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The University of Mississippi Athletics
n.W.o. Beyond the Belt
9/20/2018 | Football
How Three NFL-Caliber Receivers Thrive Together
This story was originally published in the Sept. 15 edition of Rebel, the official gameday magazine of Ole Miss football.
With three NFL-caliber wide receivers all sharing one field—and one celebratory belt—things could easily get a little tricky.
The receiver position, particularly at the professional level, is known for being self-centered. Receivers want the ball. They want their yards. They want their touchdowns. But at Ole Miss, wide receivers coach Jacob Peeler is instead ensuring that his Nasty Wide Outs are taking a selfless approach.
"Our first rule in the receivers room is being selfless," said junior A.J. Brown. "We live on that. We harp on it. Every receiver wants the ball, but that's not what it is. That can't happen all the time."
Of course, the Ole Miss receiver trio Brown, DaMarkus Lodge and D.K. Metcalf all want the ball. But they want it for one another just as much as themselves.
"I just want to see my boys ball," Lodge said. "We started off with a great friendship, and that has carried onto the field. We hang out all the time. We know we're going to be as strong as our weakest link. If everyone isn't prepared, it makes no sense for just one to be."
The receivers can regularly be seen after practice, putting in extra work on the JUGS machine, softening their hands by snatching tennis balls out of the air. And everything they do, they do it together.
"We all want each other to succeed," Metcalf said. "We're here with each other day in and day out. We see the work we all put in, and we want to see that work pay off."
For all of their talent, that unselfish nature is what sets the N.W.O. apart in the eyes of head coach Matt Luke.
"The wide receiving core, they are one of the most talented in the country," Luke said. "They are very talented, unselfish, and they work really hard. They are very driven. They push each other to be better, and that's what I like about those guys. You know they all want the ball every snap, but it's fun to see when one of them catches the touchdown, the other two chasing after them to celebrate and them pushing each other to be better. So I think that's a unique blend of guys that have that swagger but they also pull for each other."
The altruistic nature of the Rebel receivers came out in a big Week 1 win over Texas Tech. The final box score showed it: Brown had seven catches for 93 yards and a score, Lodge had six receptions for 96 yards, and Metcalf hauled in four passes for 81 and a touchdown. And with every big play made, the whole group went wild.
"When someone scores, it's electric," Brown said. "Coach harps on it. If we don't celebrate and be happy for our teammates, we won't play. And he's not playing when he says that. He doesn't even have to do it, really. It's genuine with us."
The film showed it as well, that the Nasty Wide Outs are willing to put it all on the line for one another. Look no further than the massive block thrown by Lodge set to free Brown late in the 47-27 win over Texas Tech.
"The thing I really am impressed by is how they play for each other," Luke said. "A great example is (DaMarkus) Lodge coming back and blocking for A.J. (Brown). Then on the second play of the game, they double covered A.J. and D.K. was able to get a one-on-one matchup. How they complement each other is really, really special, and we just want to continue to build on that."
In the receiver room at Ole Miss, it's not just the talent that makes the Rebels one of the best groups in college football. It's all the intangibles—selflessness, work ethic, love for one another—that sets them apart.
While the current star N.W.O. trio follows those virtues to success, they're also making sure that the values established by Rebel receiver greats like Donte Moncrief, Mike Wallace and Laquon Treadwell continue on in the next generation. With more talented athletes like Braylon Sanders, Elijah Moore, Miles Battle and Demarcus Gregory waiting in the wings, every move Brown, Lodge and Metcalf make will pave the path for the next group of Nasty Wide Outs.
"It's fun to see the lineage of wide receivers, how it gets passed down," Luke said. "Just the work ethic of Donte Moncrief showing up four and five years after he left. I think that's a really cool thing."
With three NFL-caliber wide receivers all sharing one field—and one celebratory belt—things could easily get a little tricky.
The receiver position, particularly at the professional level, is known for being self-centered. Receivers want the ball. They want their yards. They want their touchdowns. But at Ole Miss, wide receivers coach Jacob Peeler is instead ensuring that his Nasty Wide Outs are taking a selfless approach.
"Our first rule in the receivers room is being selfless," said junior A.J. Brown. "We live on that. We harp on it. Every receiver wants the ball, but that's not what it is. That can't happen all the time."
Of course, the Ole Miss receiver trio Brown, DaMarkus Lodge and D.K. Metcalf all want the ball. But they want it for one another just as much as themselves.
"I just want to see my boys ball," Lodge said. "We started off with a great friendship, and that has carried onto the field. We hang out all the time. We know we're going to be as strong as our weakest link. If everyone isn't prepared, it makes no sense for just one to be."
The receivers can regularly be seen after practice, putting in extra work on the JUGS machine, softening their hands by snatching tennis balls out of the air. And everything they do, they do it together.
"We all want each other to succeed," Metcalf said. "We're here with each other day in and day out. We see the work we all put in, and we want to see that work pay off."
For all of their talent, that unselfish nature is what sets the N.W.O. apart in the eyes of head coach Matt Luke.
"The wide receiving core, they are one of the most talented in the country," Luke said. "They are very talented, unselfish, and they work really hard. They are very driven. They push each other to be better, and that's what I like about those guys. You know they all want the ball every snap, but it's fun to see when one of them catches the touchdown, the other two chasing after them to celebrate and them pushing each other to be better. So I think that's a unique blend of guys that have that swagger but they also pull for each other."
The altruistic nature of the Rebel receivers came out in a big Week 1 win over Texas Tech. The final box score showed it: Brown had seven catches for 93 yards and a score, Lodge had six receptions for 96 yards, and Metcalf hauled in four passes for 81 and a touchdown. And with every big play made, the whole group went wild.
"When someone scores, it's electric," Brown said. "Coach harps on it. If we don't celebrate and be happy for our teammates, we won't play. And he's not playing when he says that. He doesn't even have to do it, really. It's genuine with us."
The film showed it as well, that the Nasty Wide Outs are willing to put it all on the line for one another. Look no further than the massive block thrown by Lodge set to free Brown late in the 47-27 win over Texas Tech.
"The thing I really am impressed by is how they play for each other," Luke said. "A great example is (DaMarkus) Lodge coming back and blocking for A.J. (Brown). Then on the second play of the game, they double covered A.J. and D.K. was able to get a one-on-one matchup. How they complement each other is really, really special, and we just want to continue to build on that."
In the receiver room at Ole Miss, it's not just the talent that makes the Rebels one of the best groups in college football. It's all the intangibles—selflessness, work ethic, love for one another—that sets them apart.
While the current star N.W.O. trio follows those virtues to success, they're also making sure that the values established by Rebel receiver greats like Donte Moncrief, Mike Wallace and Laquon Treadwell continue on in the next generation. With more talented athletes like Braylon Sanders, Elijah Moore, Miles Battle and Demarcus Gregory waiting in the wings, every move Brown, Lodge and Metcalf make will pave the path for the next group of Nasty Wide Outs.
"It's fun to see the lineage of wide receivers, how it gets passed down," Luke said. "Just the work ethic of Donte Moncrief showing up four and five years after he left. I think that's a really cool thing."
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