Steve Breaston

For the current Ole Miss Rebels football season, see 2008 Ole Miss Rebels football team.

University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) Rebels
2008 Ole Miss Rebels football team
First season	1890
Head coach	1st season, 3–3–0 (.500)
Stadium	Vaught-Hemingway Stadium (capacity: 60,580 Largest Crowd: 62,552 (Nov. 22, 2003 vs. LSU))
Field	Hollingsworth Field
Year built	1915
Field surface	AstroPlay
Location	Oxford, Mississippi
League	NCAA Division I
Division	Western Division (1992 - present)
Past conferences	Independent (1890-1898) Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (1899-1920) Southern Conference (1921-1932)
All-time record	600–463–35 (.562)
Bowl record	19–12–0 (.613)
Claimed national titles	3 1959, 1960, 1962
Conference titles	6 1947, 1954, 1955, 1960, 1962, 1963
Division titles	1 2003
Consensus All-Americans	42
Colors	Harvard Crimson and Yale Blue
Fight song	Forward Rebels (Official) Dixie (Unofficial)
Mascot	None
Marching band	Pride of the South
Outfitter	Nike
Rivals	Mississippi State Bulldogs LSU Tigers Arkansas Razorbacks
Website	OleMissSports.com

The University of Mississippi, also officially known as Ole Miss, boasts a long and colorful football history, which includes the formation of the first football team in the state and is 31st on the list of college football's all-time winningest programs. The Ole Miss Rebels posted its 600th win on September 27, 2008 when it defeated the Florida Gators 31-30 at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Florida.

In its 114-year history, the Ole Miss football program has claimed three national championships (1959, 1960 and 1962), six Southeastern Conference titles (1947, 1954, 1955, 1960, 1962, and 1963), and one SEC Western Division title (2003 - Co-champions with LSU but LSU represented the SEC West in the SEC Championship Game because of its win over Ole Miss that year). The program has produced 43 first-team All-Americans and numerous All-SEC selections, appeared in 31 bowl games, and sent over 200 players into the professional ranks.

Early history

The beginnings of the program can be traced all the way back to 1890, when Dr. A.L. Bondurant, who would later serve as dean of the Graduate School, urged Ole Miss students to help in the formation of an Athletic Association in the interests of football, baseball and tennis. Such a group became a reality a short while later, and in 1893, a football team was organized, with Bondurant serving as the manager-coach. That first squad won four of five games during that maiden season, including a 56-0 victory over Southwest Baptist University of Jackson, Tenn., in the inaugural game on Nov. 11, 1893.

The next year, 1894, Bondurant passed on his coaching duties. Ole Miss Football, a book published in 1980 by Sports Yearbook Company of Oxford, MS, says J.W.S. Rhea was the first coach at Ole Miss having been hired part-time by Bondurant and having led the 1894 team to a 6-1 record. The annual Ole Miss media guide lists C.D. Clark as the coach of the 1894 team and further says about him, Although it has never been documented, it is thought that C.D. Clark of Tufts was the first paid football coach at Ole Miss. His name appears as manager of the team as shown in the Ole Miss Magazine dated November 1894. The College Football Data Warehouse also lists Clark as the coach for the 1894 team.

Twice in its history, Ole Miss did not field a football team. In 1897, a yellow fever epidemic cancelled the football season. In 1943, football was abolished at all Mississippi state-supported institutions by the state college Board of Trustees due to World War II.

Modern era head coaches

John Vaught

John Vaught, a line coach at Ole Miss in 1946 under Harold D. "Red" Drew and a former All-American at TCU, remained in Oxford as head coach in 1947 and led the Ole Miss program to national prominence over the next 24 years, posting 23 winning records.

In his first season at the helm in 1947, the Rebels posted a 9-2 record and won the first of six SEC crowns (1947, 1954, 1955, 1960, 1962, 1963). That 1947 season also saw Ole Miss great Charlie Conerly become the first Rebel player to be a contender for the Heisman Trophy, placing fourth in the voting for the prestigious honor.

