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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Player Spotlight: Jamil Northcutt
9/18/2001 | Football
Sept. 18, 2001
On the football field, Ole Miss sophomore Jamil Northcutt is not very sympathetic to opposing offenses. But, away from the field, Northcutt has a soft spot for helping those in need. The 6-foot-2, 225-pound linebacker from Tullahoma, Tenn., attended the NCAA National Leadership Conference in Orlando, Fla., last spring, and came away with even more enthusiasm about his community service project to help others.
"It was one of the best times I've ever had in my life," said Northcutt, an Exercise Science major. "I met a lot of people who had a vision and a goal to make the world a better place."
In order to be selected for the conference, student-athletes first must design a service project to benefit the community. Northcutt came up with a plan that would help those whose lives were devastated by tornadoes. With the knowledge gained from the conference, he is implementing his idea and is also currently helping victims in north Mississippi, including those who were hit hard by tornadoes last February in the Pontotoc community.
"A lot of families were left with nothing," said Northcutt, who was named to the Southeastern Conference Academic Honor Roll in 2000. "I thought I could probably do a project like this to help raise money for those families."
So far, Northcutt has been instrumental in starting fundraisers, such as a canned food drive for the Oxford-Lafayette pantry, and raising money for tornado victims. He is also encouraging all Rebel fans to donate any spare change to the Pontotoc Tornado Relief Fund.
"In order for this project to be a success, we need as many people as possible to donate their time and money," Northcutt said. "Giving just a little bit will make another person's life better."
