.png&width=32&height=32&type=webp)
The University of Mississippi Athletics
5/25/2004 | Football
-
PRESS CONFERENCE TO ANNOUNCE $1 MILLION DONATION BY DEUCE McALLISTER
For UM's Indoor Practice Facility
OPENING REMARKS BY CHANCELLOR ROBERT C. KHAYAT
We are here today to make a very exciting announcement and to recognize Deuce McAllister, perhaps in a way he has not been recognized before. One of the interesting aspects of the way our society treats high-profile people is we tend to know only about the activities that make them high-profile celebrities. There's always so much more than just being a movie star, a singer or a coach. In the case of Deuce McAllister, there is much more than just the football player. He is one of those high-profile people who we have admired, cheered and pulled for every step of the way. Deuce was the type of player who gave us chill bumps when we had the opportunity to watch him play.
(Background/bio information on Deuce)
Deuce came to Ole Miss in 1997. When an extraordinary human being -- like Deuce McAllister -- shows up on your campus, things change. Upon his arrival in Oxford, Deuce made an immediate impact, both on the football field and on the campus. He was in the Public Administration program here. He majored in criminal justice and had a very strong grade point average. His fellow students were not only awed by his athletic achievements, but by his performance as a person. He has always had a very generous spirit. Deuce gave us his time, leadership skills, personality, energy and heart. One professor on campus once told me that he was, 'one of the best students that he ever taught and was truly the finest person he ever had in the classroom.'
Today we are talking about Deuce McAllister and the fact that he is sharing some of his material resources with us. Deuce is joining several former Ole Miss athletes who have made significant financial contributions to their alma mater, but this is a first in Ole Miss football history. Today, Deuce becomes a member of the 'million dollar club' as he has decided to make a contribution in the amount of one million dollars to the University of Mississippi.
HEAD FOOTBALL COACH David Cutcliffe
(To Deuce) Deuce, I always knew that you ran like a million dollars.
What can I say about Deuce McAllister that hasn't already been written or said? He is such a special individual and such a great person. We all know the amount of athletic ability that he possesses, but he was also one of the brightest football players that I have ever had the opportunity to coach. He helped bring this program to a new level because he was a great leader and played hard on every down.
(To Deuce) On behalf of the Ole Miss football family, I just want to let you know how special you are to us. We talk about this a lot - leave a place better than you found it. You not only left this place better than you found it, but we are all better people for having known you.
DEUCE MCALLISTER
This definitely has to rank extremely high on my list of priorities and accomplishments. I would like to thank everyone for coming out - Dr. Khayat, Coach Cutcliffe, Mr. Boone and everyone else. A lot of you see me as a football player, but I see myself as a regular person. I have been blessed to have an abundant amount of talent. My mom and father and everyone who helped raise me implanted in me to want to help others. I had so many people looking out for me and giving me the opportunity to play sports. A lot of times I may not have had the funds, or a ride, or a way to pay for practice. I wanted to be a part of things. I remember being in the fifth grade and being a manager for the basketball and football teams. I wasn't old enough to play, but I wanted to be around it. I have been around sports all of my life.
To tell you a little about Ole Miss and the special place it holds in my heart, my senior year, if someone would have told me I would end up at Ole Miss, I would have said they were crazy. Now, I tell anyone who asks me about the University, go up there with an open mind and an open heart. You have to go and judge it for yourself. The school isn't going to work for everyone. If you like it, then you like it. If you don't, then you don't and you have to move on. That's what I had to do. The more that I came up and looked at it, the more it stuck with me. I couldn't find any reason not to come up here. I had opportunities to go to some of the "bigger" schools like Notre Dame, Tennessee and Miami. I even had the opportunity to go to Mississippi State. I knew they weren't the right fit for me. I wanted to go somewhere I felt comfortable and would have the opportunity to get a great education, stay close to home and play. Growing up in Morton, I always heard you needed to go to a big school because you couldn't compete in the SEC. I was able to succeed and wanted to take the opportunity to say that this school meant a lot to me and continues to mean a lot to me. I'll always be a part of the family, regardless of whether I played a sport or didn't do anything up here. That's the one thing that Ole Miss is, a family. They have always looked out for me, and I am trying to do my part in making this donation.
