September 2010 Game Time Rebels

MUCH MORE THANPRETTY FACESREBELETTES

S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 0

REBELETTESREBELETTES

THE

2010 SEASON ARRIVESARE YOU READY?

Hunters HollowGAME UNIFORM SUPPLIERS FOR SERIOUS PLAYERS

2602 West Oxford Loop, Oxford, MS 38655

662.234.5945

fAX 662.234.5920

www.huntershollow.com

Hunters Hollow

STAY CONNECTED WITH YOuR REBELS ALL MONTH LONG!

Visit us on Facebook:www.facebook.com/GameTimeRebelsBecome a fan for giveaways and promotional codes!

WWW. .COM

Call us for all of your tailgating needs.

Emileigh’sBakery & Catering Co.

JOHN AND LINDA FLEMINGOwners

1703 University Ave. Oxford, MS 38655

P:(662)234-7200F:(662)234-1229

www.emileighs.com

Pat McClure Realty, Inc.

www.ColdwellBankerOxford.com“There’s nothing like football, the grove,

and making Oxford your home.”Relocation

Second HomesResidentialCommercial

Land ServicesPat McClure-Smith Yvonne McClure Roselle Page Jason Shafizadeh

“We never stop moving”

BETWEEN THE

LINES

It’s GameTime!

Head coach Houston Nutt leads the Rebels onto the playing field at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. The Rebels play at home three times in September and open the month of October in Oxford. A fast and successful start to the 2010 season is expected and needed.

Photo by Nick Toce

BETWEEN THE

LINES

Let the hoop-la begin!

While K-Ville will look a little different this season, Andy Kennedy still believes this sea-son’s team has the right ingredients for success. Kennedy talks about his squad in a story begin-ning on Page 48.

Photo by Matthew Sharpe

Part of your community since 1892

OXFORD1508 East University Avenue1936 East University Avenue2601 Jackson Avenue WestWATER VALLEY319 Main Street321 South Main Street321 South Main Street

Insurance Products Avaliable Through Mechanics Insurance Agency Inc:Insurance Subsidiary Of Mechanics BankInsurance Products Are: Not FDIC - Insured, Not A Deposit, May Go Down In Value,Not Bank Guaranteed, Not Insured By Any Federal Government Agency

Full Service Bank

Mortgage Department

Insurance Agency

TEAM OF THE DECADE>> Remembering the top Rebels from 2000-2009

PAGE 24

>> Rebelettes keep community in their hearts

PAGE 14

>> Flashback to Ole Miss’ 1959 tangles with LSU

PAGE 43

>> Super Soph favors Rebels

PAGE 56

S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 0 11

Michael Abraham • CSP Operations Director, Associate Publisher; David Johnson • Executive Editor, Associ-ate Publisher; Terrence Metcalf • Development Director, Associate Publisher; Advocate Board: Deuce McAlister, Todd Wade, Romaro Miller, Derrick Burgess, Marcus Johnson, Belton Johnson; Jeremy Roberts Sales Director; Paul Gandy Creative Director; Alison Reed Graphic Designer/Writer; Tyler Gallagher Graphic Designer; Jacob Threadgill Writer; Julie Cantrell Writer; Brent Phillips Writer; Matthew Sharpe Photography; Nick Toce Photography; Joshua Guest Photography; Joey Brent Pho-tography; Hailey Nutt Sales (Oxford, NE Mississippi); Hannah Turner Sales (Oxford, NE Mississippi); Leigh

Anne Martin Sales (Oxford); Brent Phillips Sales (Oxford); Abigail Yoe Sales (Oxford, Tupelo); Nathan Hanson Sales (Oxford, Jackson); Sally Marie Hollister Sales (Jackson); Michael Stevens Sales (Jackson); Victor Fox Sales (Greater Memphis)Questions or comments? Editorial Department, 662.832.8021 • [email protected]; Advertiser Relations 662.832.8024 • [email protected]; Subscriptions/Change of Address 662.832.8024 • [email protected] Time Rebels, 9 Industrial Drive Suite 107, Oxford, MS 38655 • www.gametimerebels.comCopyright 2010 College Sports Publishing LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

www.gametimerebels.com

SEPTEMBER 2010

Diana NuttCoach’sWife OpensUpPAGE 44

RebBasketballKennedyExcitedPAGE 48

Q&A WithCoach NuttPAGE 34

Pictured on the cover of this month’s Game Time Rebels is wide receiver Markeith Summers. A senior from Olive Branch, Summers is expected to lead the Rebel wide receiving corps this season. The photograph was taken by photographer Shelby Daniel.

ABOUT THE COVER

THE FIRST 5

Much has been said, and writ-ten, about the front end of

the 2010 Ole Miss football schedule. It looks downright invit-ing for the Rebels to jump out to a quick start. Four of the fi rst fi ve games are at home, with the only trip in that span being an over-nighter to New Orleans to face Tulane. In all honesty, Ole Miss could be 5-0 when the Oc-tober edition of Game Time Rebels hits the streets a few days after the Kentucky game. The Hotty Toddy Na-tion should be holding high carnival as autumn sets in on the Grove. Here’s some perspective, though, on a 5-0 start: It hasn’t happened at Ole Miss in 48 years. That’s when the 1962 squad won its fi rst fi ve and its last fi ve, en route

to SEC and national titles. Those Rebels, much as is expected from this year’s crew, featured an incred-ible defense. The ‘62 Rebs allowed a grand total of 40 points for the entire season. The games are played for a reason, however, and while Ole Miss should be the favorite through the fi rst weekend of October, there is always the possibility of the dreaded letdown. There’s Vanderbilt to deal with. The Commodores always seem to play the Rebels tough. The last time Vandy visited Oxford, as the Commodores do this year, they left with a 23-17 win. Ole Miss would have started the 2003 season 5-0 had it not been for a fourth-quarter collapse in week two versus Memphis at the Liberty Bowl. The Rebels were a loss to Texas Tech away from start-

ing the 2002 season 5-0. They would have been 5-0 in 2001 and 2000 had it not been for week two losses to Auburn. You get the picture. It’s buyer beware, if you’re among those believ-ing the fi rst fi ve will all be

victories. But it sure seems logi-cal to think the Ole Miss Rebels, with a national ranking in tow, will roll into Alabama on Oct. 16 with a perfect ledger. Let the games begin!

Sept. 4 JACKSONVILLE STATESept. 11 at TulaneSept. 18 VANDERBILTSept. 25 FRESNO STATEOct. 2 KENTUCKYOct. 16 at AlabamaOct. 23 at ArkansasOct. 30 AUBURNNov. 6 UL LAFAYETTE (HC)Nov. 13 at TennesseeNov. 20 at LSUNov. 27 MISSISSIPPI STATE

2010 SCHEDULE

S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 0 13

THE WALL OF FALL: Lawon Scott, Jerrell Powe and Kentrell Lockett make up one of the best defensive lines in the nation.

Photo by Nick Toce

One of the first things Jaime Weaver did when taking over as

coach of the Rebelettes was to install a plan to ensure that the team remained in-volved in the community. Weaver applied a rule that had not been in effect for four years, mandating each member of the team perform 10 hours of community ser-vice each month. “I feel like they are a big part of the University by adding the traditions and spirit of atmosphere, so I feel like they should also give back to the community that supports them,” Weaver said. “The University sup-ports them, and Oxford sup-ports them. It is only right that we do our part to help make the University and city better.”

Over the course of the year, the Rebelettes will help charities like the Ronald Mc-Donald House and Habitat for Humanity. The group will also make appearances at birthday parties and de-vote time working with spe-cial needs children. “It’s a lot of appearances, but I want them to get their hands dirty too,” Weaver said. The commitment to the community begins early during the try-out process in April. “We need to have people that are willing to talk, and be well organized. They must speak to alumni and people from different back-grounds,” spirit coordinator Amanda Hoppert said. The two-day try-out con-sists of learning dance rou-tines, interviews, physical

More Than Pretty FacesRebelettes get involved in community

14 g a m e t i m e r e b e l s

by Jacob Threadgill, Game Time Rebels

fi tness and dance technique. The Rebelettes also host a fall and spring camp for aspiring dancers. “Most people think the dance team is made up of just former high school cheerleaders,” Hoppert said. “Most of them have been taking dance lessons since they were really young, going to competitions, and taking lessons in all of the different backgrounds of dance. They have to be technically trained.” The team gets most of its work done before the second semester even begins, performing at soc-cer, volleyball, football, men’s and women’s basketball, and at national competitions. “They’re constantly busy, and I don’t think they always get the cred-it they deserve, just because people only see them at certain events,” Hoppert said. “If you throw a bowl game in there, too, it becomes quite the winter break.” Qualifi cation for national com-petition is already in the planning stages. A video entry must be sub-mitted by November 1 for the Janu-ary competition in Orlando. The Rebelettes fi nished ninth in the na-tion last season, the program’s fi rst top-10 fi nish. “Last year the goal was to break top 10,” Weaver said. “This year, ob-viously, we want to win, but we want to break into the top fi ve.” Weaver said the dance program at Ole Miss has plenty to offer po-tential recruits. “Just being at an SEC school offers a great atmo-sphere to dance in,” Weaver said. “We’re steadily evolv-ing and getting better at what we do, but it really does start with the community.”

