The University of Mississippi has a highly decorated history of student-athletes who have gone on to become professional athletes. From the NFL to the NBA and even the Olympics, it is never difficult to find former Ole Miss students succeeding in their athletic careers.
Football Pros
Ole Miss Football has produced the most professional athletes, and many of these players become household names. The most notable offensive alumnus is two-time Super Bowl champion Eli Manning, who played for the New York Giants from 2004 to 2020.
Manning threw for more than 10,000 yards in an Ole Miss uniform, and he continued his legacy with the Giants. Now that he is retired, Ole Miss’ greatest QB will have an almost surefire shot at the Pro Football Hall of Fame, for which he will become eligible in 2025.
Aside from Manning, Ole Miss has produced many more juggernauts on the offensive side of the ball, including wide receiver A.J. Brown and offensive lineman Laremy Tunsil.
Brown accumulated just under 3,000 receiving yards at Ole Miss, and he has gone for more than 1,000 yards in three of his four seasons in the league – two with the Tennessee Titans and one with the Philadelphia Eagles – and he is well on his way to surpassing that milestone.
Tunsil has had a fantastic NFL career. He was a monster at Ole Miss, and it is no surprise that he has translated his dominance to the league. The left tackle has worked his way into being the highest paid tackle in the NFL after signing a three-year, $75 million dollar extension with the Houston Texans.
Sticking with football, but on the defensive side, Ole Miss has produced several legends and has recently sent a number of elite defenders to the pros. The most highly decorated defender is eight-time All-NFL, seven-time Pro Bowl linebacker Patrick Willis, who is also a 2023 finalist for the NFL Hall of Fame.
Other notable defensive pros from Ole Miss include Sam Williams (Dallas Cowboys), Mike Hilton (Cincinnati Bengals), Chance Campbell (Titans), Mark Robinson (Pittsburgh Steelers), Deane Leonard (Los Angeles Chargers), D.J. Jones (Denver Broncos), Jaylon Jones (Chicago Bears), Benito Jones (Detroit Lions) and Tavius Robinson (Baltimore Ravens), who are all active players and contributors for their respective teams.
Basketball Pros
Both the men’s and women’s basketball programs have produced several professional athletes and Olympians.
On the men’s side, the most recent example is shooting guard Terrence Davis, who was drafted in 2019 and now plays for the Sacramento Kings. For now, Davis is Ole Miss’ claim to fame in the league.
Justin Reed is another notable Men’s Basketball pioneer with a four-year career in the NBA. Former center Anthony Perez represented his home country of Venezuela in the 2016 Olympics.
The women’s basketball program has recently become a national power in not only college sports, but professional as well. In 2022, center Shakira Austin was selected No. 3 overall in the WNBA draft by the Washington Mystics.
Ole Miss has a unique history in the world of women’s basketball. Jennifer Gillom represented the United States in the 1988 Olympics, where she helped the United States secure its second gold medal versus Yugoslavia.
Yolanda Moore and Armintie Price had impressive WNBA careers.
Olympics
The University of Mississippi has been well-represented in the Olympics across a number of events. As previously mentioned, Gillom won gold in 1988 for women’s basketball, but Brittney Reese joins her with a gold medal in track and field in 2012.
Silver medalists include Tony Dees for the 110 high hurdles and Reese and Raven Saunders for shot put. Sam Kendricks, a pole vaulter, brought a bronze medal home to the U.S. in 2016.
Former international Rebels have represented their home countries in the Olympics as well. Anthony Perez (Venezuela), Rafaelle Souza (Brazil), Mahesh Bhupati (India), Alvin Haynes (Barbados), Antwon Hicks (Nigeria), and Allan Ince (Barbados) represented their home countries on the biggest stage in athletics.
As athletic facilities improve and long-standing records continue to be broken, it is important to remember the individuals who made these accomplishments possible. From top to bottom, Ole Miss has been able to nurture athletes’ gifts and aid them in advancing to the pros. It is important to highlight these successful individuals, as they have set examples for every athlete who puts on a Rebel uniform to follow.
