Shep Featured In Tribune

Ole Miss' own Shepard Smith is the subject of a column in today's Chicago Tribune and praised for his 'balance' as an anchor for Fox News. See link below. Shep is also the latest member of the Vaught Society. Visit umaafoundation.com to watch highlights of his speech and read more about the new initiative.

Chicago Tribune: Shepard Smith keeps his balance as anchor at Fox News

Flashback to 1998

The Ole Miss-Arkansas series has taken an odd turn this year with a rare basketball rainout, as Saturday's game has been moved to Sunday at 6 p.m. due to weather.

The series has been an exciting one through the years and took on new meaning during the 90s, first with the Razorbacks entry into the Southeastern Conference in 1992, and then later in the decade as the Rebels experienced an influx of players from the Natural State. In 1998, Ole Miss and Arkansas ranked among the nation's best, and a late-season battle in Oxford helped determine the SEC Western Division crown, which the Rebels later earned outright for the second straight year.

FRIDAY FLASHBACK: Ole Miss - Arkansas 1998

Q&A With Dex

As the Dexter McCluster pre-Senior Bowl lovefest continues, a brief Q&A with the Rebel stud ran today on the Sporting News website. Here is also an AP photo of our guy donning the navy helmet one more time.

SportingNews.com: Dexter McCluster: 'If it were up to me, I'd be used everywhere'

Believe The Hype

If you've followed any of this week's Senior Bowl coverage, then you know that Dexter McCluster has managed to surpass Superman Tim Tebow as the biggest story of the week. He's the first name to come out of Mel Kiper's mouth and at the top of every blogger's list of players rising up the draft board. Could Dex be the Rebels' 20th first-round draft pick?

Philadelphia Daily News: Size won't matter in NFL for speedy prospect McCluster

Jerry Making Waves In Mobile

The Ole Miss trio in Mobile has generated quite a stir with the swarm of media covering the Senior Bowl. Below is a great read on John Jerry, who was labeled by at least one blogger as one of two players that stood out from Tuesday's practice. The other? Dexter McCluster, who has been compared to Darren Sproules (see yesterday's post), DeSean Jackson, Leon Washington, Percy Harvin and Chris Johnson. All pretty good players.

CBSSports.com: Ole Miss' Jerry moving out in front of Senior Bowl linemen

Dexter = Darren Sproles

Dexter McCluster, who is practicing this week at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., is dazzling scouts with his quickness and explosiveness. Dexter has been compared to a couple of NFL players, but NFL Network's Mike Mayock believes Dex could have a similar impact to that of San Diego Charger spark plug Darren Sproles.

NFL Network Senior Bowl Preview

Nice Story From Natchez

At Ole Miss, there's a lot to love, and for many around the state, the passion for the Rebels has been a family tradition (as Bocephus would say). One such family is the Geters of Natchez, and the Democrat ran a nice story on them in yesterday's paper.

Natchez Democrat: Family bonds over Ole Miss

Rebs In Super Bowls

The matchup is set in Miami, and for the second year in a row, we will not have a Rebel competing in the game. We do, however, have two former players currently in the Saints organization with Jermey Parnell on the practice squad and Kendrick Clandy on injured reserve, and of course, there is a long tradition of Rebels wearing the Black & Gold. A total of 20 Ole Miss alumns have made the New Orleans roster through the years, most notably Archie and Deuce.

If the Vikings final drive in regulation had gone a little differently, we could have had two players in the Big Game, as Jamarca Sanford and Jayme Mitchell are in the Minnesota defense. Here is a full list of former Ole Miss guys in the Super Bowl.

I Allen Brown, TE, Green Bay
II Allen Brown, TE, Green Bay
III Larry Grantham, LB, N.Y. Jets
VII Jim Dunaway, DT, Miami
XII Norris Weese, QB, Denver
XVI Paul Hofer, RB, San Francisco; Jim Miller, P, San Francisco
XXII Barry Wilburn, DB, Washington; Andre Townsend, DT, Denver
XXIV Wesley Walls, TE, San Francisco; Andre Townsend, DT, Denver
XXX Alundis Brice, DB, Dallas
XXXII Willie Green, WR, Denver
XXXIII Willie Green, WR, Denver; Nate Wayne, LB, Denver
XXXVIII Kris Mangum, TE, Carolina; Tutan Reyes, OG, Carolina
XXXVIII Derrick Burgess, DL, Philadelphia; Nate Wayne, LB, Philadelphia
XL Chris Spencer, C, Seattle
XLI Terrence Metcalf, OL, Chicago
XLII Eli Manning, QB, New York Giants