S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 0 15

Classifi cation: SeniorMajor: Communicative Disorders

Favorites:Professor: Dr. VaughnRestaurant: Boure’TV show: Cake Boss Color: Yellow Movie: Finding NemoConcert: Sugarland in Orange Beach, Alabama Sports: Football and baseball Place to travel: “I went to the Cotton Bowl both years. It was really fun the new stadium is really cool and a great experience.”

Why Ole Miss? I tried out for the dance team

and I really liked the atmosphere,

and it was just a really pretty campus.

Jennifer Catrett

ary competition in Orlando. The ary competition in Orlando. The Rebelettes fi nished ninth in the na-Rebelettes fi nished ninth in the na-tion last season, the program’s fi rst tion last season, the program’s fi rst top-10 fi nish. top-10 fi nish. “Last year the goal was to break “Last year the goal was to break top 10,” Weaver said. “This year, ob-top 10,” Weaver said. “This year, ob-viously, we want to win, but we want viously, we want to win, but we want to break into the top fi ve.”to break into the top fi ve.” Weaver said the dance program at Weaver said the dance program at Ole Miss has plenty to offer po-Ole Miss has plenty to offer po-tential recruits. tential recruits. “Just being at an SEC “Just being at an SEC school offers a great atmo-school offers a great atmo-sphere to dance in,” Weaver sphere to dance in,” Weaver said. “We’re steadily evolv-said. “We’re steadily evolv-ing and getting better at what ing and getting better at what we do, but it really does start we do, but it really does start with the community.” with the community.”

S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 0 15

and I really liked the atmosphere,

and it was just a really pretty campus.

Photos by Paul Gandy

Re: August2010

I N B O X

To Game Time: Just wanted to let you know that after reading the inaugural magazine, I ordered a subscription. It was very well laid out and the articles were well written. I especially liked the interview with Billy “Dog” Brewer and the article about my friend Chyna Ward-Poley, the mother of Ole Miss football. It is fi rst class in appearance and I would recommend it to any Ole Miss Rebel fan. Keep up the great work and Hotty Toddy! Kenny Carson Corinth, Mississippi

To Game Time: I hope this message fi nds you well. I received my fi rst issue this week of Game Time and I wanted to let you guys know how much I really enjoyed it. It was very well done and I was very impressed with the articles, layout and features. It was so refreshing to fi nd an Ole Miss Magazine that gave you some more insight about what is going on with Ole Miss. Keep up the great work and I look forward to the next issue. Jeff Bower Irvine, California

To Game Time: I just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed your fi rst issue. It was a fi rst class magazine. Keep up the good work! Marion Roberson Vicksburg, Mississippi

To Game Time: I love it! The fabulous pictures, the awesome stories, everything! I read ev-ery single article. I was especially im-pressed with the story on Masoli. You guys have the best coverage of Ole Miss football from top to bottom that I have seen. I mailed a bunch to friends who are Rebel fans in Texas, and they loved it, too. We’re all subscribers. Keep up the good work and we’ll see y’all in the Grove for the Jacksonville State game. We’d love to have the Game Time crew visit us. We’ll have plenty of food. We’ll be on the porch at Barnard. Hotty Tod-dy! Joe Davidson Cleveland, Mississippi

To Game Time: The magazine was great. It was not like other sports magazines. I loved how well written the articles were and the photographs fl owed well through-out the magazine. Preston Maxcy Nashville, Tennessee

HOW TO GIVE FEEDBACKSend us an email at [email protected]. Submission of a letter constitutes permission to publish it in any form or medium. Letters may be edited for reasons of space and clarity.JOIN US ONLINEVisit our website at www.gametimerebels.com. Join us on Facebook at facebook.com/gametimerebels.

A Duck Flies South

can masoli make magic at Ole Miss?

by David Johnson, Game Time Rebels

It’s a done deal. Albeit for one season only, Jeremiah Masoli is an Ole Miss Rebel. In what has to be considered one of the “quackiest” court-ships between a school and a player in recent memory, last season’s first-team All-Pac 10 quarterback will be under cen-ter for Ole Miss this year. Who in the world saw this coming? Rewind just a few weeks ago. Raymond Cotton was a Rebel, and Nathan Stanley was going to be the guy starting at quar-terback (and, truth be known, he still may be). Cotton leaves town, starting a week-long whirlwind of rumors and hopes that culminate with Masoli hopping a redeye flight from San Francisco and head-ing to Oxford (all the while he was maintaining his personal website and periodically post-ing comments about his visit to Ole Miss). Masoli leaves town Sunday morning and reports that he had a great time in Oxford. The deed was done a few hours later. Meanwhile, and this must be said, sophomore Nathan Stan-ley handled the entire saga with maturity and selflessness. Re-gardless of what happens this season, Stanley is the future of the quarterback position at Ole Miss. So what does Masoli’s arrival mean for the 2010 season? First of all, depth. Cotton’s departure left the Rebels light in the britches at quarterback. It also means excitement. A quick search for Masoli footage on You Tube tells you all you need to know about his football skills. He is a 5-foot-11 human highlight reel that

Photos by Joey Brent

of

meet of

the Mother

by Julie Cantrell, Game Time Rebels

Ole Miss Football

POWERFULEXPLOSIVE TACKLE ANCHORS ONE OF NATION’S BEST DEFENSES

INAUGURAL ISSUEA U G U S T 2 0 1 0

’ 10 REBELLIOUS MOOD Rebs Ready To Prove Preseason Pickers Wrong

COMPETITION AT

QUARTERBACK

REBELLIOUSFOOTBALL PREVIEW

S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 0 17

Re: August2010

****************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************


Can the Ole Miss Rebels win the SEC West?

Why, yes. Yes, they can.Can Alabama?Of course.Can Auburn, Arkansas

and LSU?Sure.Can Mississippi State?Probably not, but you can

be darn sure State will win a game or two this year that they aren’t expected to win.

You get the picture.The SEC West is loaded.

It is without question the deepest division of any con-ference in college football.

Who comes out on top this season? Well, it’s really any-body’s guess.

Obviously, Alabama is the odds-on favorite. They are the defending national champion. But the Tide is not the super juggernaut

that is incapable of defeat. The Heisman Trophy win-ner and his offensive coun-terparts managed just 22 points on Ole Miss last sea-son, 14 of which could be contributed to turnovers committed by the Rebels.

And remember the Ten-nesse game where Saban and Company were lucky to escape with their lives.

LSU had the Crimson Tide

on the ropes, too.Time ran out on Auburn

in their bid to upset the Tide.Then Texas became some-

one else in the absence of their quarterback, Colt Mc-Coy, in the national title game.

Folks, the SEC West, is up for grabs, and I like Ole Miss’ chances as good as anyone’s.

The Rebels have a bonafi de opportunity to be-gin the season 5-0 and 2-0 in the SEC. If they can get to that point, it’s a great head-start toward that thus far elusive trip to Atlanta.

Houston Nutt may be the greatest motivator in the college game. If these Reb-els are 5-0 heading into Tus-caloosa on October 16, he’ll have them ready to take on whatever Alabama offers. The Rebs won’t take the fi eld in awe of their opponent, that’s for sure.

Then comes Arkansas and Auburn. This team is good enough to win them both.

The back end of the sched-ule has Ole Miss tangling with a down-trodden Ten-nessee team and an LSU program that could likely be under its last year of direc-tion from head coach Les Miles.

Louisiana-Lafayette in Oxford should be a victory.

Mississippi State in Ox-ford must be a victory.

No doubt, there will be some bumps along the way. How the Rebels respond will likely be the key.

But I like this team.I like this blueprint.Right now, while every-

body is even in the stand-ings, I believe the race for the West is a dead heat.

Ole Miss has the best chance to get out in front.

