SERVING SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI SINCE 1927 • WWW.STUDENTPRINTZ.COM • SEPTEMBER 8, 2021 | VOLUME 107 | ISSUE 3
NEW UNIFORMS
DAJON RICHARD
PG 7
PG 2
SOUTH ALABAMA
PG 8
Will Hall returns to call first home game as Southern Miss Head Coach CHARLIE LUTTRELL SM2 NEWS DIRECTOR
While Southern Miss did not
get its desired start to the 2021 season with a 31-7 loss, Head Coach Will Hall looks to recover when he makes his long-awaited debut at The Rock. Hall called the season-opener a ‘humiliating’ loss, but took blame for mistakes and emphasized that this season is going to be a process of getting to where the team wants to be. “We have a long way to go, and we knew that tonight going into it,” Hall said. “We are building this program back. It doesn’t look like it tonight, but we are. We are far away right now, but we will keep digging and keep fighting.” After coaching for 16 years at eight different universities, Hall, a native of Amory, Mississippi, seized the opportunity to become a Division One head coach in his home state and will call his first game in Mississippi against Grambling State on Sept. 11. Hall’s roots were in Mississippi, where he was raised in a football family. His father, Bobby Hall, is one of the winningest coaches in state history. Hall personally played quarterback at Northwest Mississippi Community College. Though he is only five-foot-seven, he became a two-time junior college All-American before playing his last two years at North Alabama. Since coming on campus early this year, Hall and his staff have taken the task of guiding a program that, last season, endured several challenges, including player opt-outs, COVID-19 cancellations and three head coaching changes. While Hall has not translated his coaching into the win column yet, Southern Miss fans and players have adopted the culture he and his staff have established during the offseason. “He brings the juice,” senior tackle
Khalique Washington said after a practice in spring. “We went through everything that happened last year with the good and the ugly, but he brought the juice back into the program.” Hall’s hiring brought stability back to the program. Since starting the program, he has made it his mission to install a culture that teaches team values. “We’ve got to build a culture where we’re going to make each other the best we can every day, but we’ve got to know that we’re black and gold in this together,” Hall said. This new culture is best shown with Hall’s latest abbreviation, “AIE”. It stands for “Attitude is Everything” -- a motto that the team has used in their approach to football and even life. “It’s just a whole different environment,” junior running back Darius Maberry said. “Nobody comes here and complains[. It’s] just let’s get to work. There’s no negative energy, just positive vibes only.” The newer culture has also had an effect on the fanbase, with season ticket sales surpassing their totals from past seasons. “Coach Hall has done a great job of getting people excited,” Director of Athletics Jeremy McClain said. Through his rhetoric and energy, Hall has gotten the fanbase and players excited, but he has remained serious and focused on where he wants to bring the program. “We’re pushing this thing back to where it’s going to be,” Hall said. “It’s going to take time. How quick we get there, I’m not sure yet. I hope we get there fast, but we are headed in the right direction.”