Vaught’s squads, however, didn’t stop at just winning league titles, as the Rebels claimed three national championships in 1959, 1960 and 1962. Ole Miss won the 1959 Dunkel System national crown, the 1960 Football Writers Association of America, Dunkel System, and Williamson System national championships and the 1962 Litkenhous Ratings national title. Vaught’s 1959 squad, which was honored as the “SEC Team of the Decade,” was ranked the third best collegiate football team from 1956 to 1995, according to the Jeff Sagarin Ratings released in January 1996.

The Rebels were also among the winningest programs in the country under Vaught during the 1950s and 1960s. From 1950-59, Ole Miss posted an 80-21-5 record (.778 winning percentage). The 77.8 winning percentage was third to only Oklahoma and Miami (OH) during that decade. In the 1960s, Vaught guided the Rebels to a 77-25-6 record and a 74.0 winning percentage, which was the ninth best during that decade. The Rebels 1962 season under Vaught is, to this day, the only undefeated season in Ole Miss history. The Rebels ended that season 10 and 0 and as national champions.

In the 1950s and 1960s under Vaught, Ole Miss was a fixture in the national polls. The Rebels were ranked atop the Associated Press poll for three weeks during the 1960 season and one week during the 1961 campaign. In 1964, Ole Miss was ranked preseason No. 1 in the Associated Press poll.

Vaught also made going to postseason play the norm rather than the exception for the Rebel football program. Ole Miss played in 15 consecutive bowl games from 1957-71 which, at that time, was a national record. In all, Vaught led Ole Miss to 18 bowl game appearances, posting a 10-8 record in those contests. For his efforts, Vaught was named SEC Coach of the Year six times (1947, 1948, 1954, 1955, 1960, 1962).

During his time at the helm, Vaught coached some of the best players ever to wear the Red & Blue. In 24 seasons, Vaught produced 26 All-America first teamers. He also coached four players who finished in the top five in the Heisman Trophy voting. Along with Conerly in 1947, Charlie Flowers (5th in 1959), Jake Gibbs (3rd in 1960) and Archie Manning (4th in 1969, 3rd in 1970) were in the running for college football’s top honor.

Failing health forced Vaught to resign his position in 1970 and the reins of the Ole Miss football program were turned over to Billy Kinard.

Billy R. Kinard

Billy Kinard became the first Ole Miss alumnus to head up the football program, while Frank “Bruiser” Kinard, an offensive line coach under Vaught since 1948, was named athletic director that same year.

The Rebels went 16-9 under Billy Kinard, including a 10-2 record and a 41-18 Peach Bowl victory over Georgia Tech in his first year in 1971. Kinard’s 10 victories are tied for fourth most by a first-year head coach in NCAA Division I history.

Kinard coached the Rebels through the 1972 season and through the third game of the 1973 season. After the disappointing 5-5 season in 1972, there was some pressure among the alumni to have Kinard removed. The administration bowed to this pressure after the Rebels started the 1973 season 1-2, including a shutout loss to Missouri, 17-0, and was upset by Memphis State, 17-13. Both Billy Kinard and Frank Kinard were fired, and John Vaught was rehired as both the head coach and athletic director.

Following the 1973 football season, Vaught resigned once again as head coach, but remained on as athletic director. His final record with the Rebels was 190-61-12. The 190 victories still rank Vaught in the top 25 winningest coaches in NCAA Division I history, and he is the fourth-winningest coach in SEC history. In 1979, Vaught was inducted in the National College Football Hall of Fame.

Ken Cooper

Ken Cooper, an assistant under Kinard since 1971, was named head coach on Jan. 17, 1974, and took Ole Miss through the 1977 season. Cooper compiled a 21-23 record during his four years at the helm, and his tenure is probably best remembered for one hot and humid day in September 1977. In one of the most memorable games in Rebel football history, Ole Miss upset Notre Dame, 20-13 in Mississippi Memorial Stadium on Sept. 17, 1977, in Jackson. That loss was the Irish’s lone setback of the 1977 campaign, as Notre Dame finished the season with an 11-1 record and claimed both the AP and UPI national titles.

