Life In The NFL: History-Making Spurlock

We continue to take a look at our former Rebel stars that will be on hand for "Life in the NFL," an awards ceremony and panel discussion on the NFL on Grove Bowl Saturday at 11 a.m. on the Grove Stage. Next up is Micheal Spurlock.

After posting 4,509 total yards and 45 TDs as a senior quarterback at Gentry High School in Indianola, expectations were high for Spurlock when he arrived in Oxford in 2001. When he got his opportunity, he had elephant-size shoes to fill, having to follow the great Eli Manning as the Rebels' signal caller. Micheal started twice in 2004 and eight games as a senior in 2005, when he passed for 1,709 yards seven touchdowns.

By season's end, it was clear that any future he had in football would be at a new position, and later that spring, Arizona inked him to a free-agent deal as a running back/wide receiver. Spurlock's only action of his rookie campaign came in the regular-season finale, when he collected four catches for 31 yards.

A year later he arrived in Tampa and secured his status as a cult hero in the Bay area. It was week 15 of 2007 against division rival Atlanta. With 6:19 remaining in the first quarter, Spurlook took a kickoff 90 yards to the house, breaking a stretch of 1,865 kickoff returns without a touchdown, spanning the Buccaneers' entire 31-year history in the NFL. After spending part of 2009 in San Francisco, Micheal returned to Tampa Bay, and in 2010, he began his emergence as more than just a return specialist. As a wide receiver, Spurlock notched 17 catches for 250 yards and 2 TDs, including the game-winner in the fourth quarter against Cleveland. However, for Bucs fans, he'll always be remembered for "Run, Micheal, Run!"

Life In The NFL: Reyes Helps With College

It will be a star-studded Grove Bowl Week, as a big group of former Rebel stars will return to campus for an awards ceremony and panel discussion on the National Football League. "Life in the NFL" is set for 11 a.m. on the Grove Stage on Grove Bowl Saturday, April 16. Between now and then, we plan to feature each of the honorees here on the blog, beginning today with Tutan Reyes.

Perhaps the greatest first name in Rebel history, Tutankhamen "Tutan" Reyes arrived in Oxford via Queens, N.Y., and was a four-year letterwinner from 1996-99. Wearing No. 76, Tutan started all 12 games on the offensive line as a senior, when he helped the Rebels to an 8-4 finish and a last-second win over Oklahoma in the Independence Bowl. He earned All-SEC second team honors from the league coaches and signed a free-agent deal with New Orleans. That kicked off an NFL career that has included seven teams, 37 starts and 53 games played. His best seasons to date include a 2005 campaign in Carolina when he started all 16 games and a 2004 season that saw him in the starting lineup for 12 Panther contests.

Reyes has had his fair share of success on the field but nothing compared to his amazing generosity off the field. In 2007, Tutan founded Beyond the Boroughs, a National Scholarship Fund for deserving young men and women that have been accepted into college but have unmet financial need. Check out an NBC News piece on an example of the amazing work done by Reyes' charity.

Powe, Laurent Impress At Pro Day

Of the 15 Rebel seniors that put their skills on display for NFL scouts at Tuesday's Ole Miss Pro Day, DTs Jerrell Powe and Ted Laurent were singled out by scouting guru Gil Brandt. According to his NFL.com blog, Powe ran 5.29 and 5.36 seconds in the 40-yard dash, had a 24 ½-inch vertical jump, a 7-foot, 10-inch broad jump and ran a 4.96 short shuttle, while Laurent ran 5.00 and 5.08 40s, had a 28-inch vertical, a 9-foot long jump, a 4.76 short shuttle, an 8.13 3-cone drill and did 29 bench-press repetitions at 225 pounds.

Check out coverage of Pro Day 2011 from the official site and the Associated Press, while the Clarion-Ledger's Kyle Veazey did feature pieces on Powe and Jeremiah Masoli.

Dori Carter Set To Debut On LPGA Tour

Former Ole Miss All-American Dori Carter is set to make her debut on the LPGA Tour Friday at the RR Donnelly Founders Cup in Phoenix, Ariz. Carter is one of 28 rookies on tour this year. She qualified in her first attempt at Q-school in the fall. Follow her at www.LPGA.com.