It’s a marathon, though.

David Johnsoncan be reached at [email protected].

Who Will Win The West

DAVID JOHNSON

Photo by Nick Toce

WILL THE REBS STAND TALL? Junior guard Alex Washington (73).

Dear Dr. Boyd,

As a fan of Ole Miss for many years I recall see-ing many of our players lost for the season due to an ACL injury. What ex-actly is the ACL? Is there any new technology that can prevent the injury or allow Ole Miss athletes to recover more quickly?

It has been repeatedly stated that when God designed the ACL he was not thinking of the NFL or the NBA. Deuce McAllister, an all-time Ole Miss great, sustained a right ACL tear in 2005 and a left ACL tear in 2007 while playing for the New Orleans Saints. He offi cially retired from the NFL in January 2010 stating that in order to play more seasons he may have needed more surgery on his knee. McAllister is one of the approximately 400,000 Americans who face ACL surgeries each year. Women are four times more likely to tear their ACL per hour of competi-tion. The good news is that prevention programs can decrease injuries and newer surgical techniques may provide Ole Miss athletes with the ability to perform better after tear-ing their ACL.

The ACL or anterior cruciate (kroo-she-ate) ligament is a key struc-ture in maintaining knee support. It crosses inside the knee joint connecting the tibia (shin bone) and the femur (thigh bone). Without the ACL, the

tibia is allowed to shift on the femur resulting in instability when running, jumping, or changing directions. Therefore athletes are rendered ineffective in their sport until after the ACL tear is reconstructed. Injury can occur due to a direct blow to the knee or due to non contact injuries such as when a player tears their ligament landing from a jump or making a cutting maneuver. When an Ole Miss athlete tears their ACL, surgery is required to recreate the ligament. Today surgical advances allow for a tendon in the knee area (usually a portion of the patella, hamstring, or quadriceps tendon) to be placed inside the knee where the ACL would normally be positioned. The body, over time, uses the ten-don to form new tissue, thus recreating the ACL.

Today, orthopedic sports medicine physi-cians are treating ACL injuries with different surgical techniques. In the past, surgeons would reconstruct the ACL with a tendon aligned in a

vertical orientation in the knee, as this was thought to match the ACL posi-tion. However, anatomic studies now show the ACL is oriented differently than previously thought and actually consists of two separate bundles of tissue that are positioned in a more horizontal orientation. Although the previous type of surgery would produce positive outcomes, the newer type of surgery with the graft placed more anatomically produces a knee that is stable from front to back as well as in rotation and thus may produce even better outcomes. It is this rotation stability that pro-vides Brandon Bolden the ability to make an explo-sive cut up fi eld or Trevor Gaskins to be able to play man-to-man defense in a basketball game.

With increasing num-bers of non-contact ACL injuries it is important for athletes to be involved in an ACL injury preven-tion program. Signifi cant evidence shows high intensity plyometric ex-ercise (a form of exercise that uses rapid, explosive movements to produce muscle power) coupled with balance and strength training improves neu-romuscular feedback. Improved neuromuscular control protects the knee when changing direc-tions, pivoting or landing. For the training regimen to be effective athletes must have a minimum of one training session per week for six weeks.

A U G U S T 2 0 1 0 21

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: • The ACL (ante-rior cruciate liga-ment) is a ligament crossing the inside of the knee. Ma-neuvers such as pivoting, changing directions, jump-ing, and landing are accomplished due to stability the ACL provides to the knee.

• There is a new way to reconstruct the ACL after it has been torn that more closely matches the normal orientation of the knee prior to injury.

• Every team should have an ACL injury preven-tion program with plyometrics. Some ACL injury preven-tion programs are reducing injuries up to 90%.

Ask Dr. Boyd

Dr. Daniel Boyd

Questions for Dr. Boyd? Send them to [email protected]

RaynerEYE CLINIC

& Surgery Center

• Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery• Botox• Laser Eye Surgery• Cataract and Implant Surgery

• LASIK Vision Correction• Glaucoma Care• Diabetic Eye Care• Retina Laser and Surgery• Routine Eye Care

By Appointment Only1308 Belk Blvd.Oxford, MS 38655Toll Free (800) 237-3430

Providing Excellence in Eye Care to North

Mississippi

Following a recent Fri-day night preseason game against the San Diego Char-gers, Metcalf drove through the night to spend a two-day hiatus from training camp with his family in Oxford.

Shortly after sunrise Sat-urday, though, Metcalf was back to the grind at his other job: as associate publisher of Game Time Rebels.

“I love what we’re doing at Game Time Rebels,” he’ll tell you. “I love the fact that I’m able to help give some-thing back to the school that gave me so much.”

Metcalf, one of the best of-fensive linemen to ever suit up for the Rebels, formed a partnership with David Johnson and Michael Abra-ham, the magazine’s two other associate publish-ers. The three men, who all have 12-year-old sons, met through a statewide youth football league in which their children played. All three boys are now team-mates on the Oxford Middle School seventh-grade team.

Metcalf is often asked why he decided to delve into the publishing business.

“The sole reason is a sense of pride in my association with Ole Miss and this com-munity,” Metcalf said. “To be able to be involved in something that refl ects posi-

tively on the university that I love is a dream for me.”

While he is no doubt a valuable part of the New Or-leans Saints, Metcalf is also a valuable member of the Game Time Rebels team, according to his co-publishers.

“The great thing about Terrence is that he is hands on,” said Johnson, who serves as the editor of the publication. “He is so involved with what we’re do-ing. To see him in-side the offi ce less than 10 hours after he walked off the Superdome fi eld is just amazing. He’s in here rolling up his sleeves and getting involved. Just like on the football fi eld, Terrence gives ev-erything he’s got in

the magazine offi ce. We talk almost daily when he’s in New Orleans, whether it be about the magazine or how our boys looked at football practice that day.”

“Terrence has been such a big part in what we’re do-ing,” said Abraham. “He is everything Game Time Reb-els is about. He’s 100 per-cent Ole Miss. He may have graduated and moved into the NFL, but his heart has never left Oxford.”

Metcalf isn’t sure how many more seasons he’ll play in the NFL, but when he decides to retire, he al-

ready knows what the future holds for him.

“Oxford is my home. I love the town, the people and Ole Miss. I can’t think of any-where else I want to be,” he said.

Rebel Great Pours Heart Into Magazine

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHTTerrence Metcalf’s day job is with the New Orleans Saints. The 9-year pro and former Ole Miss All-American plays guard for the Super Bowl champions.

S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 0 23

Terrence Metcalf

team decadeoftheteam

2000-2009

Michael Oher - OLEli Manning - QB

Terrence Metcalf - OL

Ole Miss

Immortalized in the hit movie “The Blindside,” Oher completed his fairytale story in Oxford as one of the most dominant linemen in school history.

Dominant as a Rebel, earning con-sensus All-America honors. Has demonstrated longevity, as he is a 9-year pro now playing for the Super Bowl Champion Saints

Probably the best to ever play the position here, with apologies to Archie, Eli defined the decade for Ole Miss and ended his career at the Heisman Trophy Ceremony.


team decade

Deuce McAllister - RB

Jonathan Nichols - K

The Ole Miss Rebels were blessed with some outstanding football players this past decade. Rebel fans will never forget the likes of Deuce McAllister, Dexter McCluster, Patrick Willis and so many more who donned the Red and Blue. This month we salute the best of the best Rebels with the naming of our All-Decade Team, as selected by the staff of Game Time Rebels. A player must have played at least one season in the years 2000-2009 to qualify. Not every position was filled. The player had to be something special. Game Time Rebels thanks Roger Dabbs Chevrolet as our spon-soring partner for this feature.

Won the Groza Award as the na-tion’s best kicker. Unfortunately, often remembered for missing two kicks in a critical loss to LSU.

The greatest running back the Rebels have ever had, Deuce turned loose on the SEC. Finished NFL career as Saints all-time lead-ing rusher.

S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 0 25

PRESENTED BY:

EDITORIAL TOCEDITORIAL TOCEDITORIAL TOCEDITORIAL TOCEDITORIAL TOCMike Wallace - WR

Ben Claxton - C

Fantastic receiver at Ole Miss, who has proven to perhaps be even better in the NFL.

The captain of some of the best offensive lines ever at Ole Miss.


