.png&width=32&height=32&type=webp)
The University of Mississippi Athletics
Dedicated To Success
10/19/2004 | Football
Oct. 19, 2004
The old adage "practice makes perfect" is a phrase often quoted by skill players in the wide world of sports. Development only comes through repetition. The routine becomes second nature. Dedication is a foregone conclusion. These same ideas hold true in the world of academia. Students with a passion for classroom success stick to their incessant study schedules in an effort to make the grade. Development is enhanced through constant learning. Class schedules are a way of life. Once again, dedication is a foregone conclusion.
For fifth-year punter and senior finance major Cody Ridgeway, such dedication is nothing new. In fact, Ridgeway exudes the very essence of dedication. Playing football, golf, tennis, and baseball in high school, Ridgeway somehow never let athleticism get in the way of his academic pursuits. While on his way to finishing in the top 10% of his 380-student graduating class, Ridgeway lettered four times in football, three times in golf, twice in tennis, and once in baseball at Central-Merry High School in Jackson, Tenn. Moreover, Ridgeway was tapped into the National Honor Society for his academic achievements and was named the Junior PGA Tour Player of the Year in 1998 for his golf prowess.
At Ole Miss, Ridgeway is a three-time letterman as a dynamic punter for the Rebels and a two-time selection to the SEC Academic Honor Roll. He has made the Chancellor's Honor Roll seven out of eight semesters and was named to the 2002 Verizon District VI All-Academic First Team. For his kicking talents, Ridgeway earned 2004 honorable mention preseason All-America accolades from Street and Smith's and Walter Camp. He was also tabbed as a preseason All-SEC selection by Athlon and Phil Steele's College Football Preview.
Ridgeway credits his success to a diligent work ethic. "I've just worked really hard," says a motivated Ridgeway. "It's what I do. In the classroom, I enjoy crunching numbers. That's why finance is intriguing to me. On the field, I want our punting team to be as flawless as possible. We want to provide a tactical advantage for our team. We practice hard and I think that's what makes us so good."
Good might be an understatement. For four years, Ridgeway has consistently aided the Rebel defense by pinning the opposition deep in its own territory with booming kicks and, at times, placing perfect punts inside the 20-yard line. For his career, Ridgeway has launched more than 35 punts over 50 yards and has placed 45 punts inside the 20 yard line. Ridgeway averages 42 yards per kick, and his longest career punt is 75 yards. This season, Ridgeway is averaging 42.4 yards per punt with a long of 59 yards, while he has landed seven kicks inside the 20-yard line.
Ridgeway credits his punting finesse to how he approaches kicking practice. "You've just got to get in your head that every kick, whether it be in practice or a scrimmage, is a game situation. You can't let one go as just practice and just go through the motions. You've got to get out there and take every snap just like it's a game situation. That's as close as you get to the real thing."
The Ole Miss coaches knew Ridgeway was the real thing when they recruited him out of high school. They perceived Ridgeway as consistently powerful and accurate while averaging 41.4 yards per punt in prep ball. Never having had a punt blocked was attractive, too.
But, perhaps even more important to coaches, was Ridgeway's dedication to success. His superior academic credentials and the fact that he played other positions, including quarterback, helped solidify the Rebels' decision in offering him a scholarship.
Ridgeway's enthusiasm makes him a fine candidate for the professional level. Ridgeway claims his dream job would be to kick in the NFL, but he is hesitant to get too far ahead of himself. Ridgeway believes in focusing on the moment.
"Right now, I'm focused on helping Ole Miss," says a determined Ridgeway. "I'm dedicated to what we're trying to accomplish."
It's an attitude that's a foregone conclusion.
