Written by Tyler Graddy
New Orleans, LA - Coach Houston Nutt left the Ole Miss Rebels in 2011 after four straight years without a victory in the SEC prompted the school to request his resignation.
The handful of players left from that 2011 team recall that at that point, nobody was sure they even wanted to continue playing for the Rebels.
“Until I talked to Coach Houston Nutt, I was really considering transferring,” revealed C.J. Johnson on Tuesday morning. “Then Coach Nutt told me to stay through the spring and that Ole Miss would bring in somebody good. I bought into everything that Coach Freeze told us. Halfway through that first spring practice with Coach Freeze, I knew we could be really good. Everyone on the team just bought in and committed to the program and everything Coach Freeze was trying to do. The way everyone was competing in practice was something I hadn’t seen.
Everyone was working really hard. I knew that we could be better than we had been.”
Players recounted a ‘me-first’ mentality that had surrounded the team at the time, referring to an atmosphere that was centered on the school as a stepping stone to the pros rather than an SEC powerhouse.
“We have come a long way. It’s been a great experience. We had a tough year but we had to tough it out. It was rough. I remember when our coach was fired and the feeling of wanting to transfer,” said Chief Brown.
Head Coach Hugh Freeze took over the program on the heels of a 2-10 season and now has his team in their fourth straight bowl game appearance.
“I stuck it out and gave Coach Freeze a chance, and now we are at the Sugar Bowl. Every guy I talked to wanted to leave. We decided to give it a shot and buy into Coach Freeze.
We went from a two-win season, to a seven, to nine. Now we have a chance for a 10-win season. That would be great for our young guys. Being able to go out on a 10-win season would be a great feeling. It would help to set up this program to succeed in the future, especially with the great recruiting class we have coming in,” said Brown.
The Rebels finished the season ranked No. 12 in the nation, their best under Freeze. A win New Year’s day would be the most significant achievement since Nutt’s back-to-back Cotton Bowl victories in 2008 and 2009, officially marking the return of Ole Miss football to the nation’s elite programs.
The handful of players left from that 2011 team recall that at that point, nobody was sure they even wanted to continue playing for the Rebels.
“Until I talked to Coach Houston Nutt, I was really considering transferring,” revealed C.J. Johnson on Tuesday morning. “Then Coach Nutt told me to stay through the spring and that Ole Miss would bring in somebody good. I bought into everything that Coach Freeze told us. Halfway through that first spring practice with Coach Freeze, I knew we could be really good. Everyone on the team just bought in and committed to the program and everything Coach Freeze was trying to do. The way everyone was competing in practice was something I hadn’t seen.
Everyone was working really hard. I knew that we could be better than we had been.”
Players recounted a ‘me-first’ mentality that had surrounded the team at the time, referring to an atmosphere that was centered on the school as a stepping stone to the pros rather than an SEC powerhouse.
“We have come a long way. It’s been a great experience. We had a tough year but we had to tough it out. It was rough. I remember when our coach was fired and the feeling of wanting to transfer,” said Chief Brown.
Head Coach Hugh Freeze took over the program on the heels of a 2-10 season and now has his team in their fourth straight bowl game appearance.
“I stuck it out and gave Coach Freeze a chance, and now we are at the Sugar Bowl. Every guy I talked to wanted to leave. We decided to give it a shot and buy into Coach Freeze.
We went from a two-win season, to a seven, to nine. Now we have a chance for a 10-win season. That would be great for our young guys. Being able to go out on a 10-win season would be a great feeling. It would help to set up this program to succeed in the future, especially with the great recruiting class we have coming in,” said Brown.
The Rebels finished the season ranked No. 12 in the nation, their best under Freeze. A win New Year’s day would be the most significant achievement since Nutt’s back-to-back Cotton Bowl victories in 2008 and 2009, officially marking the return of Ole Miss football to the nation’s elite programs.