PRESENTED BY:

EDITORIAL TOCEDITORIAL TOCEDITORIAL TOCOFFENSE

Eli Manning QBDexter McCluster AP Deuce McAllister RBCharles Stackhouse FBBen Claxton CJohn Jerry OLTerrence Metcalf OLMichael Oher OLChris Spencer OLMarcus Johnson OLDoug Zeigler TEChris Collins WRMike Wallace WRJonathan Nichols K

DEFENSE

Peria Jerry DTJesse Mitchell DTJerrell Powe DTDerrick Burgess DEPatrick Willis LBArmegis Spearman LBKen Lucas CBJamarca Sanford SKendrick Lewis S

team decadeofthe

2000-2009

2000-20032006-200920002000-20012000-20022006-20092000-20012005-20082002-20042001-20042000-20022000-20032005-20082001-2004

2005-20082000-20032008-Current20002003-2006200020002005-20082006-2009Patrick Willis - LB

Ken Lucas - CB

Ole Miss

Came to Ole Miss as a receiver, but found his niche as one of the nation’s top shutdown corners.

Butkus award winner. One of the best players in the history of the school. Widely considered the best young linebacker in the NFL.

team

S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 0 29

Gary Abide


Reb Linebacker Recounts ‘93 Bama Game

“Gary Abide didn’t get the due he

deserved in his playing time here,”

Brewer said.

Gary Abide is quick to tell you he was wrong when he

intentionally and pre-maturely charged across the line of scrimmage from his linebacker po-sition, plowing over Alabama center Toby Shields at the conclu-sion of a hotly contested battle with the Crimson Tide some 17 years ago.

There are thousands of Rebel fans who re-member that hard-to-swallow, 19-14 loss to Alabama. And many of them wouldn’t want Abide to apologize for his game-ending out-burst for anything in the world.

“I’ve had a lot of peo-ple tell me that I just did what they wished they could have done,” Abide begins. “But I was wrong.”

As the final sec-onds drained from the V a u g h t - H e m i n g w a y Stadium game clock, Alabama lined up in the victory formation. The Tide was prepared to kill the clock by tak-ing a knee and sneaking back across the state line with a slim victory over a Rebel squad that en-tered the contest with a 4-2 record.

“It was a hard-fought battle,” Abide remem-bered. “We played well enough to win that day. The frustration level had just built up.”

In fact, Ole Miss may have won that day had it not been for an injury to Alabama quarterback Jay Barker.

“We were stopping

them with Barker at quarterback,” said Abide. “I mean, we had their number. Honest-ly, I think if Barker had stayed in the game, we would have won.”

Barker, however, left the game with injury fol-lowing a Tim Bowens sack. The result was Ala-bama coach Gene Stall-ings moving the speedy David Palmer under center. Palmer’s speed and quickness spelled trouble for the Rebel de-fense.

“Bowen’s sack led to Palmer coming in at quarterback. Had we not hurt Jay Barker, I think we would have beat them,” Abide lamented.

But it was not to be the Rebels’ day. So as defeat became a certainty, and with only a snap remain-ing between the final horn and an Alabama escape, Abide jumped the gun. He left his line-backer position in a full sprint, blowing the Ala-bama center up as he sat unsuspecting over the ball. A national televi-sion audience listened as legendary announc-ers Keith Jackson and Bob Griese described the carnage. On TV, it looked as if Abide never checked up to even see if the offi cials had ejected him. He simply headed through the gates, cool, calm and collected, seeming never to slow down.

“That wasn’t how it happened, though,” Abide related. “After I hit the guy, I actually turned around and went

back to the defensive huddle. That’s when I heard a ref say that 52 was out of here. I started off heading to our side-line, but I saw Coach (Billy) Brewer, and he was just pointing me to-ward the lockerroom. In his infi nite wisdom, he just wanted to get me off the fi eld.

“I apologized for it immediately after the game. I apologized to Coach Stallings and to Alabama. I was in the wrong.”

Wrong or not, Abide endeared himself per-manently to many an Ole Miss fan that day in the fall of 1993.

Former Ole Miss head coach Billy Brewer re-members Abide as a fi ne football player.

“Gary Abide didn’t get the due he deserved in his playing time here,” Brewer said. “Gary was an underrated football player. He was smart, aggressive and talent-ed.”

Abide was a senior captain on that 1993 team, after an injury redshirted him in 1992. He was a true freshman out of St. Joseph’s High School in Greenville in 1989 when Chucky Mul-lins fell victim to an inju-ry that would later claim his life.

“It was a very emotion-al time for the team,” he refl ected. “As a young player, you’re not real sure what to do or say in those circumstances. I remember the team meeting the Sunday af-ter the Vanderbilt game

that Chucky was hurt in. There was a lot of si-lence. There were a lot of prayers. There were tears. A lot of hugging. That season, from that point on, I think Chucky was with us.”

Abide played in two other bowl games as a Rebel: the 1991 Gator Bowl and the 1992 Lib-erty Bowl.

“The bowl games oc-cupy a special place for me. The Gator Bowl was just so special. We were back in a January bowl game for the fi rst time since the Archie Man-ning days,” he said.

The Rebels went on to post an 8-4 record, de-feating Air Force, 41-29, in the Liberty Bowl.

Gary Abide is now a successful businessman living in Rogers, Ark. He’s married to the for-mer Kim Yeager, also an Ole Miss alumnae. The couple has one daugh-ter, Allie, who is 10.

The Abides still make a point to return to Oxford as much as they can ev-ery fall.

“I love the job Coach (Houston) Nutt is do-ing,” Abide said. “He has really put a lot of pride back into the former players. Living up here in Hog country, I am very familiar with what Coach Nutt did at Arkan-sas. He’s doing a won-derful job at Ole Miss. He has really elevated us as a football program, and I’m impressed how fast he’s done it.”

S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 0 31

Reb Linebacker Recounts ‘93 Bama Game by David Johnson

Game Time Rebels

RE

BE

LM

issM

issM

issof

the m

onth

Miss

Miss

of th

e mon

thof

the m

onth

Miss

of th

e mon

thM

issS

EP

TE

MB

ER

20

10

Jam

ey S

harm

anS

epte

mbe

r’s

Reb

el M

iss

of t

he

Mon

th is

a s

oph

omor

e Jo

urn

al-

ism

maj

or f

rom

Mer

idia

n a

nd

a

mem

ber

of C

hi O

meg

a so

rori

ty

wh

ere

she

serv

es o

n t

he

Car

-d

inal

Com

mit

tee.

Sh

e is

als

o a

form

er R

ebel

ette

an

d a

mem

ber

of t

he

Ole

Mis

s S

pir

it S

qu

ad.

Sh

e vo

lun

teer

s h

er t

ime

wit

h t

he

Am

eric

an C

ance

r S

ocie

ty’s

Rel

ay

for

Lif

e an

d t

he

Hop

e V

illa

ge f

or

Ch

ild

ren

, alo

ng

wit

h m

any

oth

er

grea

t ca

use

s. J

amey

is a

n a

ctiv

e m

embe

r of

th

e H

igh

lan

d B

apti

st

Ch

urc

h in

Mer

idia

n. J

amey

is

wea

rin

g an

Esl

ey d

ress

wit

h g

rey

pee

p-t

oe h

eels

, a p

earl

nec

klac

e w

ith

pea

rl e

arri

ngs

. Her

clu

tch

is

by

J.J.

Win

ters

. Clo

thin

g an

d

acce

ssor

ies

pro

vid

ed b

y In

dig

o’s,

lo

cate

d a

t 26

5 N

orth

Lam

ar,

Su

ite

Q, i

n O

xfor

d.

Photo

by P

aul G

andy

Cloth

ing &

Acce

ssorie

s

Spon

sore

d by

:

Houston Nutt

REBEL COACH TALKS ABOUT THE SEASON, THE SEC, THE FANS AND LIFE

Houston Nutt

REBEL COACH TALKS ABOUT THE SEASON, THE SEC, THE FANS AND LIFE

Photo by Nick Toce

Coach Houston Nutt recently sat down with Game Time Rebels for a conver-sation about the upcoming season...and life in general.

GTR: The preseason expectations of this football team, at least from the media perspective, changed a little af-ter the addition of Jeremiah Masoli. Do you think that is warranted?

NuTT: Yes. The important thing to look at is that we now have three quarter-backs who have done a great job thus far...Nathan Stanley, Randal Mackey and Jeremiah Masoli. You have to have three quarterbacks in this league.

GTR: We play four of our fi rst fi ve games at home this season. How im-portant is it to take advantage of that and get off to a great start?

NuTT: It is so important. You never want to let someone come into your home and beat you. Getting those fi rst four home games would be a great way to start off the season and get some momentum going into the later stretch.

