bowl-game winning teams as an offensive lineman.

As a redshirt freshman, the 2007 Bulldogs claimed a 10-3 Liberty Bowl victory over UCF.

He was on Mullen’s 2010 State squad that earned a 52-14 Gator Bowl triumph over Michigan.

 Campus Life

- Served three years as an SEC Student Advisory Council Representative.

- Served as vice president of MSU’s Campus Student Advisory Council in 2008.

- Served at President of MSU’s Campus Student Advisory Council in 2009.

- Three-year member of the NCAA Football Issues Committee.

 Graduated in 2011 with a Bachelor of Science in Business/Commerce

Coaching Career

 Started his coaching days as a graduate assistant at Mississippi State under Dan Mullen in 2011.

 Served as the offensive line coach at East Mississippi Community College. 2012 - 2013

- Netflix series Last Chance U.

- NJCAA Championship during his second and final season in 2013.

- Played a key role in helping guide the Lions’ potent offensive unit to a No. 8 NJCAA team statistical national ranking in rushing offense in 2012 (239.1 ypg) and No. 8 in 2013 (253.5 ypg).

- He developed current Jacksonville Jaguar Avery Gennesy into an NJCAA first-team All-American in 2013. That year, EMCC put up a nation-leading 62.2 points per game, which included 45 rushing scores

 University of Central Arkansas 2014 -2016

- Tackles/tight ends coach

- The Bears went 7-2 in 2015 in the Southland Conference, finishing tied for second in the league

 University of Georgia 2016

- Assistant Offensive Line Coach

- Coaching Staff offensive graduate assistant at Georgia on Kirby Smart’s squad that reached the Liberty Bowl.

 Mississippi State 2017

- Tight Ends Coach

- Bulldogs posted a 9-4 record including a win at the Taxslayer Bowl

 University of Louisiana at Lafayette 2018

- Offensive Line Coach.

- Looney played a key role in the development of Louisiana’s offense line that featured two NFL Draft picks in Robert Hunt and Kevin Dotson. Hunt became the third-highest draft pick in team history when he was selected 39th overall by the Miami Dolphins, while Dotson, who was named a First Team All-American by the Associated Press, USA Today, Sports Illustrated and Pro Football Focus and a Second Team All-American by Sporting News, was taken by the Pittsburgh Steelers with the 135th pick.

In 2019, Looney helped mentor O’Cyrus Torrence, who started in 13 of the team’s 14 games in 2019 before being named to the Football Writers Association of America-Shaun Alexander Freshman All-America Team.

The offensive line was recognized for their outstanding play line throughout the year by being named Joe Moore Award Honorable Mention performers.

- Under Looney, the 2018 offensive line saw five players start all 14 games, including Dotson and Hunt. The group helped pave the way for the Ragin’ Cajuns’ three-headed running back machine that each rushed for 700+ yards and combined for 28 touchdowns.

* * * * * * * * * *

DJ was born on December 26, 1988. He is survived by his father, David Looney, Sr; his mother, Sarah Smith Looney; his sisters DeAnna (Aaron) Mitchell and Ashlee Looney; his grandfather, Ralph Smith, Sr.; aunts Sarah (Jerry) Matthews, Maudell (Doug) Foster, Sylvia Smith, Alee (Julio) Lopez and Kelly Smith; uncles George (Carolyn) Bennet, Shawn (Anita) McClesky, Sherman McClesky, Ralph Smith, Jr. and Alex Smith; nieces Ava Mitchell, Mya Mitchell, and Aubree Williams; and nephew AJ Mitchell and a host of cousins.

He is also survived by so many that he loved and made his family. He met so many people during his short time here with us. He was always making new friends and loved ones. So many have told me of his love for them, their wives, their parents, their children and extended families. The list seems endless of those that he touched with his smile, his sense of humor; his warm embrace; his words of wisdom, his acts of kindness, and zest for life.

His life was full of accomplishments, but he was never satisfied. He always had a new goal to replace the old one. He was always striving to be better. Never settling for being adequate; always wanting to be/do more. No task was too small or too large. He was always studying and thinking and doing what he needed to do to be a better person.

He lived his life on his terms and never let anyone deter him for doing what he wanted to do, when he wanted to do it, and how he wanted to do it. When he was determined, it was like an act of nature. No one could deter him from his path. He pulled us all along with him and we happily joined him on his journey. We were just glad that he wanted us along for the ride.

His departure on August 1, 2020 has left us heartbroken. We will never hear his laugh, or get that call when we need it the most, or get that big hug when you would see him, or feel that outpouring of love that we could only get from him.

It is our turn to make him proud and to follow the path that he has created for us. We need to live our life using him as our example. All of our lives are infinitely better because of him and it should be our goal to carry on the legacy that he started.