Steve Sloan

Following the 1977 season, Steve Sloan, the former All-American quarterback at Alabama under Paul "Bear" Bryant, was hired as the new Rebel boss and began his five-year stint in 1978. Sloan posted a 20-34 record from 1978-82.

Billy Brewer

File:Billy Brewer.jpg

Billy Brewer

After stepping outside the Ole Miss family football tree the previous nine seasons, Ole Miss looked for a familiar face to lead the football program, and the Rebels found that person when Billy Brewer returned to Oxford to take over as head coach in December 1982.

In his first season in 1983, Brewer guided the Rebels to their first winning regular season since 1977 with a 6-5 record. The Rebels also went to their first bowl game since 1971 losing to Air Force 9-3 in the Independence Bowl.

Brewer remained in Oxford for another ten seasons, leading the Rebels to five winning seasons and four bowls, including Ole Miss’ 1990 New Year’s Day Gator Bowl appearance, which was the program’s first January bowl game since 1969. He was named SEC Coach of the Year in 1986 (8-3-1 record) and 1990 (9-3 record), and in 1986, the Rebels return to the national rankings for the first time in over a decade.

Brewer coached 11 years (1983-93) and compiled a 67-56-3 record, making him (at the time) the second winningest Ole Miss football coach behind Vaught. Brewer also led Ole Miss to eight Egg Bowl victories over rival Mississippi State.

Brewer was dismissed just prior to the 1994 season after the NCAA infractions committee found him guilty of "unethical conduct," and Ole Miss defensive coordinator Joe Lee Dunn took over as interim coach, directing the Rebels to a 4-7 record under difficult circumstances.

Tommy Tuberville

File:OleMissTommyTubervilleMotorCityBowlTrophy.jpg

Tommy Tubberville celebrating the 1997 Motor City Bowl win over Marshall with players as the Ole Miss head coach.

On Dec. 2, 1994, Tommy Tuberville was selected as the coach in charge of getting the Rebels on the right track.

After serving as an assistant coach on the collegiate level for nine seasons (eight at Miami and one at Texas A&M), Tuberville began creating excitement in his first season in 1995, finishing the campaign with a 6-5 record and an Egg Bowl victory over Mississippi State.

That excitement grew in 1997, when Ole Miss recorded its best season since 1992 with an 8-4 record, a thrilling 15-14 Egg Bowl victory over Mississippi State and a Motor City Bowl win over Marshall University. The bowl appearance was the program’s first since 1992, and the Rebels earned a final national ranking of No. 22 in both polls.

The revitalized Ole Miss program continued in its success in 1998, but suffered a setback after the Egg Bowl when Tuberville, despite repeated assurances that he would not leave, agreed to become the head coach at SEC West rival Auburn University.

David Cutcliffe

File:Cutcliffe.jpg

David Cutcliffe

Eli Manning

David Cutcliffe took over as head coach on Dec. 2, 1998. Cutcliffe, who came to Ole Miss from his offensive coordinator post at Tennessee, took over the reins just 29 days before the Rebels’ Sanford Independence Bowl date versus Texas Tech. Despite the short preparation time for the game, Cutcliffe led the Rebels to a 35-18 victory over the Red Raiders, quite arguably the biggest upset of the 1998 bowl season.

Cutcliffe brought with him to Oxford a high-powered offensive style that energized the Rebel fanbase.

In the time from 1997-2003, the Rebels played in six bowl games, tied with Arkansas for the most bowl appearances among SEC Western Division schools during that span.

Cutcliffe had four winning seasons in his first five seasons at Ole Miss, in 1999 (8-4), 2000 (7-5), 2001 (7-4) and 2002 (7-6), becoming the first Rebel mentor since Harry Mehre (1938-41) to post winning marks in his first five years. Cutcliffe also directed Ole Miss to four bowl appearances in his first five seasons, and is the only head coach in Ole Miss history to do so.

In 2003 Cutcliffe guided the Rebels to a 10-3 overall mark and a share of the SEC West title with eventual BCS National Champion LSU. Following their 31-28 victory over Oklahoma State in the Cotton Bowl, the Rebels finished #13 in the final poll. It was Ole Miss’ first New Year’s bowl since the 1991 Gator Bowl against Michigan.

