Sports
Ole Miss Rebel Road Trip’s Last Stop Sees Historic Turnout in Jackson
The 2016 Bancorp South’s Ole Miss Rebel Road Trip pulled into its final destination on Tuesday night in Jackson, Mississippi. Tuesday’s event took place at the Country Club of Jackson, coming off the heels of Monday night’s stop at the Memphis Botanic Gardens.
Fans came out in full force to the Country Club of Jackson to take part in the Rebel Road Trip.
President of the Ole Miss Alumni Association, Eddie Maloney, said that there was a huge turnout at the final Rebel Road Trip stop in Jackson, Mississippi last night. He estimated that there were between 800 and 900 people at the event. There were 500 pre-registered, and another 300-plus paid at the door.
Maloney was at the event last year and said there was at least a 25 to 30 percent increase in attendance this year.
There were in all 12 stops for this summer’s Rebel Road Trip throughout the Southeast as it began at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta and came to a close in Jackson. On this road trip, the caravan traveled over 1,600 miles and visited over 2,600 fans.
Ole Miss head coach Hugh Freeze, Athletic Director Ross Bjork and Chancellor Jeffery Vitter headlined Rebel Road Trip. Ross Bjork and Hugh Freeze got standing ovations after their speeches.
When Coach Freeze addressed the Ole Miss fans, he spoke about motivation.
“Last night in Jackson, Hugh Freeze didn’t even talk about positions or the games until the Q & A after his talk,” Eddie Maloney said. “It was more of a motivational speech in which he talked about life and the values and priorities he and the coaching staff work to instill in the players.”
Ole Miss Associate A.D. for Media and Public Relations Kyle Campbell said, “We have been welcomed by excited crowds throughout the first five years of the BancorpSouth Rebel Road Trip and this season, the fans were as energetic as ever. Ross and Coach Freeze were grateful for the opportunity to personally thank Rebel Nation for their support of our university, and it was great to have Chancellor Jeff Vitter and Alumni Association Director Kirk Purdom on the tour for the first time.”
Now the countdown to Labor Day night can commence for the first game of the season as the Rebels step onto the gridiron and face Florida State in a neutral site game in Orlando, Florida.
Below are pictures from the final stop for the caravan at the Country Club in Jackson. All the photos are courtesy of the University of Mississippi Alumni Association’s Facebook page.
Adam Brown is the HottyToddy.com sports editor. He can be reached at adam.brown@hottytoddy.com.
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