Robertson Featured On ESPNU

Earlier this week, Ricky Robertson was among five Track & Field Rebels to earn All-American honors. The accolades have become commonplace for Robertson, who is a certified high jump stud. In just two years of collegiate competition, the sophomore from Hernando is a three-time SEC Champion and a two-time NCAA runner-up. Roberton was the subject of a recent feature on ESPNU's SEC Weekly.

Behind The Scenes - Rebel Hoops

Fans can attend games or watch them on television, and for the last four years they have been treated to one of the best players in Ole Miss history - Rebel point guard Chris Warren.

Well, what most fans never get to see is what goes into preparing for basketball games on a daily basis - from media sessions to practices to team meals.

So check out this story on OleMissSports.com for an inside glimpse into the basketall life of one of the best to ever wear the Red and Blue ... Gameday Prep: Behind the Scenes with Chris Warren.

Powe Making Noise At Combine

Jerrell Powe spent the weekend taking in the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, and today he put his skills to the test in the workout portion of the event. Early reports are positive, including one that had the former Rebel running a 5.2 in the 40-yard dash. Powe's trip included meetings with the Chiefs, Broncos and Ravens, and he has plans to speak with the Raiders and Dolphins. Pro Football Weekly had a good article this weekend on the two-time All-SEC nose tackle.

Presley Focused On Finding Role With MLB's Pirates

Former Rebel outfielder Alex Presley was called up by the Pittsburgh Pirates last year to make the sixth Rebel to jump into the Majors in the last five years. The outfielder recently sat down with the Pittsburgh Post Gazette to talk about his future with the Pirates and his outlook on how to make himself a valuable part of the Pittsburgh club.

Presley Looking Toward Future With Pirates

Coliseum Rain: Cause and Future Prevention

The following is the University Physical Plant’s evaluation of the cause and future prevention concerning rainwater entering Tad Smith Coliseum during Thursday night’s women’s basketball game. It should be noted that there was a complete roof replacement that was finished in November 2009.

What occurred?
Rainwater entered from the dampers located in the cupola area of the Coliseum. In the best interests of the student athletes’ safety, the entering rainwater caused suspension and subsequent cancellation of a women's basketball game. The water entering the building was described as a light sprinkle and at no time were there gushes or streams.

What meteorological conditions were present during the event?
Straight-line winds gusting to 45 mph and driving rain were present and directly contributed to the in-leakage of water onto the arena playing surface.

How many dampers are there on top of the coliseum?
There are 24 pneumatic dampers on the circumference of the cupola on the roof of the Coliseum. The University Physical Plant and Athletics departments had anticipated this type of unacceptable failure and had taken steps to mitigate its undesirable effects. Notably, before the men's Kentucky game a few weeks ago, the dampers were actually screwed shut.

What purpose do the dampers play?
The dampers are in place to allow for ventilation of the Coliseum. These dampers work in conjunction with the outdoor air intake system of the air handlers at the Coliseum. Normally, when the air handlers are running they pull in outside air. The dampers in the cupola act as relief dampers to prevent over pressurizing the Coliseum. The Coliseum is presently under a slight negative pressure, meaning the air is flowing into the building from the outside.

Why did the dampers allow water to pass through?
The dampers are the original components of the air ventilation system of the Coliseum. These dampers were never intended to be airtight and are not a deterrent to blowing rain. Rain carried by wind of sufficient velocity will push through the damper assemblies. Thursday evening's heavy rain and high winds allowed water to follow the path of least resistance.

How is the University going to prevent this from occurring again?
With the help of an engineer and possibly an architect, the Physical Plant will begin working through Facilities Planning to develop a proposed long-term solution to this issue.

Taking Notice Of The Nation's Best Free Throw Shooter

In the midst of his spectacular senior season, Chris Warren is leading the nation in free throw percentage (a sparkling 94.6 percent as of today).

And people are taking notice.

Warren's free-throw shooting prowess has been featured during games on ESPN and on local radio shows and in local newspapers.

Today, the Birmingham News took notice and profiled Warren, who is on pace to shatter the SEC record for free throw percentage and place his name among the very best in several other categories.

Click the link below to read Doug Segrest's story at AL.com.

Ole Miss' Chris Warren Mr. Automatic at the free throw line