GTR: With back-to-back, nine-win seasons, talk about the momentum surrounding the Ole Miss football pro-gram right now.

NuTT: There is a lot of momentum right now. We are coming off of back-to-back Cotton Bowl titles and there is a lot to be said about our recruiting right now. It is still early, but as of right now, we have the No. 10 recruiting class in the nation, and that has never happened in the month of August for us. The ultimate goal is to be in Atlan-ta, and you get the feeling with what is going on right now, that shouldn’t be very far away for this program.

GTR: There seems to a stable of good running backs on this team. How com-fortable are you with the talent and depth at that position?

NuTT: We have some great talent at running back, but depth is the key. In this league your running backs are getting beat up play-in and play-out,

so you have to have great depth. With players like Brandon Bolden, Enrique Davis, Rodney Scott, Devin Thomas, and you got a guy like Jeff Scott com-ing up, I feel very comfortable with it.

GTR: Derek Herman has been moved to wide receiver after looking good at running back. What’s the reasoning behind that?

NuTT: Just like I mentioned earlier we have great depth at therunning back position. Derek is a playmaker and you want to get a player like him some touches on the ball and the wide receiver position is a good place to do that.

GTR: How do you feel about the offensive line right now?

NuTT: Our offensive line has got to get better. Bradley Sowell and Bob-by Massey have done re-ally well, but we still have some inexperience. But I have confi dence that ev-ery day we will get better in that area.

GTR: Five of the six teams in the SEC West, including Ole Miss, are ranked in the preseason Top 30 in the USA Today Coaches Poll. Just how tough is this division?

NuTT: So tough. You have the defending na-tional champions in Ala-bama. You have LSU who always looks good in a uniform, and Auburn is coming up, too. In this league you can never take a week off because on any given day any team in the SEC can beat another.

GTR: What do you need from the fans this season?

NuTT: I need our fans to be a true twelfth man. I need the fans to really bring that energy, passion and enthu-siasm to create the best environment in the SEC. This program is building something special, and a lot of good things are fi xing to happen.

GTR: Now for some personal ques-tions. What’s your favorite TV show?

HOUSTON NUTT


NuTT: The Andy Griffith Show.

GTR: What are some of your favor-ite movies?

NuTT: Remember the Titans, Apollo 13 and The Ten Command-ments.

GTR: What is your favorite hobby?

NuTT: Riding my horses.

GTR: Do you have a favorite horse to ride?

NuTT: Blue. He is part Clydes-dale and part Quarter Horse.

GTR: Who was your favorite quarterback growing up?

NuTT: I have two: Joe Namath and Roger Staubach.

GTR: What was your favor-ite pregame song when you played, and currently?

NuTT: When I played any song by the Commodores or Earth, Wind and Fire. I’ve gone a little more country now, so currently it would be Kenny Chesney’s “Boys of Fall” and Tim McGraw’s “Live Like You Were Dying.”

GTR: What person(s) has had the most influence on your life?

NuTT: My dad and my mom.

GTR: You are about to have dinner and you can invite any-one from throughout history to sit at your table. Who all do you invite?

NuTT: My wife Diana, my family, Armedia (mother-in-law), Moses, Brandon Burls-worth, Muhammad Ali, Barry Sanders, Larry Bird, Ronald Reagan, and at the head of the table right across from me, Jesus.

S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 0 37

Johnson Poised to be Leader Up FrontConfi dence has never been a

problem for Rishaw Johnson. Ask the Ole Miss starting right

guard who was the last guard to go in the fi rst round of the NFL draft, and not only will Johnson tell you the 49ers drafted Mike Iupati out of Idaho with the 17th overall pick, Johnson will tell you he is better. “I watched the San Francisco game this weekend,” Johnson said. “He’s two inches taller than me, but he’s physical. I think I’m physical. He’s fast, but I think I’m just as fast.” Johnson certainly has the pedi-gree of a potential fi rst-round pick. The 6-foot-4 305-pounder was a four star recruit coming out of high school choosing the Rebels over of-fers from Florida State and LSU.


by Jacob Threadgill, Game Time Rebels

Photo Courtesy of UM

After a redshirt year in 2007, Johnson mostly watched from the side-line in 2008 before be-coming the starting right guard last season. His first chance in the spotlight, however, was hardly what he would’ve hoped for. The offensive line didn’t come together as a cohe-sive unit early in the sea-son. After losses to South Carolina and Alabama, Johnson found himself in head coach Houston Nutt’s doghouse. Johnson’s last start of the season came against the eventual na-tional champions, and subsequently he was sus-pended for the remainder of the season after a vio-lation of team rules. “Ev-erybody makes mistakes,” offensive line coach Mike Markuson said. “Rishaw made one, he paid for it, and now he’s back doing everything the right way.” After showing Nutt and staff he was committed to changing his attitude on the fi eld and off the fi eld, Johnson was re-instated for spring practice, and has been a mainstay at right guard ever since. It is an opportunity John-son isn’t going to squander. “I think, God willing, I’m fi nally back to living up to the hype that people have been waiting to see,” John-son said. “I just can’t wait for this season to start. I can’t wait to get out there and compete.” John Jerry eventually took over Johnson’s spot at right guard last season allowing Bobby Massie to start at right tackle the last half of the season. Jerry was selected in the third round by the Miami Dolphins where he is starting at left guard. The Rebels will be replacing Daverin Geralds

at center and Reid Neely at left guard with players tak-ing their fi rst SEC snaps. “We all look at it up front as all of us not wanting to be that weak link,” Johnson said. “When Coach Nutt said the offensive line keeps him up, we take it personal. We don’t want to be the weak link on the team. We take it to work every day.” Alex Washington has so-lidifi ed his starting spot at left guard, but freshmen A.J. Hawkins and Evan Swindall are locked in a back-and-forth battle for the starting center position. “I like them both,” John-son said. “Evan is more con-sistent with his snaps, but A.J. has more experience. I think we can win with both of them.” With a roster full of expe-rience on the defensive side of the ball, Nutt said one of his biggest concerns during camp was identifying lead-ers on offense. Johnson fi ts that roll despite his mis-takes. “You just try and come back stronger,” Johnson said. “People are always watching, so I’m just trying to be a leader and trying to do the right thing for the younger guys. But people are always watching. I’m trying to be a leader for those guys.” For Markuson, it means Johnson needs to lead by example with so many young offensive linemen behind him. “The light has come on,” Markuson said. “He’s a de-cent fundamental football player. He’s physical. That’s what you want. He’s a very explosive guy. He knows this football team needs him. For us to be good up front, he needs to have a great year for us.”

OFFENSE

S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 0 39


As this issue of Game Time Rebels went to press, there was yet

another timing issue with Jeremiah Masoli. Last month, we nervously awaited the announcement that Masoli was, indeed, coming to Ole Miss. We re-ceived confirmation just hours before the August is-sue hit the press. Whew! This month, we go to press without word from the NCAA that Masoli has been cleared for takeoff. All indi-cations are that it is simply a formality, and by the time you’re reading this, all will be well. The NCAA, in its in-finite wisdom, seem to just be taking its sweet time. Masoli has been all he was advertised to be in camp. He’ll bring another dimen-sion to the Ole Miss football team. In fact, he already has. He looks good in Rebel Red and Blue, don’t you think?

Masoli Looks

Good In Rebel

Red And Blue


The 1959 Ole Miss-LSU football game is one of the most memorable in the

deep treasure chest of college football history.

Billy Cannon’s ghostly gal-lop to the end zone on Hal-loween night spoiled the Rebels’ ambitions of a perfect season. Sports Illustrated re-cently named that game one of the greatest ever played.

What’s rarely said, or re-membered for that matter, is that Ole Miss scored some revenge against LSU later that same season with a 21-0 rout of the Tigers in the Sugar Bowl. Ole Miss dominated the Tigers, compiling 363 yards of total offense to LSU’s 74.

LSU must have seen it coming. You see, the Tigers were not interested in facing the Rebels again that season.

Billy Brewer, who would go on to become the head coach of the Ole Miss Rebels, was a senior defensive back and sometime quarterback on that Ole Miss squad.

“LSU voted not to play in that Sugar Bowl,” remem-bers Brewer. “They met; the chancellor of LSU; the Sugar Bowl people; the politicians. Every time they voted, the answer was no; they did not want to play Ole Miss again. They didn’t leave the room until the vote was changed to a yes. But they didn’t want to play it.”

