There is enjoying Ole Miss football, and then there is flying halfway across the world for a home game. This Rebel fan is celebrating her son’s 15th birthday with tickets to Ole Miss’ Homecoming game against the Vols for his first ever home game experience.
Cindy Wilson grew up an hour outside of Oxford in Blue Mountain. Her childhood memories are filled of the Grove with her family as her grandfather taught the little ones the Hotty Toddy cheer. It was the only time the children were allowed to cuss in her family. Wilson said she can still hear the front porch conversations with her grandfather, aunts and uncles.
“Still today after a big play or a win I find myself wondering what they would have thought about that,” Wilson said.
Wilson is now a wife of a soldier, John Wilson, in the Air Force and a mother of a sophomore at University of Nebraska daughter, Madellyn Wilson, 14-going-on-15 year old son, Andrew Wilson and a nine year old daughter, Emily Wilson. The Wilsons have lived in Bellevue, Nebraska since 2011. Before Nebraska they lived at Royal Air Force (RAF) Mildenhall in Suffolk, England. Wilson remembered staying up in the middle of night to catch an occasional broadcasting of an Ole Miss game.
“Football is a common denominator in the military though,” Wilson said. “We wear our attire out and about and strike up the best conversations with strangers. Just yesterday after my son’s freshman football game, the ref. noticed my shirt and yelled ‘Go Rebels!’ I shot back with ‘HOTTY TODDY!’ and we walked away with big smiles!”
The Wilsons have been away from Mississippi for almost 16 years but that did not stop them from tailgating in the living room with fried chicken, potato salad and desserts. She and her husband do their best to raise their children as Rebels. It brought them closer together as a family as the children learned what it means to love your team through thick and thin.
“Ole Miss football is just what we are, who we are,” Wilson said. “I want my kids to feel it, experience it in person and keep this thing going for generations to come!”
Life in Nebraska as a Rebel fan has its challenges as the Wilsons are outnumbered by Huskers. That didn’t deter them though.
“The SEC certainly isn’t loved here in ‘Husker’ country,” Wilson said. “But everyone knows where my loyalty lies with my personalized GO REBS1 license plate and my Colonel Rebel decal!”
This past late spring the Wilsons delayed their vacation for five days to watch the Rebels play in the College World Series in Omaha. They attended the first two games. It was her children’s first real Ole Miss game-day experience. Tears sprung to her eyes when the first yell of Hotty Toddy rang in her ears at the first baseball game.
“We take for granted what it sounds like to hear the cheer ring out in a crowd or see fellow Southerns decked out in Rebel gear smiling and saying ‘Hey y’all!’ It felt so good,” Wilson said.
The last Ole Miss home game the Wilsons went to was the Egg Bowl in 2002. The Wilsons will be back in Oxford this year on Oct. 18th as a birthday gift for Andrew’s 15th birthday on Oct. 19th. “The Tennessee game was the perfect birthday present,” Wilson said. It will be the children’s first ever football home game day experience.
Cindy Wilson doesn’t think there could be enough time to do all she wanted to do on the homecoming game day, but she is determined to do “real tailgating” in the Grove and high-fiving the Rebel football team at the Walk of Champions.
“I’m just so excited to bring my stories to life for my kids and watch our Rebels play some football!” Wilson said joyously.
Callie Daniels is a staff reporter for HottyToddy.com. Write her at callie.daniels@hottytoddy.com for comments, criticism, or story ideas. Hotty Toddy!
True Rebel Dedication in Nebraska's "Husker Country"
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