A January Night In Jail To The SEC Tournament, Mississippi State Banana Suit Fan Has Had A Helluva Two Months

It was just over two months ago that Mississippi State upset Tennessee in Starkville, which led to fans rushing the court in excitement, although the night didn't end well for one Bulldog fan. 

Dressed in a banana suit, along with a number of friends at the game, Kobe Childress was just looking to celebrate the massive win over the Vols. But there was just one problem, and that was the time left remaining on the clock when Childress decided to run towards midcourt. 

There was still 0.1 seconds remaining in the game when the Mississippi State student bolted onto the court, which led to some confusion on the broadcast that night. One person also confused was Kobe Childress himself, who was by himself on the court, which led to local police officers not having a problem finding the culprit. 

What came after this was a night he most likely will never forget. After rushing the court by himself, Kobe was handcuffed by local authorities and was led into the back of a police vehicle where he was charged with trespassing, while fans across the internet tried to figure out a way to bail him out. 

So What Happened After The Arrest? A True Redemption Story

This brings us to Nashville, Tennessee and the SEC Tournament, where Mississippi State was competing against Auburn on Saturday afternoon. I had seen a number of guys dressed in banana outfits over the past two days, so I had to know the story of what came after his arrest in Starkville that sparked the internet. 

The whole incident from Childress' point of view was accidental, especially knowing that the clock was running down and had hit zero, from what he thought. They were going to storm the court that night if the Bulldogs won the game, so when he had an opportunity to celebrate with the team, he took it. The problem was that he was the only one, with his buddies holding back because they realized the clock hadn't hit zero. 

"I didn't realize there was time still on the clock when I rushed the court," Childress told OutKick. I was with my group of friends and I just thought we were all going together. It was a wild night. The jail part wasn't fun." 

Turns out Kobe Childress had to spend hours in the local jail before posting a $500 bail, but that was just the start of a process to make things right. In the days following his arrest for storming the court just one second early, Childress had to meet with the Associate Dean, which Kobe described as fairly easy. 

"He told me not to do that again, that was about it," Childress recalled to OutKick on Saturday. "Somehow I had my bail refunded as well. I don't really know how that happened. But that was about it. I have a lawyer, but I don't really know what's next."

Mississippi State fan Kobe Childress (Left) was arrested after rushing the court just a tad too early during an upset win over Tennessee in January. He returned in his suit, alongside another banana suit buddy, to the SEC Tournament this weekend. (Photo: Trey Wallace)

The banana suit wearing Mississippi State student even had a change.org petition started for him immediately after the incident in Starkville. But according to Childress, the incident will be expunged from his record, which is a great thing for whatever the future might hold for him. 

I'd imagine it wouldn't be an easy task to explain to future employers why he had a criminal trespassing charge on his background check. 

As for the present, Kobe and his buddies were just having a fun time in Nashville enjoying the SEC Tournament, not looking to spend a night in the local jail, but enjoying the sights and sounds of Broadway. 

At the end of the day, it's a true story of perseverance. Going from the jail cell in Starkville following a win over Tennessee, to standing on the baseline in Nashville at the SEC Tournament. 

Kobe Childress is just enjoying life, one sporting event at a time.