After starting all 12 games at right guard for Ole Miss football during the 2017 season, Ole Miss senior Javon Patterson has been selected to represent the university at the Southeastern Conference Football Student-Athlete Leadership Council.
Amid a chaotic season, Patterson was the foundation for offensive coordinator Phil Longo’s offensive line that protected quarterbacks Shea Patterson and Jordan Ta’amu en route to the SEC’s top passing offense, averaging 328 yards per game in the air.
The council consists of one representative from each SEC institution, and Patterson is among the 14 student-athletes who will attend the annual meeting at SEC headquarters in Birmingham, Alabama, on Friday and Saturday.
As one of three components of the SEC Student-Athlete Leadership Council, the Football Leadership Council will meet this weekend and the representatives on the Men’s and Women’s Basketball Leadership Councils will meet following the conclusion of the season.
Introduced in 2016 by SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey, the Student-Athlete Leadership Councils for football and men’s and women’s basketball provide student-athletes with opportunities to engage with campus leaders and conference office staff.
The councils meet in addition to the Student-Athlete Advisory Council to generate student-athlete voices within the NCAA structure, solicit student-athlete response to proposed NCAA legislation, recommend potential NCAA legislation, review, react and comment to the governance structure on legislation, activities and subjects of interest, as well as promote a positive image for student-athletes nationwide.
The agenda for this weekend’s meeting includes a review of NCAA and SEC legislative items, open discussion on topics submitted by members of the council and engagement with football officials on rules of the game and student-athlete/referee interaction. SEC Network analyst and former SEC football student-athlete Marcus Spears will also meet with the group to discuss leadership and career development.
The student-athletes who comprise the SEC Football Leadership Council are: Josh Casher (Alabama), T.J. Smith (Arkansas), Derrick Brown (Auburn), Jeremiah Moon (Florida), Charlie Woerner (Georgia), Jordan Griffin (Kentucky), Blake Ferguson (LSU), Javon Patterson (Ole Miss), Gerri Green (Mississippi State), Damarea Crockett (Missouri), Bryson Allen-Williams (South Carolina), Micah Abernathy (Tennessee), Braden Mann (Texas A&M), Khari Blasingame (Vanderbilt) and Brandon Lee (Missouri – Autonomy Representative).