McBride Now A Cardinal

In case you missed it a couple days ago on azcardinals.com, which I know every Ole Miss fan visits daily (that was sarcasm), former Rebel CB Trumaine McBride has inked with Arizona and will officially join Larry Fitzgerald and company once the 2009-10 season comes to a close. A 2007 seventh-round pick of Chicago, McBride started nine games for the Bears in 07, saw time at nickel back in 08 and earned the starting spot back in the 09 preseason but was injured in the opener. He spent the year on injured reserve and was waived.

Rebel Ties In East-West Shrine Game

Our departing Rebels begin their postseason All-Star games today, as Greg Hardy and Joshua Shene compete in the East-West Shrine Game on ESPN2. The game, which is being played at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, also features another player that might be familiar to hard core Ole Miss fans. A late addition to the East roster was UT-Martin wide receiver Mike Hicks, who played for the Red and Blue in 2006-07 and hauled in a spectacular TD pass from Seth Adams in the 2007 Alabama game.

According to UTMsports.com, Hicks set a new UT Martin single season record for the most touchdown receptions (12) in 2008, and he is second with 894 receiving yards in one season. Hicks played in 22 career games for the Skyhawks and scored 16 touchdowns.

Another Ole Miss tie in today's Shrine Game that a lot of people may not know, East head coach and former Cleveland Browns top man Romeo Crennel was the Rebels' defensive line coach 1978-89 under Steve Sloan. Crennel went on to a successful assistant coaching stint with the New England Patriots and eventually starred in a couple of my all-time favorite beer commercials.

"Generally, there's hoopla involved."

22 And Other Interesting Numbers

If you haven't had a chance to digest Dexter McCluster's stats this year, think about this:
- He ran for for the second-most yards in school history (1,169) and basically did it in seven games (and that's including South Carolina when he rushed 15 times for 85 yards). Translate that average over the course of all 13 games, and he would finish with a ridiculous 2,171 yards, which would easily shatter Herschel Walker's SEC record of 1,891 yards in 1981.
- Of the top 16 rushing seasons in school history (809 or more yards), his 6.5-yard average per run is the highest and is only the second of better than six yards. The other is all-time leader Kayo Dottley's 6.3 clip in 1949.
- He only rushed 181 times this year, the least of any Rebel in the school's top seven rushing seasons.
- He had six plays of 50 or more yards, including three runs of 70-plus, which is a single-season Ole Miss record.
- It will take more time to research than I have to offer, but he might be the first Rebel to run, catch and pass for touchdowns in the same season.

Check out Dex's full bio on OleMissSports.com for the rest of the particulars on our all-time favorite 170-pound Rebel.

Come Watch Bianca Thomas Tonight

In case you haven't heard, Bianca Thomas is a certified star ... seriously. The women's basketball world has basically ignored our senior Rebel for most of her career, but it was hard for everyone to miss the 42 points she hung on No. 12 LSU Sunday ... the most ever scored by a woman in the Tad Pad. The Rebels have rolled to a 3-1 start in SEC play and host rival Mississippi State tonight at 7 pm. BE THERE! Bianca and this team deserve your support. All Ole Miss students, faculty and staff get in FREE, and the first 1,000 fans receive free t-shirts courtesy of Oxford T-shirt company and Snackbar.

For more on Bianca, check out David Brandt's story in the Clarion Ledger.
Clarion Ledger: No doubting Rebels' ignitable Thomas

Rebel Duo In Football All-Star Challenge

Jevan Snead and Joshua Shene have been invited to compete in the 12th annual College Football All-Star Challenge on ESPN, Feb. 1 on the FIU campus in Miami. Through the years, the competition has featured some of the future stars of the NFL. Stay tuned for air time and a full list of participants.

Thanks For The Memories Deuce

NEW ORLEANS (AP) -Deuce McAllister says he's retiring from pro football.

McAllister hasn't played since 2008 but briefly rejoined the New Orleans Saints last week to serve as an honorary captain for the club's playoff win over Arizona on Saturday.

The 31-year-old McAllister was drafted in the first round by New Orleans in 2001 out of Ole Miss. He is the Saints' all-time leading rusher with 6,096 yards. His 55 total touchdowns and 49 rushing TDs also are club records. However, he needed reconstructive surgery to repair serious knee injuries in 2005 and 2007.

