Pick a number and a legend, make a case
Posted on: August 13,2013
OK, let’s have some fun. This is going to be our All-Mississippi, All-Sports, Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame numbers team. We want audience participation.
The numbers should be the numbers our guys wore in Mississippi, not in the pros. This is all about 
Mississippi.
As self-designated commissioner, I am going to go ahead and suggest certain numbers. These are negotiable, but you will have to make your argument. The rest of are up for grabs. There’s nothing official about this; it is for entertainment purposes only.
Please respond at the bottom with your suggestions for new numbers or to change existing ones. Again, state your argument. Each time a valid argument is made, the number and name go on the list. If you make a convincing case for a change, that will happen also.
There are so many tough choices. For instance, both Charlie Conerly and Charlie Flowers wore 41 at Ole Miss. Both John Bond and Johnthan Banks wore 13 at State. But then so did Bobby Thigpen, who set Major League records. State folks think of Sleepy Robinson as the beloved 15. Ole Miss folks would go with All American Glynn Griffing who led the Rebels to a 10-0 record in 1962. This ain’t easy. Need some help.
No. 00: Darryl Wilson
No. 1: Ron Polk.
No. 2: Fred Smoot
No. 3: Boo Ferriss (MSU)
No. 4: Brett Favre
No. 5: Courtney Blades
No. 6: Rafael Palmeiro
No. 7: Jeff Bower
No. 8: Glen Young
No. 9: Steve McNair
No. 10: Eli Manning
No. 11: Monta Ellis
No 12: Jake Gibbs
No. 13: Bobby Thigpen
No. 14: Johnny Neumann
No. 15: Glynn Griffing
No. 18: Archie Manning
No. 19: Hanford Dixon
No. 20: Buddy Elrod
No. 21: Keffer McGee
No. 22: Deuce McAllister
No. 23: Will Clark
No. 24: Jeff Malone
No. 25: Bruiser Kinard
No. 26: Floyd Franks
No. 27: Michael Boley
No. 28: Bubba Phillips
No. 29: Ben Garry
No. 31: Bobby Crespino
No. 32: Jarvis Varnado
No. 33: Boo Ferriss (Delta State)
No. 34: Walter Payton
No. 35: Clarence Weatherspoon
No. 36: Nick Bell
No 38: Chuckie Mullins
No. 39: Jim Miller
No. 40 Walter Packer
No. 41: Charlie Conerly
No. 42: John Stroud
No. 43: Derrick Nix
No. 44: Ray Guy
No. 45: Lucy Harris
No. 49: Patrick Willis
No. 50: Kenny Dill
No. 52: Bailey Howell
No. 53: D.D. Lewis
No. 55: Nick “The Cat” Revon
No. 57: Jerrell Powe
No. 58: Kent Hull
No. 61: Doc Blanchard
No. 62: Justin Canale
No. 63: Marvin Terrell
No. 64: Everett Lindsey
No. 67: Stan Hindman
No. 68: Jerald Baylis
No. 69: Richard Price
No. 70: Richard Byrd
No. 71: Roland Dale
No. 74: Gentle Ben Williams
No. 76: Walt Suggs
No. 77: John Jerry
No. 78: Jackie Slater
No. 79: Gene Hickerson
No. 80: Wesley Walls
No. 81: Jimmie Giles
No. 82: Kris Mangum
No. 83: Lake Speed
No. 87: Willie Brown
No. 88: Jerry Rice
No. 89: Willie Richardson
No. 91: Billy Jackson
No. 92: Kelvin Pritchett
No 94: Fletcher Cox
No. 97 Adalius Thomas
No. 98 Tyrone Keys
No. 99 Johnie Cooks
#8 – Glen Young
#99 – Johnnie Cooks
#13 – John Bond
No. 6: Rafael Palmeiro — If you’ve got Clark, gotta have Palmeiro
No. 13: Bobby Thigpen — Set MLB saves record (57), since surpassed
No. 19: Jonathan Papelbon — Two World Series rings, 277 saves
No. 24: Jeff Malone — Career scoring leader at State, 13-year NBA career, two-time All-Star
# 2 – Fred Smoot – His Party Boat shenanigans should be enough to get him on here, but he was also an All-American at State.
# 32 – Jarvis Varnado – Broke the NCAA all time blocked shot record.
I agree on #2 for Smoot.
#25 – Erick Dampier. Key piece of the 1996 Final Four run, and a long time NBA player.
I’m shocked you don’t have Eli Manning for #10.
No. 10…. you really can’t argue two Super Bowl MVPs, but I will tell you there are an awful lot of Southern Miss fans who would argue Reggie Collier as the school’s all-time best football player over Favre. And then there was that No 10 named Totten who threw for 59 tds IN ONE SEASON. Nevertheless, Eli it is, when you throw in his acting and rap skills.
36 – Nick Bell
21 – Keffer McGee
I want to throw out a non-convential candidate, Doc Blanchard wore NO. 61 when he played at St. Stanislaus College in Bay St. Louis. He later went on to win the Heisman Trophy.
