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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Student Tailgate Highlights Week Of Homecoming Festivities
10/1/2008 | Football
OXFORD, Miss. As part of homecoming festivities on the Ole Miss campus, Rebel head coach Houston Nutt will greet students Thursday from noon to 1 p.m. CT at the "Homecoming Student Body Pregame Tailgate" at the Union Plaza.
Nutt will be joined by the Ole Miss Cheerleaders and Rebelettes at the event, which is hosted by Ole Miss Athletics, Department of Campus Programming and the Student Programming Board.
Ole Miss Dining Services will provide students with free barbecue, chicken and cookies, and drinks will be courtesy of Coke Zero. Chick-Fil-A coupons will also be handed out.
"Student and faculty support is crucial to the success of our football program, and I am so excited to have this opportunity to spend some time on campus with our student body before Saturday's big SEC game against South Carolina," Nutt said. "We hope to have a great turnout and spirited environment at Thursday's event."
Also on Thursday, a pair of Ole Miss sports great are serving as panelists for "Bridge the Gap", an event where various alumni from different professions answer questions about their field. The panel will be held at the Gertude C. Ford Ballroom at the Inn at Ole Miss, from 4-6 p.m.
Among the panelists is former Ole Miss football star, "Gentle" Ben Williams, who suited up for the Rebels from 1972-75. Williams racked up 377 career tackles on his way to first team All-SEC honors in 1972 and 1973, and first team All-American honors in 1975. The former Rebel defensive tackle played for the NFL's Buffalo Bills from 1976-85 and is now president and owner of LYNCO Construction Co.
Also on the panel is Sean Tuohy, a former point guard for the Ole Miss basketball team from 1979-82. His 830 career assists still stand as the most ever by an SEC men's basketball player, and his 260 assists during the 1980 campaign rank as the most in a single season. A three-time All-SEC honoree, Tuohy is currently the president of RGT Management and the TV Color Analyst for the NBA's Memphis Grizzlies.
Homecoming week continues with the Ole Miss Alumni Association reception for its 2008 Hall of Fame honorees, Friday at 6 p.m. at The Inn's Ford Ballroom. The inductees include: songwriter/producer Glen Ballard, FedEx executive vice president T. Michael Glenn, author John Grisham, president and CEO of Oxford Publishing Inc. Ed Meek and Fox News anchor Shepard Smith.
Herb Dewees, former Alumni Affairs executive director, will be posthumously recognized with the Alumni Hall of Fame Award. Carole Lynn Meadows, and Ole Miss graduate and teacher with 25 years of experience, will receive the Alumni Service Award, and Brian Sanderson, president of the Gulf Coast Business Council, will be distinguished with the Outstanding Young Alumni Award.
Also on Friday will be the annual homecoming parade, beginning at 5:30 p.m. The event will run down University Avenue and to The Square and will feature 2008 Homecoming Queen, Claudia Cowan, as well as the Pride of the South marching band.
The 2008 homecoming week is capped off by Ole Miss' 81st homecoming football game, as the Rebels take on South Carolina Saturday at 1 p.m. inside Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Heading into this weekend's contest, the Rebels are 65-13-2 all-time in homecoming contests and have won 11 straight.