Rebel Joins In MLK Day Of Service

Rebel senior football player Mark Jean-Louis joined 26 other Ole Miss students in community service efforts in Chicago during this Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday weekend, helping spruce up a South Side elementary school. Read about it at USAToday.com.

Bullock Honored For Blind Side

If you haven't seen Blind Side, you probably dropped the ball on catching it in the theatre, but I highly recommend plugging it into your Blockbuster/Netflix queue and slidding it up to the top before it hits DVD this spring. Tonight on the Golden Globe awards, Sandra Bullock received the always illustrious Best Actress award for her performance as Leigh Anne Tuohy. In her acceptance speech, Bullock quoted our Rebel Michael Oher and sent out thanks to the Tuohy family. I'm sure you've seen it a million times, but nonetheless, here is one of the trailers from the film.

Rebels Rule Rankings

The nation's eyes are on Ole Miss sports.

For the first time in school history, the Rebel football, men’s basketball and baseball teams are all ranked in their respective national polls at the same time.

The football team finished at No. 20 in the final AP poll and No. 21 in the coaches poll. The hoops team is currently ranked 21st by the AP and 23rd by the coaches. The Diamond Rebs are No. 22 in Collegiate Baseball’s preseason poll.

Ole Miss is one of only five schools currently ranked in the top 25 in all three sports. The others are Clemson, Georgia Tech, Miami and Texas.

In addition, Ole Miss has two more teams in the national polls with the men's tennis team at No. 10 and the women at No. 21 in the 2010 ITA preseason rankings.

Deuce Is Back!!

According to 870 WWL Radio (which on a good night can be heard as far away as Greenland) former Ole Miss running back Deuce McAllister as been resigned by the New Orleans Saints and will be on the Saints' roster for this weekend's NFL Divisional Playoff game against Arizona.

I say give it to him on the goal line and let him go over the top.

Rebel Signee Selected To World Golf Team

Zach Primavera, who signed with the Ole Miss men's golf team this past November, was selected to travel to Malaga, Spain to compete in the World University Golf Championships June 7-11, 2010 at the Antequera Golf Club.

A Junior College All-American, Primavera earned All-Tournament Medalist honors three times, including the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) D1 District and Region Championships as a freshman at Central Alabama Community College. He also finished runner-up in the 2009 NJCAA National Championship.

The World University Golf Championships, sponsored by the International University Sports Federation, are held every two years. The 2008 event was held in South Africa. Team USA won the women's gold medal in a 13-country field while the Team USA men took fifth out of 14 countries. Japan won the gold, Spain took silver and Great Britain finished with the bronze.

More information on the World University Championships is available at www.wucgolf2010.com.

Patrick Willis Makes AP All-Pro Team

Former Ole Miss linebacker and Butkus Award winner Patrick Willis was named to the Associated Press All-Pro First Team as announced Thursday. This is the second time for the San Francisco 49er to be named to the All-Pro team in his three pro seasons.

A three-time Pro Bowl linebacker, Willis was selected by a national media panel alongside Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis as the NFL’s top middle linebackers from this past season.

Willis received 49 of 50 first-place votes, the most of any NFL player behind NFL AP Offensive Player of the Year, Chris Johnson of the Tennessee Titans.

On Wednesday, Willis was named to the Sporting News All-Pro Defense.

EP Makes Top 10 Plays

In case you missed last night's Rebel hoops win at Georgia, Eniel Polynice secured the victory with a slick inbounds play in the final ticks, which was No. 9 on SportsCenter's top plays of the day. Here are the complete highlights from the game.

ESPN: Ole Miss Sneaks By Georgia, 80-76

SEC Network Affiliates

With some affiliates carrying football and not basketball and others airing Saturday basketball but not Wednesday, finding the SEC Network on your tube can be a little daunting. If you're ever tired of looking, go to that sport's team schedule page on OleMissSports.com, and the TV network carrying the game will be linked to an information page. If you ever visit the page and it's not linked, check back closer to game time.

Below is the link for tonight's men's hoops game at Georgia. If you're in Oxford, it's going to be on the university channel (99 on Metrocast).