Despite his 44-29 record, five straight winning seasons, and guiding the team to its first 10 win season in over 30 years, Cutcliffe was fired by Ole Miss's Athletic Director Pete Boone in December 2004 after the team posted a disappointing 4-7 record.

Ed Orgeron

Ed Orgeron

Ed Orgeron, regarded as one of college football’s premier defensive line coaches and recruiters, was named the 35th head football coach in the history of the University of Mississippi on December 16, 2004. Orgeron, who took control of the Ole Miss program after serving the previous seven seasons as defensive line coach at the University of Southern California, and played a role in Pete Carroll’s Trojan championship in 2004. He also served as USC’s recruiting coordinator from 2001-2004 and was named assistant head coach in 2003. Orgeron was named the 2004 National Recruiter of the Year by The Sporting News and Rivals.com.

Orgeron’s talent as a recruiter created a buzz among Rebel fans and drew national attention when Ole Miss’ 2006 signing class ranked as high as fifteenth in the rankings. His 2007 recruiting class was also listed among the best in college football (#31 according to scout.com). However, his recruiting success did not translate to on the field performance. In 2007, Ole Miss was last in the SEC in scoring offense, turnover margin, rushing offense, rushing defense, punt returns, opponent first downs, red-zone offense, opponent third-down conversions, field goal percentage, time of possession and kickoff coverage.

In 2007, 20 Ole Miss football players were placed on indefinite probation by the University for having stolen pillows and clock radios from hotels in which the team had stayed in. All 20 players paid for the stolen items and therefore no NCAA rules were broken, according to the NCAA. Coach Orgeron stated that the incident would be dealt with internally and that no one would miss the season finale against arch-rival Mississippi State, because none of the 20 players had been a discipline problem before. For the same reason, that being no previous discipline issues, the school refused to release the names of the players.

The 2007 season was a historic one for Ole Miss. The Rebels went winless in the SEC for the first time since 1982 - 25 years. The Rebels, under Orgeron, ended the season at 3-9 (0-8 in SEC play).

The 2007 season culminated with the firing of Orgeron on November 24, 2007. Three days later, Houston Nutt was hired as the next head football coach.

Houston Nutt

Houston Nutt

On November 27, 2007, Houston Nutt was hired as the new head football coach of the Ole Miss Rebels. Nutt's hiring made him the 36th head football coach at Ole Miss.

The next day, November 28, 2007, just five weeks after having defeated Ole Miss as the head coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks, Nutt was officially introduced as the new Ole Miss head football coach at a press conference at the Gertrude Castellow Ford Center for Performing Arts on the Ole Miss campus. During the press conference, Nutt stated, "One thing I love about Ole Miss is the tradition," naming past players such as Archie Manning, Jake Gibbs, Frank "Bruiser" Kinard, Deuce McAllister and Eli Manning. "It's about tradition. That's the reason I am here. I feel like this place can be successful. I feel like this place can win. I can’t wait to tell our players this afternoon. That’s how you spell fun. The way you spell fun is “W-I-N.” That’s what it is all about."

On September 27, 2008 Nutt coached the Rebels to a 31-30 road win over #4 Florida after close losses to Wake Forest and Vanderbilt.

2008 Season

Main article: 2008 Ole Miss Rebels football team

The biggest change for the Rebels going into the 2008 football season is the head coach. Houston Nutt will begin his first season as head coach of the Rebels, replacing Ed Ogeron, who was fired after his 2007 team failed to win an SEC game.

With a new head coach also comes new assistants, including Tight ends/special teams coach James Shibest, Running game coordinator Mike Markuson, Defensive line coach Tracy Rocker, Recruiting coordinator and Safeties coach Chris Vaughn and High School Relations director Clifton Ealy, all of whom were assistants at Arkansas under Nutt last season. Tyrone Nix left his position as Defensive Coordinator of the South Carolina Gamecocks to join Nutt's staff at the same position. Before his time at South Carolina, Nix spent 10 years at Southern Mississippi.