The difference in the first meeting was Cannon’s 89-yard punt return that comes back to life every fall when Ole Miss and LSU tangle on the gridiron. The Tiger of-fense could muster little on the Ole Miss defense in the regular season battle, and LSU had no reason to believe that would change in the Sug-ar Bowl.

“We didn’t know how good we were, defensively,” Brewer

related. “Nowadays, you have all of the media and Inter-net and experts to tell you how good you are. We didn’t know. We just played foot-ball.”

Ole Miss gave up 21 points the entire 1959 season. The Ole Miss defense, though, only allowed a single touch-down.

“It was against Tulane. Just a little seam route down the middle,” Brewer said.

The other points scored upon the Rebels? A blocked quick-kick against Tennes-see, and, of course, Cannon’s run to destiny. “Other than that, we would have been un-scored on,” he said.

“It was certainly one of the best Ole Miss teams ever,” Brewer deadpanned. “We had, I believe, 17 guys off that team go on and play profes-sional football.

“As for Billy Cannon, well, he was just a freak. I mean

that in a positive way. Here’s a guy that was the Louisiana state champion in the 100 and 220-yard dash and the shot put. He was 6-foot-2, 220 pounds, and he was a weight lifter. LSU was lifting weights back then. They were ahead of their time.”

Cannon almost made Ole Miss-LSU lore two years pri-

or when the Rebel defense angled up with him at the UM 15-yard line on the final play of the game to stop what would have been a 60-some-thing yard, game-winning TD run. Ole Miss escaped with a 14-12 win that day in Oxford.

But it would be the freak-ish Ole Miss defense that would defeat LSU 21-0 in the Sugar Bowl, sending the Rebels to what would the be first of three national cham-pionships in a four-year span under the late, great John Vaught. Ole Miss entered the game ranked second in the

nation. LSU pulled in at No. 3.

Billy Cannon was a non-factor in the Sugar Bowl, as LSU finished the game with minus 15 yards rushing. Can-non tallied eight yards on six carries.

Bobby Franklin threw two TD passes leading the Rebel offense.

“I remember that it was a hot, muggy night,” Brewer ex-plained, his eyes closing and head cocking, as if he were traveling back in time. “The field was soggy. Great crowd. Great atmosphere.”

A crowd of 81,500 watched Ole Miss lay claim to its first national title.

Generations later, though, it is Cannon’s great escape on Halloween night that still captures the imagination.

But history should never forget, it was Part II that made the Rebels national champions.

Who Remembers LSU Part II?FLASHBACK 1959

S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 0 43

by David Johnson, Game Time Rebels

LSU’s Billy Cannon slashes through the Ole Miss Rebels on his way to an 89-yard punt return on Halloween night, 1959. Ole Miss lost 7-3, but won the rematch 21-0. AP Photo.

Diana’s NoDiva

Photos by Joey Brent

Diana’s No

by Julie Cantrell, Game Time Rebels

Noby Julie Cantrell, Game Time RebelsDiva

As the wife of Ole Miss head football coach Houston Nutt, Diana Nutt has been given many unique opportuni-

ties in life, but those who might expect her to be a diva will be surprised to learn she’s as humble as it gets.

Unlike many in Diana’s position, she’s not the kind to seek the spotlight. In fact, she avoids the media and rarely grants inter-views. Perhaps it’s her Chickasaw heritage or her Oklahoma upbringing, but glitz and glamour don’t mean much to this horseback riding, tractor driving, nature girl. She pre-fers to work on her ranch just outside of Ox-

ford, play tennis with friends, volunteer for the Boys and Girls Clubs, and support the Humane Society.

“Honestly, I’m just a tomboy,” Diana says. And she means it. Most of her time is

spent driving big mowers or classic cars. She has two refurbished sports cars in ad-dition to her snappy red Mustang, and she drives them all. With that much interest in big, loud motors, she might feel more at home watching NASCAR than football, but her friends insist she’s a loyal supporter of her husband’s team.

Blind Date Leads to Fabulous Family

Laughing about the blind date that brought the couple together one week before college graduation, Diana admits she only went as a favor to a friend: “I had no interest in dating an athlete, and Houston sure wasn’t interested in meet-ing a geology major.”

But something clicked, and after 26 years of marriage, four children, and multiple relocations, the unlikely pair still maintains their steady balance.

“Looking back on it, I’m amazed at all the opportunities we’ve had because of this life,” Diana admits. “We’ve been able to travel so many places and meet so many wonderful people. I feel very fortunate.”

When asked to name a favorite mo-ment, Diana insists it’s impossible to narrow it down. “I guess if I had to pick just one person who has really inspired me or affected my life, it would be Bar-bara Broyles, the wife of the head coach and then the athletic director at the University of Arkansas, Frank Broyles. She was the perfect model of the coach’s wife, and she meant so much to all of us. Also, the years at Murray State early in Houston’s career. The team went 11-0 two seasons in a row. It was a really big deal. All the kids were there. The team had not been doing well before that, and everyone was so excited. The energy was overwhelming.”

Right at Home in MississippiDiana also counts her family’s arrival

in Oxford as one of her all-time highs. “I’ll never forget walking into the Ford

Center. So many people showed up to welcome us to this amazing community. It just felt right.”

When Diana visited Ole Miss to con-sider the relocation to Oxford, it was her first time in Mississippi. “I was amazed at how beautiful it was. I don’t know what I expected, but I loved the land-scape and the quaint little town.”

Some would suggest it’s no coinci-dence that Diana landed in Mississippi. After researching tribal history, she dis-covered that her own Chickasaw tribe originated in this area.

“My kids and I are all on the Chicka-saw rolls. We carry Native American

identification cards,” she says. “I’ve re-ally enjoyed learning about our heritage and attending local events such as the Choctaw Indian Fair in Philadelphia, Miss. There’s a wonderful museum in New Albany and I’ve met several local historians who have helped me trace our roots. Sadly, there are only a few more than 50 registered Chickasaw still liv-ing in Mississippi. It’s hard to imagine a fully functioning society being forced to uproot like that. When I tell other Chickasaw that I’m living in Missis-sippi, some of them get very emotional. Many of them dream of returning to the homeland.”

Frenzied Football

Weekends with the Nutts

Chickasaw pride is only part of what

makes Diana such a self-confident wom-an. Throughout her husband’s career, she has maintained her own identity in-sisting that she’s much more than just the coach’s wife.

“Football is Houston’s baby. I do my


own thing,” she teases. “Now that the kids are grown, I’m fi nally able to travel with him to away games, and that’s been a lot of fun. But I admit I don’t go to all of the away games. It’s a rare treat to have a quiet house. I’m at the point in life where I take advantage of moments like that. I sit back, watch the game on TV, and relax.”

Relax is not something Diana can do during home games.

“We have family and friends come in. They stay with us and I’m usually cook-ing and entertaining the whole week-end,” she says. “I sit with the coaches’ wives in our reserved box, but I don’t

do all the pre-game activities. I like to arrive early, when the stadium’s quiet and peaceful. I watch everyone setting up and I just enjoy the whole process. Start to fi nish.”

Guests at the Nutt home are usually treated to Diana’s home cooked meals. “We are all very health conscious, “says Diana, “so as much as I’d like to have everything catered, it’s not always easy to pick up food for our crew.” One of her family’s favorite meals is her Organic Bean Salad. “The kids can’t get enough of it,” Diana admits. “It’s packed with protein and it’s always a hit with guests. Not to mention, it’s easy to make.”

And Don’t Forget the Kids – Both Two-Legged and Four

Those who know Diana best describe her as grounded, genuine, and a what-you-see-is-what-you-get kind of girl. She is also admired for being an avid supporter of the Boys and Girls Clubs of North Mississippi, where she volunteers and serves on the Advisory Board.

“I have always believed that if you’re with the University you need to support the community,” Diana says. “Christy Grice, the director of our local B&G Club, does an awesome job. She leads an incredible program for the kids and they offer tremendous support that’s meaningful and benefi cial. I encourage everyone to support this organization anyway they can. Really amazing things are happening there.”

Those interested in supporting the B&G Club should watch for an upcom-ing online auction which will include a large variety of items up for bid, includ-ing Ole Miss ticket packages.

In addition to her work with kids, Di-ana also supports the Oxford-Lafayette Humane Society. She’s had some inter-esting experiences that show her love of nature.

“We found an abandoned fawn,” she explains. “I bottle-fed him, and my dog took him under her wing. At 15 weeks, I weaned him and taught him how to eat berries and nuts. It’s been a couple of years, but he still lives in the woods behind our house and comes when I call him. I never treated him as a pet. He lives in the wild and he’s a buck with big antlers, but for the fi rst year I did keep an orange collar on him so hunters wouldn’t shoot him.”