#94 Fletcher Cox, All SEC, 1st round draft choice
#70 Terrance Metcalf, All SEC, great tackle, good pro career
#79 Derrick Sherrod, All SEC, 1st round draft choice
#00 Daryl Wilson, nuff said
80- Todd pinkston. Usm 2nd leading receiver. 4 years starting for playoff team and one Super Bowl runner up team
#25 Damion Fletcher, All-CUSA USM All Time Leading Rusher
#80 Todd Pinkston, All-CUSA, NFL Draft Pick
43-Derrick Nix. Arguably the best RB to ever play at Southern Miss.
15 Jeff Cook USM baseball
Whatever # Latoya Thomas wore at State
Anyone know what # Jackie Slater wore at JSU?
85. We have 3 framed pics on Spirit office wall. All Cory Peterson game-winning catches. MSU, LSU, AUB. Great college WR.
24- Jeff Malone.
No. 66: Gene Hickerson
Fast Fred Macafee should be considered for #25.
Wesley Walls should be 80 after a great pro bowl career in the NFL
#25 Erick Dampier. Has 16 years in the NBA and his career earnings put him in the top 100 ever. Final four, 1st round draft, from “the Sip'” still lives here, too. Great role model and gives back to his school and teachers. Come on, Rick!
Brian Cole #60
14-Chris Relf.
Here’s another tough decision. Erick Dampier goes in at No. 25, replacing USM’s all-time leading rusher Damion Fletcher. Dampier’s defense helped State to the Final Four and he played sucessfully in the NBA for years. Tough choice. Scroll down this working list. See how much we have to be proud of.
Hickerson wore 79 at Ole Miss.
Roland Dale – # 71 – Ole Miss – late ’40s – – – Mississippi hall of fame – ole miss hall of fame – – southern Mississippi hall of fame – – First person in Mississippi to get into three different hall of fame’s- – – played for Washington Redskins – Marine in ’46 – –
you don’t currently have a # 71 listed
Going to throw out a couple of NASCAR names here…Lake Speed drove the #83 when he scored his lone NASCAR win and current NASCAR driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr drove the #6 to two consecutive Nationwide Series championships and currently drives the #17 in the Sprint Cup Series
With a name like Lake Speed and a NASCAR victory, he’s on my list.
I can’t remember Jerald Baylis’s number but he should be on there for sure.
Walt Suggs 76 for State and the Oilers
What number was Walter Packer? Wasn’t it 40? What about Glen Young for 80?
Jim Miller 39
Rick, I would say Jackie Slater, the great OT from Jackson State, at #78. Also did Robert Brazile wear 52 in college or another number. I know he wore 52 in the pros..but can’t bump Bailey Howell.
Kelvin Pritchett, DL lineman from Ole Miss. Believe he was a first round pick and played many years with the Detroit Lions. #92
# 27 Michael Boley – Southern Miss, 1 Super Bowl ring with New York Giants (outside linebacker)
# 17 Jeff Kelly – QB Southern Miss – broke a few of Favre’s records, beat Alabama 21-0 in 2000
#7 Jeff Bower. Good enough QB to be 2nd Team All South Independent and 4 CUSA titles as a head coach when CUSA was still a decent conference.
Would like to second Jackie Slater at #78. One of the best OL ever. Also, agree with Jim Miller #39. Saw him play a few times when I was a kid. Great punter.
#64 Everett Lindsay, who came to Ole Miss from Raleigh, N.C., earned four letters for the Rebels from 1989-1992 as he helped anchor the offensive line under then head coach Billy Brewer. Lindsay, a two-time All-SEC and All-America selection in 1991 and 1992, was named to the Ole Miss Team of the Century. During his career, he helped lead the Rebels back to the post-season as Ole Miss would play in the Liberty Bowl twice and make an appearance in the Gator Bowl in 1990 against Michigan on New Year’s Day.
For Number 80 you have Todd Pinkston, who was an outstanding player. No questions about his abilities. But how about Wesley Walls, an All-American and two way starter in the SEC and later All-Pro. Just saying…
Here’s a stab at #77. — OL John Jerry, OM.
Thanks, Scoop. Pinkston was a great player, but Walls has superior numbers for a longer pro career and did play both ways as a college standout. Both, by the way, are great guys as well as players.
You’ll also notice the addition of Nick “The Cat” Revon. He was one of my dad’s all-time favorite athletes and the leading scorer in USM basketball history and later was a legendary high school coach in New Orleans.
Johnny Neumann
No. 14
SEC POY 1971
You’ve gotta go with Big Fred Cook at #81; two time All-American, 1st AA elected Mr. USM; stellar career with Baltimore Colts. How about Janice Felder at #33, nobody is finer than Boo Ferris, but does he need two spots on the list? #96 is open so let’s go with Liberty Bowl champ defensive end Cedric Scott, all-conference and played with the NY Giants. Also of note Tim Floyd’s # on the USM freshman team was 55, I think Revon has slightly better stats.