Former Arkansas offensive coordinator David Lee originally agreed to follow Nutt from Arkansas to Ole Miss, however, he later accepted an offer to become the Quarterbacks coach for the Miami Dolphins. Upon Lee's resignation, Kent Austin was hired as offensive coordinator.

The Rebels will have 16 starters returning this season: 7 on offense and 9 on defense.

Rivalries

Egg Bowl

Main article: Egg Bowl

The Battle of the Golden Egg (nicknamed the Egg Bowl) is an annual college football game between the Ole Miss Rebels and in-state fellow SEC team Mississippi State University (MSU) Bulldogs. While the 2 teams have played each other since 1901, with 2003 being the year in which the 2 teams had played each other 100 times and now having played each other a total of 104 times, the first game officially known as the "The Battle of the Golden Egg" was in 1927. While it is called a "Bowl", the game is not a postseason bowl game, but rather a regular season Southeastern Conference (SEC) game for both teams as they are both SEC members in the West Division.

LSU

Ole Miss' traditional SEC rival is LSU. Ole Miss first played LSU on December 3, 1894 winning 26-6 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Throughout the fifties and sixties, games between the two schools featured highly ranked squads on both sides and seemingly every contest had conference, and at times national, title implications - most recently in 2003 as LSU was the only team standing in the way of the Eli Manning-led Rebels being able to play for the SEC Championship. The Rivalry has somewhat declined because LSU fans have paid more attention to other SEC teams that have been stronger in recent years, while Ole Miss fans place more emphasis on the Egg Bowl game played against in-state rival Mississippi State.

Arkansas

Main article: Arkansas-Ole Miss rivalry

Ole Miss first played Arkansas in 1908, with Arkansas winning that game 33-0. They would play each other many times, though sporadically, over the next several decades, including to meetings in the Sugar Bowl in 1963 and 1970; Ole Miss won both Sugar Bowl matchups.

The two teams have played each other annually since 1981. The rivalry heated up in 1991 when Arkansas joined the Southeastern Conference, and was placed in the same division when the conference split into two divisions in 1992.

The 2001 Ole Miss-Arkansas game set a NCAA record for most overtime periods played (7). It has since been tied, but never broken. Arkansas won that game 58-56.

The rivalry was intensified in 2007 when Ole Miss hired former Arkansas coach Houston Nutt. Some have already begun to call the matchup the "Nut Bowl."

Arkansas leads the series 29-24-1 and has a four game winning streak.

"Team of the Century"

1883-1992

Offense
OE-Floyd Franks
OE- Barney Poole
OL-Jim Dunaway
OL-Gene Hickerson
OL-Stan Hinedman
OL- Everett Lindsey
OL- Marvin Terrell
OC-Dawson Pruett
QB- Archie Manning
QB- Charlie Conerly
RB- John Dotley
RB- Charlie Flowers
PK- Robert Khayat

Defense
DL- Frank M. "Bruiser" Kinnard
DL- Kelvin Pritchett
DL- Ben Williams
DL- Freddie Joe Nunn
LB- Tony Bennett
LB- Kenny Dill
LB- Larry Grantham
DB- Billy Brewer
DB- Glenn Cannon
DB- Chris Mitchell
DB - Jimmy Patton
DB- Todd Sandroni
P- Jim Miller

Bowl history

File:OleMissVersusMarshallMotorCityBowl.jpg

Ole Miss versus Marshall in the inaugural 1997 Motor City Bowl - Randy Moss's last game as a Marshall player. Ole Miss won 34-31.

File:OleMissCottonBowlTrophy.gif

Ole Miss players celebrate after defeating Oklahoma State 31-28 in the 2003 Cotton Bowl. Eli Manning's last game as an Ole Miss Rebel.

Ole Miss has participated in 31 bowl games with a record of 19 wins and 12 losses.