There’s no doubt she cares about ani-mals.

“I grew up in the city, but I spent sum-mers working my grandfather’s farm. He was Chickasaw and did things the old way. I have always felt a strong con-nection to animals, and I’ve surrounded myself with them as an adult,” she says. “I hope everyone will help the Oxford-Lafayette Humane Society as they con-struct a new facility. They already do a lot for this community, but they have the ability to do so much more if we of-fer them support.”

That sums up Diana Nutt. She’s no diva and she’s not just the coach’s wife. She’s a loyal supporter of her family, her friends, and her community. We’re all thankful she calls this place home.

S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 0 47

WARREN ANCHOR

ON TEAM WITH NEW

FACES

Steady Does

It

Photos by Nick Toce

ME

N’S

BA

SK

ET

BA

LL

2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1 S C H E D U L E

NOVEMBER512 17 202630

DECEMBER41113 18

2223

2430

JANuARY25 8 131519 22 29

FEBRuARY15 912 1619 22 26

MARCH2 510

Delta StateArkansas State

Murray StateDayton

Penn State Miami

USMUALR

MS Valley StateETSU

Cancun Governor’s Cup Cancun, Mexico

Texas StateAppalachian State/

Colorado StateTBD

Alcorn State

Southeastern LouisianaSMU

FloridaMississippi State

GeorgiaVanderbilt

LSUTennesse

KentuckyArkansas

LSUAlabama

AuburnMississippi State

South CarolinaAlabama

AuburnArkansas

SEC TournamentGeorgia Dome, Atlanta

*Red Indicates Away Game

by Jacob Threadgill,Game Time Rebels

Steady Does

It


The turbulence of the month of April has shown no ill ef-fects on Ole Miss

basketball coach Andy Ken-nedy as he prepares to enter his fi fth season in Oxford.

Kennedy and staff were sent scrambling to fi ll the Rebels’ roster after the spring signing date when sophomore Terrico White declared for the NBA draft, while guard Eniel Polynice (Seton Hall) and forward Murphy Holloway (South Carolina) transferred.

As Kennedy sits in his cor-ner offi ce, nestled inside the $12 million sparkling new Basketball Practice Facility, he can’t help but feel a sense of security even though six of the 12 players on his roster have never played a South-eastern Conference basket-ball game.

Much of that seren-ity comes from the fact he knows exactly what he’s go-ing to get from senior point guard Chris Warren.

“Chris has been as steady of a player as I have ever been around,” Kennedy said. “Not to say that he does ev-erything right, but you can never question his effort or his attitude. He’s become more vocal, which is some-thing we’ve been trying to get out of him. He has truly taken ownership of the pro-gram along with our other senior, Zach Graham.”

Warren enters his final season as a Rebel as the most accomplished player return-ing in the SEC. Bouncing back from a mid-season ACL tear as a sophomore, he fi n-ished third in scoring in the SEC as a junior, including a school record 111 3-pointers, good for fourth most in the country.

Graham enters his senior season 22 wins away from the most in any Rebel ca-reer, as his role elevates to

full-time starter. He aver-aged nine points per game last season.

“These kids have done a lot in helping take this pro-gram forward, and my hope is that they can be rewarded for their diligence.”

Junior Trevor Gaskins has been in the program four seasons, but missed his sophomore campaign due to an ACL tear. It took Gaskins a while to fi nd his groove last season, but he did average 41 percent from the 3-point line in SEC play.

“(Trevor) has ridden the rollercoaster, and that is hard for a guy with his emo-tional make-up,” Kennedy said. “He is so fi red up, and he really lets the highs and the lows effect him. We just want him to be steady.”

Sophomore Nick Wil-liams, an Indiana transfer, will be in his fi rst season with the Rebels after sitting out the mandated year. Wil-liams was a top-100 recruit coming out of Birmingham, Alabama, and started 29 out of 31 games as a true fresh-man in Bloomington aver-aging 8.9 points and 4.5 re-bounds.

“He is totally different in the ways he plays than Ter-rico or Eniel, but a guy that is going to fi ll a lot of statis-tical categories,” Kennedy said about Williams. “He is a winner and a competi-tor and has an edge. He is a big, strong guard at 6-foot-4 with a 6-foot-11 wingspan. Having to sit out after being the high school player of the year in Alabama and start-ing as a true freshman at Indiana was an eye-opening experience for him. He saw things from a different per-spective.”

There is only one reward on the minds of the players and staff—an NCAA tour-nament bid. After 85 wins in four seasons the Rebels

have three NIT appearanc-es, including two trips to the semifi nals in New York.

An NCAA Tournament berth, however, continues to be beyond the program’s grasp.

Ole Miss rose as high as No.15 in the polls during SEC play, but an ankle in-jury kept freshman forward Reggie Buckner, who set the single season shot block re-cord, out of fi ve games and injured for another four. Six of the Rebels’ 11 losses last year came with either Buck-ner out or limited in the line-up.

“We didn’t have a replace-ment for what he gave us,” Kennedy said. “He brings a dimension to our program that we’ve never had before. When he went down we re-ally struggled in that area.”

Buckner will be relied upon heavily after the loss of the team’s leading rebound-er in Holloway. Buckner and junior Terrance Henry are the only two returning play-ers on the frontcourt.

“Typically, when a kid be-comes a junior, you know what you’ve got. Now he has evolved into the top-50 guy he was coming out of high school,” Kennedy said. “Top-50 recruits by their junior season need to be getting all-league votes, and that is what we hope we get out of Terrance this year.”

Henry showed flashes of his blue-chip status last season scoring 20 points against Alabama and 17 ver-sus Florida.

Buckner and Henry will be joined on the frontline by newcomers Demarco Cox, Stedman Short, and Isaiah Massey. Cox is a heralded recruit from Yazoo City with the pedigree to help immediately. The four-star recruit, who turned down division I football offers, has already shed over 20 pounds

from his 6-foot-9 frame, and Kennedy expects him to be-gin the season around 290 pounds.

The 6-foot-8 Massey origi-nally signed with Marshall before a coaching change left him as a free agent late in the recruiting process. Lucky for Massey, and Kennedy, there was an opportunity to play immediately, and he found a home in the SEC.

“He is very athletic and a sponge in absorbing every-thing we are saying, which speaks well to his ability to play early,” Kennedy said.

Steadman Short was a qualifi er out of high school and began his playing ca-reer at High Pointe College before going to Chipola Ju-nior College where he turned down offers from Marquette and Maryland to sign with the Rebels.

“He comes in at 6-foot-8, 235 pounds,” Kennedy said. “He is big and strong, and has a skill set where he can play away from the basket.”

Cox, along with point guard Dundrecous Nelson, became the Mississippi re-cruits to sign under Kenne-dy. Nelson, also rated a four star recruit by Rivals.com, is expected to learn under Warren this season before taking over control of the of-fense as a sophomore.

“It was important we broke into the Jackson area,” Kennedy said. “ Dundrecous is from Murrah, which is one of the most storied programs in our state, and Demarco is from Yazoo City, right out-side of the Jackson metro area. It was important to get Mississippi kids that are in an area that are going to produce more talent.”

Kennedy said he has al-ready seen an immediate positive impact on recruiting since the men’s and women’s team moved into the practice facility this past January.

S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 0 51

“In this day and age most everyone in our league, if they don’t have (a practice facility), they are building one,” Ken-nedy said. “To be able to compete against the people we are recruit-ing against we have to make sure that people no longer have to ‘settle’ to come to Ole Miss, that this is truly a destination program.”

The 2011 class will be an important one for Kennedy and staff. They have already landed the commitment of LaDar-ius “Snoop” White, and are fi nalists for elite lev-el prospects point guard Ky Madden from Lepan-to, Arkansas, and Cleve-land, Mississippi, for-ward Johnny O’Bryant, according to Rivals.

“We are involved with the best group of play-ers we have ever been involved with,” Kennedy said. “As football season is starting, we will have them visit campus, but this a very important fall for us because we need to close the deal.”

September will be an important month for the staff, hosting recruits and getting limited on-court time with the team in individual work-outs before camp starts in October.

“A lot was made of our chemistry last season, but I think that’s just something people like to talk about and write about,” Kennedy said. “You really don’t real-ize you have a chemistry

issue until people tell you that you have one. We have to get them to understand there is a shared sacrifi ce to be-come successful. We start that early in the process, and we hope the guys realize if they give a little they will get a lot.”

