Charlie Conerly Memorial Athletic Scholarship

One of the greatest football players ever to wear an Ole Miss uniform and a beloved alumnus is being remembered for generations to come through a scholarship endowment set up for deserving student-athletes.

The scholarship fund memorializes Charlie Conerly of Clarksdale, Miss., who passed away Feb. 13, 1996, after a lengthy illness.

Affectionately known as "Chunkin' Charlie," the former quarterback thrilled Ole Miss fans as he led the Rebels to their first Southeastern Conference Championship in 1947 and a victory in the Delta Bowl. Conerly earned three letters at Ole Miss, playing in 1942, 1946 and 1947, earning All-America honors his senior season and All-SEC accolades twice. He interrupted his undergraduate career to serve with the U.S. Marines in World War II.

After graduation, Conerly joined the NFL's New York Giants, leading them to the NFL Championship. He was named 1948 NFL Rookie of the Year and the League's Most Valuable Player in 1959. After retiring in 1961, he returned to Mississippi to start a chain of shoe stores.

His wife, Perian, authored Backseat Quarterback (Doubleday 1963), detailing the couple's experiences during his professional football years. When the Conerlys moved back to the state, they traveled to Oxford on football weekends.

Conerly's honors include induction into the National College Football Hall of Fame, the Ole Miss Alumni Hall of Fame, the Ole Miss Athletic Hall of Fame and the National Football Foundation's Distinguished American Award. He was selected as a back on the Ole Miss Football Team of the Century. As a college player, Conerly was also named the Atlanta Touchdown Club's Back of the Year and the Nashville Banner Player of the Year.

Conerly has a prestigious trophy named in his honor. The Charlie Conerly Trophy is awarded annually to Mississippi's most outstanding collegiate football player. Designed to be the Mississippi equivalent of the Heisman Trophy, the award is open to all Mississippi players, regardless of school size or position. The original bronze sculpture is permanently housed in the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum in Jackson.

Organizations and individuals can contribute to the Charlie Conerly Memorial Athletic Scholarship Endowment through the University of Mississippi Foundation, P.O. Box 249, University, MS 38677, or call 601-232-5944.

CONERLY TROPHY RECIPIENTS
(awarded to Mississippi's top collegiate football player)

Year	Player	School
1996	Tregnel Thomas	Delta State
*1997*	*Stewart Patridge*	*Ole Miss*
1998	James Johnson	Miss. State
*1999*	*Deuce McAllister*	*Ole Miss*
2000	Josh Bright	Delta State
*2001*	*Eli Manning*	*Ole Miss*

The University of Mississippi Athletics

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