SEC Network Clearances

Six Rebs Headed To NFL Combine

A total of six Ole Miss seniors have been invited invited to participate in the 2010 NFL Scouting Combine, Feb. 24-March 2 at Indianapolis (underclassmen and some seniors will be added later). Those include Marshay Green, Greg Hardy, Shay Hodge, John Jerry, Kendrick Lewis and Dexter McCluster. The Rebels are one of only five schools with six or more invitees, joining Alabama, LSU, Texas and USC. Not bad company. The full list is at SportingNews.com.

Rebs On All-Bowl Team

ESPN.com blogger Chris Low recently posted his SEC all-bowl team and listed four Rebels on the chart, including RB McCluster, OL Jerry, LB Trahan and DB Lewis. Low also tabbed Dex's 86-yard run in the Cotton Bowl as the best run of the SEC bowl season.

Vote For Oher For Rookie Of Year

It's been quite a year for our former Rebels making their debut season in the pros. Chris Coghlan was the NL Rookie of the Year, and Michael Oher and Mike Wallace have enjoyed a ton of success in the NFL. Oher is among NFL.com's finalists for Rookie of the Year, and you can cast your vote by clicking here.

Here is what the league's official site had to say about Big Mike:
Oher played every snap (1,014 offensive plays) this season, starting 11 games at right tackle and five at left tackle. His blocking helped the Ravens earn a franchise-record 22 rushing touchdowns (tied for most in the NFL) and Baltimore's ground attack produced the fifth-most rushing yards in the league (137.5). The Ravens tied the franchise single-season record for points (391 in 1996) and set a record for touchdowns scored (47). Baltimore was one of two teams to boast a 3,500-passer, a 1,300-yard rusher, and a 1,000-yard receiver and was one of three teams to register more than 20 passing and 20 rushing touchdowns on the year. Oher, who attended University of Mississippi, was nominated for two Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week awards.

T-Ward Gets Twitter Award

I'm not sure what people did before Twitter. It's kind of like the invention of the refrigerator, the light bulb, running water, the wheel.

OK, not really. But Twitter has become almost an overnight sensation, and Ole Miss hoops assistant coach Torrey Ward is one of its shining stars. T-Ward has been tabbed to the SEC's All-Twitter Team by basketball blog Digital Hoops Blast, joining the likes of UK's John Calipari and UF's Billy Donovan. The award cites Ward's enthusiasm and interaction as key elements of his tweets' appeal.

Click here for Digital Hoops Blast's SEC All-Twitter Team.

Click here to follow @CoachTWard on Twitter.

Click here to follow other Ole Miss coaches on Twitter.

Soccer Has One of Nation's Best Turnarounds

The Rebels finished 13-6-2 and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the fourth time in program history with a banner 2009 season. And it was recently revealed by SomisSports.com that Ole Miss was the 10th-most improved team in the country from 2008 to 2009, using a formula based on net goals. For the complete list of the nation's most improved women's soccer teams, click here.

Stanley Honored In Hometown

Rebel QB Nathan Stanley was recently honored by his hometown newspaper, the Muskogee Pheonix, as a member of their region football team of the decade. The sports editor for the Pheonix was kind of enough to share this info with us in the press box at the Cotton Bowl. A rising sophomore at Ole Miss, Stanley threw for 2,153 yards and 32 TDs his senior season at Sequoyah High School.

Highly Rated Hoops

In addition to receiving their highest national ranking since finishing No. 9 in 2001, the Ole Miss hoopsters (#14 AP, #16 Coaches) got some love in today's "Bracketology" by ESPN's Joe Lunardi. ESPN's resident NCAA Bracket-projecting expert pegged Ole Miss (11-2) as a No. 4 seed in the Midwest Region.

The Rebels face UCF on Tuesday night in the final tuneup for conference play, which tips off on Saturday with a big-time SEC West showdown between the Rebels and Mississippi State Bulldogs. Tipoff is 12:30 p.m. at the Tad Pad. The game will be televised by the SEC Network.

This week's Bracketology

Pre-Bowl Hype

There's been a whole heap of media coverage during our stay here in the Big D. Below are a few good stories floating around the world-wide web today. The first article is courtesy of Associated Press writer and former Ole Miss assistant sports information director Stephen Hawkins.

AP: Similar Cotton Paths for Ole Miss, Oklahoma State

Commercial Appeal: Ole Miss' Cassius Vaughn grows into CB role

Oklahoman: Tyrone Nix shapes up Ole Miss defense

Dallas Morning News: Friday Ole Miss Briefs

Dallas Morning News: Ole Miss RB McCluster emerges after obscurity