Sometimes we experience things in life that seem unbelievable, like we’re in a dream and get everything we want.
Whenever that happens someone is bound to joke about pinching or slapping to see if the person is dreaming.
Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss didn’t need that to know he wasn’t dreaming. If he was, the hit he took at the end of the first half would’ve woken him up.
Chambliss took a big hit on a tackle as the Rebels were driving towards the end zone late in the second quarter. He left the game, but returned after halftime without any signs the hit had a negative impact.
“I walked over there when he was on the field laying down and said, ‘you don’t have to do this for attention. You got your own flags. You got your own song they play in the stadium,’” Ole Miss coach Pete Golding said jokingly after the game. “I think he got a little bit banged up, but and that dude’s tough as nails.”
Chambliss has had to be that tough to get where he is now. He started his collegiate career at Division II Ferriss State, but didn’t see the field for most of two seasons.
“Being at Ferris State earlier on in my career, I was definitely contemplating if football was for me,” Chambliss said after the Rebels’ 41-10 win against Tulane in the College Football Playoff. “I redshirted my first two years…I was like ‘dang, I haven’t played a sport in two years. Should I really play, or should I transfer to play basketball, maybe?’
“There was doubt that the dream of me playing Division I football at the highest level was there. So, I’m glad that it didn’t die.”
Ole Miss fans are glad, too. Since taking over for Austin Simmons early this season, Chambliss has been great for the Rebels. He finished eighth in voting for the Heisman and has 3,800 yards of total offense and 27 touchdowns.
“It’s crazy to think about how my life has changed since being at Division II Ferris State and now being at Division I Ole Miss and playing in the SEC,” Chambliss said. “It’s a surreal moment.”
Chambliss is one of the best stories of this college football season and his story will continue in a rematch against the only team to beat Ole Miss: Georgia.
“To have another shot at Georgia, a lot of our teammates are excited about that,” Chambliss said. “We felt like we played really good versus Georgia early on in the season. We just couldn’t finish it. I struggled in the fourth quarter and I have a lot of redemption to do in the next game. So, I’m excited to get back at them.”
Chambliss and the Rebels will get their chance on New Year’s Day at the Caesar Superdome in New Orleans.
As for the possibility of Chambliss’s story continuing after the Rebels’ CFP run, he’s still waiting to hear if his waiver for another year of eligibility will be granted.
“I have not yet,” Chambliss said. “We are still waiting to hear, and yeah, we’ll see.”
