It Started With A Cowbell

"We both knew how much we loved Mississippi State, but we didn’t realize just how important sports were to us. I mean we were even both #00 playing softball and baseball in high school."


What better way to celebrate Valentine's Day then with a Bulldog love story?

Bulldog Pride runs deep at Year of the Cowbell, and we know that it runs even deeper for our customers. We hear many stories about ways that our cowbells can become part of our customers' lives, but it's not often we get to be involved with one of the most monumental moments in a person's life- their engagement. It was our great pleasure to work with Brandon to plan his surprise engagement to his now-wife Hillary.

We wanted to let Brandon tell the story in his own words...



Cowbells have always been a big part of our lives. She grew up in a family of HUGE state fans. She has not missed a home football game since she was a young child.I was introduced to Mississippi State football by my uncle when I was in eighth grade and have rarely missed a home game since. So cowbells were a big part of our lives before we ever met.


Mississippi State Bulldogs from the very beginning.

Fast forward to college. Hillary and I met at Mississippi State through a mutual friend. We never dated or even hung out, besides occasionally running into each other on campus. A few years later we had both graduated from State and had started our lives two hours apart when I finally got the nerve to ask her out. I searched on facebook for her one day and I asked for her phone number. Eventually I convinced her to go on a date with me.

Cheering on the Dawgs at Davis Wade Stadium.

We didn’t realize just how much we had in common. We both knew how much we loved Mississippi State, but we didn’t realize just how important sports were to us. I mean we were even both #00 playing softball and baseball in high school (if that’s not a match made in heaven then I don’t know what is). We both were teaching and both enjoyed being outdoors (she didn’t enjoy hunting but she soon learned). These facts along with much more made me sure that the big question would be something I would do in the near future.

Once a Bulldog, always a Bulldog.

During our six months of dating (when you know, you know) we were at every Mississippi State sporting event we could attend; ringing a cowbell anytime we could. Then March 14th, 2018 came. I had it all planned out with a little help from Year of the Cowbell. I took Hillary to the Chapel of Memories on the Mississippi State Campus to “deliver a package to someone.” When they did not show up I told her to open the package and see if there was a packing slip with their info. When she opened the package there were tons of cowbells. But there was one special one that said “Will you marry me Hillary Burgess?”

Brandon proposing to Hillary at the Chapel of Memories


The cowbell that sealed the deal.


She said yes and a couple months later on July 14th I married the girl of my dreams and as we left our wedding for our honeymoon all of our guest sent us off by ringing cowbells. As you can see cowbells have been and always will be an important part in our lives. We are very excited to live the rest of our lives together and ring our cowbells for years to come.


Brandon and Hillary's wedding bells.






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