Date Played	Bowl game	Winning team		Losing team
January 1, 1936	Orange	Catholic University	20	Ole Miss	19
January 1, 1948	Delta	Ole Miss	13	TCU	9
January 1, 1953	Sugar	Georgia Tech	24	Ole Miss	7
January 1, 1955	Sugar	Navy	21	Ole Miss	0
January 2, 1956	Cotton	Ole Miss	14	TCU	13
January 1, 1958	Sugar	Ole Miss	39	Texas	7
December 27, 1958	Gator	Ole Miss	7	Florida	3
January 1, 1960	Sugar	Ole Miss	21	LSU	0
January 2, 1961	Sugar	Ole Miss	14	Rice University	6
January 1, 1962	Cotton	Texas	12	Ole Miss	7
January 1, 1963	Sugar	Ole Miss	17	Arkansas	13
January 1, 1964	Sugar	Alabama	12	Ole Miss	7
December 19, 1964	Bluebonnet	Tulsa	14	Ole Miss	7
December 28, 1965	Liberty	Ole Miss	13	Auburn	7
December 17, 1966	Bluebonnet	Texas	19	Ole Miss	0
December 30, 1967	Sun	U. Texas-El Paso	14	Ole Miss	7
December 14, 1968	Liberty	Ole Miss	34	Virginia Tech	17
January 1, 1970	Sugar	Ole Miss	27	Arkansas	22
January 2, 1971	Gator	Auburn	35	Ole Miss	28
December 30, 1971	Peach	Ole Miss	41	Georgia Tech	18
December 10, 1983	Independence	Air Force	9	Ole Miss	3
December 20, 1986	Independence	Ole Miss	20	Texas Tech	17
December 28, 1989	Liberty	Ole Miss	42	Air Force	29
January 1, 1991	Gator	Michigan	35	Ole Miss	3
December 31, 1992	Liberty	Ole Miss	13	Air Force	0
December 26, 1997	Motor City	Ole Miss	34	Marshall	31
December 31, 1998	Independence	Ole Miss	35	Texas Tech	18
December 31, 1999	Independence	Ole Miss	27	Oklahoma	25
December 28, 2000	Music City	West Virginia	49	Ole Miss	38
December 27, 2002	Independence	Ole Miss	27	Nebraska	23
January 2, 2004	Cotton	Ole Miss	31	Oklahoma State	28

Halls of fame

Ole Miss has ten former players and coaches in the College Football Hall of Fame.

• 1951 Frank M. "Bruiser" Kinard
• 1965 Charles "Charlie" Conerly
• 1974 Barney Poole
• 1979 John Vaught
• 1984 Doug Kenna
• 1987 Thad “Pie” Vann
• 1989 Archie Manning
• 1991 Parker Hall
• 1995 Jake Gibbs
• 1997 Charlie Flowers

Ole Miss has two former players in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

• 1970 Frank M. "Bruiser" Kinard
• 2007 Gene Hickerson

Ole Miss has three former players in the Helms Athletic Foundation Hall of Fame.

• 1955 Frank M. "Bruiser" Kinard
• 1959 Charles "Charlie" Conerly
• 1966 Barney Poole

Ole Miss has one former player in the National Quarterback Club Hall of Fame.

• 2004 Archie Manning

Active in the NFL

• Charlie Anderson, LB, Miami Dolphins
• Stacy Andrews, OT, Cincinnati Bengals
• Taye Biddle, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• McKinley Boykin, DT, New Orleans Saints
• Michael Bozeman, DL, Denver Broncos
• Derrick Burgess, DE, Oakland Raiders
• Kendrick Clancy, DL, New Orleans Saints
• Josh Cooper, DL, New Orleans Saints
• Von Hutchins, DB, Atlanta Falcons
• Marcus Johnson, OL, Minnesota Vikings
• Rory Johnson, LB, New York Giants
• Ken Lucas, CB, Carolina Panthers
• Eli Manning, QB, New York Giants
• Deuce McAllister, RB, New Orleans Saints
• Trumaine McBride, DB, Chicago Bears
• Terrence Metcalf, OL, Chicago Bears
• Jayme Mitchell, DL, Minnesota Vikings
• Tutan Reyes, OL, Jacksonville Jaguars
• Chris Spencer, C, Seattle Seahawks
• Micheal Spurlock, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• Tre' Stallings, OL, Kansas City Chiefs
• Fred Thomas, DB, New Orleans Saints
• Keydrick Vincent, OL, Carolina Panthers
• Todd Wade, OL, Washington Redskins
• Patrick Willis, LB, San Francisco 49ers

Unrestricted Free Agents:

• Ben Claxton, OL
• Mike Espy, WR

First round draft picks

Ole Miss has had seventeen players drafted in professional football first round drafts.