Look Who’s Reading


Look Who’s Reading

William Faulkner

Jeremiah MasoliStudent

S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 0 53

Matt LowryRecreation Supervisor,

Veterans HomePhil Landers

AjaxMamacita

Ashley Hewett & Holly GrissingerChaney’s Pharmacy

Kala WaltmanVolta

Robbie CarlisleStudent

Jim MooreThe Blind Pig

Luke & Donny GuestHunter’s Hollow

Wes SmithOxford Bicycle Company

Hattie BusbyFirst Grade Student

Tommy CribbsThe Frame Up

Al CottenJohnson’s Furniture

Ron ShapiroThe Main Squeeze

Ashley GranthamRebel Rags

Chris RiddellInk Spot & Cat Daddy’s

Betsy LynchUniv. Sporting Goods

Casey BellewStudent

Jack BoydenVeterans Home

Allan KingLammons Fine Jewelry

Edwin BroylesSquare Books

Catherine Anne HerringtonUniv. Sporting Goods

Kheng ChanNagoya

Jeanne ZinnStar Package

Allan InnmanArtist

Billy McGregorVeterans Home

Ashley Hewett & Holly GrissingerChaney’s Pharmacy

Dylan ParkerThe Daily Mississippian

Lance ReedChik-fil-A

Bill BlankenshipVeterans Home

Rickey DempseyVeterans Home

Leslie WellsUniv. Sporting Goods

SUPER SOPH

FAVORS REBS

RECRUITING

by David JohnsonGame Time Rebels

Photos by Troy Catchings


Kailo Moore probably gets more mail than any other resi-

dent in the sleepy Mis-sissippi Delta town of Rosedale. He’s almost famous, though the full realiza-tion of that fame will likely have to wait a few years for the 16-year-old running back. The mail comes in droves. It’s fan mail of sorts, postmarked from Los Angeles, Tuscalo-osa, Ala., and Colum-bus, Ohio; places far, far away from a football fi eld nestled in the shad-ow of the Mississippi River levee. “I do get a lot of mail,” he’ll tell you. “Some-times it takes me a while to get through it all.” That’s what happens when a recruiting ser-vice such as Rivals.com labels you the “best true running back prospect to come out of the Mag-nolia State in years.” And he’s only a sopho-more. Now, everyone wants the attention of Kailo Moore. Alabama, UCLA, Ohio State, Texas, Southern Cal; they all have Kailo’s address. With a 40 time of 4.29 (yes, it is accurate), and a 5-foot-11-inch, 185-pound frame, he is the poster child for a potentially great col-lege running back. He’s also hard to tackle, owns great vision and is a serious competitor, according to his high school coach. “He’s very special,” said West Bolivar High School head coach Hen-ry Johnson. “He’s the one...the one that you dream of coaching...the one that you dream

of having in your back-fi eld. He works like no one else in the weight room. He’s fanatical in his preparation. I feel blessed to have this op-portunity to coach him.”

Kailo put himself on the radar of college football recruiters as a freshman when he ran for more than 600 yards in less than half a season. A broken col-lar bone was the only thing that tackled him in

2009. “When you watch him on fi lm, you can see he’s special,” Johnson of-fered. The recruiting of Kae-lo Moore, while coming

from afar, may end up being much more of a local affair. Kailo will tell you quickly that he wants to be an Ole Miss Rebel. Albeit a little known fact, Kailo would be a legacy player for the

Rebels. He is the grand-son of former Ole Miss running back Freddie Williams, who played for the Rebels for four seasons in the late 1970s. That connection has put Ole Miss leaps and bounds ahead of the pack, according to Kae-lo. “Since my grandad played at Ole Miss, that’s where I want to go,” he deadpanned. “Ole Miss means a whole lot to me and my family.” Like his grandson, Williams was a high school football star in Rosedale, playing for the late Leland Young, whose Rosedale teams won three state champi-onships. Kailo’s current head coach also played for Young at Rosedale. “Football is family in this community,” John-son, who led the team to its fourth state title in 2008, offered. “It all started with Coach Young. We’ve been able to keep that going here. The stands are full of former players who are now dads and grandads of our current players. Our players recognize what those guys accom-plished, and they want to perpetuate it.” Kailo said he’s been an Ole Miss Rebel his en-tire life. “I’ve always pulled for Ole Miss,” he related. “I’ve always watched them play on TV on Sat-urdays. I’ve had a lot of family members go to school there. It’s kind of been our family school. I feel real good about Ole Miss. I think it would be a great place to go to school.” And, as Kailo will tell you, “Grandaddy wants me to go there.”

Kailo Moore is considered by many to be the top true running back talent out of Mississippi in years.

S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 0 57

oxford and ole miss prints and art work, custom framing

125 courthouse square oxford, mississippi 38655p: 662.234.6641 f: 662.234.6710

on the square for 30 years

WANDA REID ownerTOMMY CRIBBS managermon-sat 9:00-5:00

The University of Mississippi game-day committee has

instituted several new rules and policies in an attempt to make tailgating a better experience for all fans.

Last spring, the commit-tee voted unanimously to keep the entire Ole Miss campus closed to tailgaters until 10 p.m. Fridays before home football games. The decision was made in order to provide a fairer oppor-tunity for all fans to enjoy tailgating on campus.

“We have loyal fans and supporters across Missis-sippi,” said Andy Mullins, Ole Miss chief of staff to the chancellor and gameday committee chair. “Some only travel across town, but others travel many hours, and we are trying to give all our fans equal access for their favorite tailgating locations.”

University Police De-partment offi cers will help enforce the policies. UPD will not only restrict access to campus on Fridays, but those who violate the 10 p.m. tailgating embargo are subject to arrest for tres-passing and having their

tents confi scated, Mullins said.

“This measure includes everyone, whether it be a student, an alum or a private contractor who sets up tents for customers,” Mullins said. “No one is allowed to set up a tent for tailgating until 10 o’clock Friday night.”

The gameday committee also has unveiled other new poli-cies for the 2010 season:

• Campus offi cially opens for parking at 6 a.m. Satur-day. Overnight violators on Friday are subject to having their automobile towed at the owner’s expense.

• No parking is allowed on Library Loop.

• Parking on the Circle is restricted to the right-hand side only. The left side surrounding the Circle has been designated a 15-min-ute loading zone.

NEW Grove Rules

What to do during those boring TV timeouts? Get in the game with the Ole Miss Rubic’s cube. Available at University Sporting Goods, Oxford, $4.95.

Get ready for the dog days of the early football season with these ca-nine creations. Designed specifically for your dog, make sure everyone in the household is wearing the team colors. Available at Rebel Rags, Oxford, $24- $28.

Make sure you’re well-heeled for all Rebel games with this dynamite selec-tion. Whether it’s the red boots (1883 by Lucchese) or the blue stilletos (Jes-sica Simpson), you’ll stand out in the Vaught-Heming-way crowd. Available at My Favorite Shoes, University Avenue, Oxford. Red boots, $329.00. Blue stillettos, $109.00.

Protect yourself from those sunshine-filled afternoons at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium with Ole Miss sunscreen (spf 30). Availabale at Rebel Rags, Oxford, $9.99.

No tailgate would be complete without this outstanding “Hotty Toddy” apron. Makes a perfect gift for the female Rebels in a guys life. Available at the Lily Pad, located on the Oxford Square, $39.95.


NOBODYCOVERSuS LIKEWEDO!

GETAPIECEOFTHE ACTION!

TO SUBSCRIBE:

MAIL US YOUR SUBSCRIPTION GAME TIME REBELS 9 INDUSTRIAL DRIVE SUITE 107 OXFORD, MS 38655

VISIT US ONLINE ATWWW.GAMETIMEREBELS.COM

CALL OR TEXT "GAMETIME"662.832.8024

12 ISSUES

$60

NAME: _____________________________________________

MAILING ADDRESS: __________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

PHONE: ____________________________________

EMAIL: _____________________________________

PROMO CODE: ______________________________PLEASE ENCLOSE WITH PAYMENT

National Champions

The 1960 Rebels: Fifty years ago this fall, this motley crew of Rebels won the school’s second national championship after posting a 10-0-1 record. The only blemish on their schedule was a 6-6 tie with LSU in a game played in Oxford. The Rebels capped the season with a 14-6 victory over Rice in the Sugar Bowl. The team’s co-captains were quarterback Jake Gibbs and left guard Warner Alford.

1960p a r t i n g s h o t


Documents

September 2010 Game Time Rebels