ATHLETICS DIRECTOR PETE BOONE
This is a great day, and there is a lot of excitement around here. I want to thank Derek Horne too. He is in charge of our pro-athlete foundation. We're trying to raise money through our pro athletes, but for some reason it didn't kick off until we put in an incentive plan. Now he's got people lined up.
I was listening to Deuce, and a lot of schools say it, but he was talking about family. Ole Miss is like any other institution when you come. You don't know any more about Ole Miss than any other school you could have gone to. It's what happens when you get here that changes your life. We are a family. We have athletes and students who come back on a regular basis and want to continue to be a part of this family. That's something that is unique, and I think it's unique to Ole Miss. In the Athletics Department we have great coaches and outstanding students. The university, itself, and the academics help make up the whole family. That to me is what this day is all about, a member of our family coming back to help us do things for the other members of our family who will be here the next year and the year after that. We thank Deuce McAlister for that.
QUESTION AND ANSWER SESSION
Q: (to Pete Boone) How much have you raised for the facility?
A: It depends on how you want to look at it. We have pledges, cash and notes. It's not as easy a statement to make. We have had almost 13 million in donations, including pledges and cash. It's picked up steam.
Q: (to Deuce McAllister) You didn't have a facility like this when you were here, Deuce. How much does it mean to you to see the program rise to this level?
A: I think it really brings the university "up to par" with the elite schools like Tennessee and Florida. Those guys have deep pockets and have had indoor facilities for quite some time now. It brings the University up to par on an athletic level. You can't use that against us now in recruiting. You can't tell a kid 'Ole Miss doesn't have an indoor facility." When I was here, we were right outside on that parking lot there.
Q: (to Pete Boone) What do you have in mind for other uses for the facility?
A: It's a multi-purpose facility. We'll have netting up in there. We'll have our soccer team in there, and almost every sport will have the opportunity to use it. We'll have an operations manager to schedule practices for the teams. It has a two lane track, more for conditioning, but it does have a pole vault, long jump and some other field events that can be done in there.
Q: (to Coach Cutcliffe) Where are you guys on the schedule to complete the project?
A: We're hoping by two a days. Our players report on August 8th, so we're on a bit of a deadline. If weather is good to us, we might be able to get in there by the end of July. We're completing things in a sequence where we're going to get everything we need to operate functional. Then we'll be able to move in.
Q: (to Deuce McAllister) How long have you been considering this type of donation?
A: Well it's always been a consideration. When I completed my four years here, I hoped to be in a position to do something of this magnitude. That's the point I am at in my career, with being able to secure everything on a personal and business level. Then you are able to make some moves and look out for some people and help some people. You can do some different things in your life.
Q: (to Pete Boone) Are you closer to having a name for the facility?
A: We still have naming opportunities. There has been some reluctance for people to have any part of having their name on it, but as the building nears completion and gets prettier, I think we'll be looking at putting some names on some different areas.
Q: (to Pete Boone) Do you see other athletes coming into the fold in this magnitude or on any level?
A: I am a firm believer in people needing to do things on whatever level they are comfortable with. Ironically, I just picked up a USA Today in Atlanta today. It had all the NFL Teams and all their rosters with all their salaries. I started underlining names and we'll have a meeting in the morning. But seriously, generally athletes have been reluctant to give back to their school in a financial sense. They give back a lot of other ways. I am talking nationwide, not just in the case of Ole Miss. This was extremely important for Ole Miss, but also as a national event. I do think it will help spur others on.
(Chancellor Khayat) When Deuce was a player and a student here, he set a new standard. When you think of the quality of his play and his leadership on the field, it was extraordinary. I think this is a challenge to the other athletes, who are not only able to make gifts of any level, but to all of us. Every person who understands the kind of affection it takes for a person to make an investment of this magnitude, should know that the organization is worth investing in. When we talk about Ole Miss being a family, make a list of your priorities. Your faith, your family and your work...then what's next? Is it catching crappie or going to see an Ole Miss football game? This is a statement. It's a national event that a star athlete who is very well paid is willing to make a significant gift to his alma mater. We are profoundly greatful.