• 1939 - drafted #3 - Parker Hall - Cleveland Rams
• 1942 - drafted #8 - Merle Hapes - New York Giants
• 1954 - drafted #10 - Ed Beatty - Los Angeles Rams
• 1961 - drafted #10 - Bobby Crespino - Cleveland Browns
• 1963 - drafted #3 - Jim Dunaway - Minnesota Vikings
• 1966 - drafted #11 - Stan Hindman - San Francisco 49ers
• 1966 - drafted #? - Mike Dennis - Buffalo Bills (AFL)
• 1971 - drafted #2 - Archie Manning - New Orleans Saints
• 1985 - drafted #18 - Freddie Joe Nunn - St. Louis Cardinals
• 1990 - drafted #18 - Tony Bennett - Green Bay Packers
• 1991 - drafted #20 - Kelvin Pritchett - Dallas Cowboys
• 1994 - drafted #20 - Tim Bowens - Miami Dolphins
• 1998 - drafted #29 - John Avery - Miami Dolphins
• 2001 - drafted #23 - Deuce McAllister - New Orleans Saints
• 2004 - drafted #1 - Eli Manning - San Diego Chargers*
• 2005 - drafted #26 - Chris Spencer - Seattle Seahawks
• 2007 - drafted #11 - Patrick Willis - San Francisco 49ers

*see Manning-Rivers trade

Songs and cheers

Songs

The school's fight song is Forward Rebels.

Main article: Forward Rebels

The song, Dixie is an unofficial fight song still popular with a large number of fans and alumni, and although not played as often as in the past, it is still performed by the Ole Miss "Pride of the South" Marching Band during the pre-game celebations in the Grove and at least once during home games.

A modification of Dixie called Dixie Fanfare is also played by the Ole Miss "Pride of the South" Marching Band.

A modification of the Elvis Presley song An American Trilogy, now known as From Dixie with Love, is also played during football games, both home and away. Students and fans often refer to it as Slow Dixie. The song was officially dedicated to Ole Miss fans when it was played before the Ole Miss versus LSU football game in 2003, which is to date the largest crowd at a football game ever in the State of Mississippi.

Cheers

The school cheer is entitled Hotty Toddy:

Are you ready?
Hell yes! Damn Right!
Hotty Toddy, Gosh almighty
Who the hell are we, Hey!
Flim Flam, Bim Bam
OLE MISS BY DAMN!

Confederate symbols

Old "Colonel Reb" logo

Since 1983, the administration has distanced itself from Confederate symbols, including barring faculty from displaying any Confederate imagery in their offices. In 1997, the university student senate passed a resolution requesting fans not to display the Confederate battle flag at university athletic events. Using this action as encouragement, the university then banned sticks under the guise of fan safety, to discourage fans from displaying the Confederate flag at football games and other athletic events. This controversy began when head coach Tommy Tuberville complained that the battle flag had hampered his attempts to recruit a few top-notch black athletes.

A couple of coaches prior to Tuberville expressed concerns about the difficulty of recruiting top-notch black athletes.

In 1972, Ole Miss' first black football player, Ben Williams, was signed and began playing. The defensive tackle, recruited out of a small school in the Delta region of Mississippi, eventually claimed All-SEC honors and had a long and successful NFL career following his stint at Ole Miss.

In 2003, the school's mascot, Colonel Reb, was discontinued from official participation in athletic events by the school because it portrayed a pre-Civil War plantation owner. The school solicited ideas to replace Colonel Reb, but after an exceedingly lackluster response, decided to go without a mascot, and remains the only SEC school without at least one mascot. The Colonel Reb mascot still makes appearances in The Grove, Ole Miss' tailgating area, before home games. The Colonel Reb logo is still licensed by Ole Miss for use on merchandise and can still be found adorning hats, shirts, jackets and numerous other items for sale at various retail outlets.

Controversy

• In December 2003, Ole Miss self-reported what the SEC office determined to be a secondary violation involving the recruitment of ex-Oak Grove star linebacker Garry Pack. Ole Miss declared Pack ineligible to play for the Rebels after determining assistant coach Ron Middleton made impermissible contact when he spoke to Pack as the player walked off the field after the 5A state championship game. Pack's eligibility was restored by the NCAA soon after Ole Miss submitted its self-report, and Pack signed with UM in February 2004.

• Former Ole Miss Football standout, and current member of the New Orleans Saints, Deuce McAllister allegedly violated NCAA recruiting rules when he attended the December 2005 Mississippi Class 5A playoff game between Oak Grove and Meridian High Schools as a guest of Meridian assistant principal Sherrod Miller. NCAA rules strictly prohibit former players and boosters from participating in the recruitment of prospects.[10] McAllister explained his side of the story to the SEC in a letter. No disciplinary action was taken by the NCAA as it accepted that Ole Miss disciplined itself, declaring all of Meridian's players ineligible to compete at Ole Miss, including Rebel signees Cordera Eason and Derrick Davis. Ole Miss also reduced its number of off-campus, in-person contacts with Meridian High prospects by two. The SEC approved Ole Miss' self-imposed penalties and the players' eligibility was restored by the NCAA on Jan. 31, 2007.

• Following Hurricane Katrina, Ole Miss Head Coach Ed Orgeron was accused by Tulane University of tampering with its football program when he contacted Green Wave Assistant Coach Greg Davis Jr. about the possibility of luring some of Tulanes football players to Ole Miss after the natural disaster. The SEC exonerated Coach Orgeron and Ole Miss saying that no NCAA rules were violated.

• In 2006, Jerrell Powe was deemed by the NCAA Student Records Review Group as academically ineligible because he has not successfully completed the initial eligibility requirements to compete in intercollegiate athletics saying in its report that "there was insufficient information provided to the NCAA to determine that Mr. Powe completed the work on his own without significant assistance. The NCAA SRRG also expressed concern that Mr. Powe completed a vast amount of coursework in a limited amount of time that was much shorter than the average time it takes students to complete BYU independent study courses."

• In August 2007, the NCAA ruled that highly-touted Ole Miss defensive tackle recruit Jerrell Powe will not be academically eligible for the 2007 season. This is the third time that the recruit has not been allowed to play on the team. He was allowed to participate in 2007 pre-season practices.[1] In 2005 the NCAA ruled that Mr. Powe did not complete the required core courses needed to graduate from high school.

• In July 2008, the SEC informed Ole Miss that Jerrell Powe is eligible to participate for the 2008 football season.

Retired numbers

File:Chucky Mullins.jpg

Chucky Mullins

The numbers 18 for Archie Manning and 38 for Chucky Mullins are the only two retired numbers in Ole Miss football history.

Trivia and pop culture

File:Olemissspeedlimit.jpg

Speed limit sign on the Ole Miss campus.

• The most points ever scored in a game by the Ole Miss Rebels was 114 when Ole Miss defeated Union College 114-0 on October 29, 1904.
• Ole Miss' only undefeated season was in 1962 when the Rebels went 10-0 under head coach John Vaught.
• The speed limit on the Ole Miss campus is 18 miles per hour in honor of Archie Manning, who wore the same number during his playing days at Ole Miss.
• Rapper Snoop Dogg donned an Ole Miss jersey and made a video that was played on the stadium's JumboTron to kick off the 2003 game against Arkansas.
• A motorcycle by Orange County Choppers was commissioned by Ole Miss for the football program.

See also

• Ole Miss Rebels
• University of Mississippi
• Vaught-Hemingway Stadium
• Egg Bowl
• Manning-Rivers trade
• Eli Manning
• Archie Manning
• 2008 Ole Miss Rebels football team

External links

• Official Website of Ole Miss football

References