Head Coach Will Hall celebrate touchdown against South Alabama. Austin Lindsey | Printz
NEWS ONLINE THIS WEEK + 4th Street Sports predict upcoming season + Southern Miss preps for new NIL rules Read more at www.studentprintz.com
MEET THE STAFF SM2 News Director
Charlie Luttrell charles.luttrell@usm.edu
Executive Editor
Mary Murphy mary.s.murphy@usm.edu
Sports Director
Austin Lindsey austin.lindsey@usm.edu
WUSM Program Director Charles Arnold charles.p.arnold@usm.edu
Photographers
Scarlett Gully scarlett.gully@usm.edu
SEPTEMBER 8, 2021
Eagles get a new look for a new era CHARLIE LUTTRELL SM2 NEWS DIRECTOR
As Head Coach Will Hall
choice to wear the new white helmet. The alternate helmet gives the starts his tenure at Southern Miss, a team 18 uniform combinations, inset of new uniforms complement the cluding new all-white and gold unirefreshing spirits for the program’s forms. The gold jerseys have more of future. a muted tone and have white numbers The new uniforms were first preinstead of the traditional black. viewed on Jul. 14 through the team’s “To be able to have a different official Twitter account. Hall said that, color helmet and so many combinathroughout the program’s history, tions...that’s going to be fun,” senior the team has never had a consistent offensive lineman Arvin Fletcher said brand. He hopes that the new uniforms will cultivate the program’s im- on Conference USA Media Day. As for the uniform design, Southage by combining its past and present. “What we wanted to do was create ern Miss followed a principle of “simple is better”. The new uniforms add a uniform that has a very uniform clean-cut stripes along the shoulders look,” Hall said. “We’re trying to and pants. The two-bar stripe gives create a brand that matches our the team its first true shoulder stripe history and tradition, something that the young kids think has swag, but the since its 1990s uniforms. Southern Miss also implemented older crowd looks at and feels like it its tri-color scheme of black, gold and has a classy look to it.” white into each uniform combination While the new uniforms are not by alternating the stripe colors with a complete overhaul of the past set, the jersey colors. which debuted four years ago at the A subtle but major difference with start of the program’s sponsorship the new jerseys is the absence of any with Adidas, the new changes are all outlines on the numbers and lettering. in the details. The most noticeable change is the addition of a white hel- This includes ditching the old jersey outlines, instead featuring Adidas’ met, which is a first for the program. “Primeknit A1” template, a chevron The Golden Eagles will still have its traditional black lids, but will have the pattern along the torso area.
The views represented in The Student Printz’s columns and editorials do not represent those of the faculty, staff or administration of The University of Southern Mississippi. We welcome letters to the editor representing similar and contrasting opinions. To be eligible for publication, all submission must include name, class distinction, major, phone number and email address. Submissions should be emailed to printzeditors@ gmail.com by 5 p.m. on the Friday before publication. Please limit them to 500 words or less. The Student Printz reserves the right to refuse publication or edit any material on the basis of clarity, space or journalistic ethics.
Opinions expressed in The Student Printz are those of the writer and not necessarily those of The Student Printz, its publication manager, USM, the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning or the USM Board of Student Publications.
WWW.STUDENTPRINTZ.COM
A close-up of Southern Miss’s new uniforms. Charlie Luttrell | Printz
According to Adidas, the Primeknit technology helps protect “high-contact zones” and creates a tight fit that helps secure the shoulder pads. There are also mesh patterns in the jersey that allow for cooling. Just as the new uniforms hit the field, fans have already developed opinions on which one is their favorite. In a poll created by The Student Printz, a majority of the fans picked the all-white uniform as their favorite combination, earning 39 of the 78 total votes. Southern Miss fan and Sippi’s Sports Show host Jeff Arrington also agreed that he wants to see the Golden Eagles wear its all-white option. “Because it looks clean, I want to see the all-whites first,” Arrington said. “But the one that wins is what I [really] want.” The traditional black and gold combination finished with the second-most votes, while all black finished third. The uniforms will be featured throughout the season, so keep an eye out for them each game.
NEWS
SEPTEMBER 8, 2021
Trey Lowe III takes reins as starting quarterback CHARLIE LUTTRELL SM2 NEWS DIRECTOR
Southern Miss’s quarterback position posed a question
for the team after it lost its first and second string options from 2020, but returning redshirt sophomore quarterback Trey Lowe III has since emerged as the team’s next starting quarterback. Lowe is the most experienced quarterback on the team’s roster, only a year removed from transferring from West Virginia University. He saw action almost immediately in his first season as a Golden Eagle when former quarterback Jack Abraham suffered an injury against Rice. Lowe struggled in his first two starts after being thrust into the role but showed promise in the season finale. He threw for 209 yards, two touchdowns and an interception in a 45-31 win against Florida Atlantic University. Head Coach Will Hall noticed Lowe’s consistent improvement since coming onto campus earlier this year. “He had a phenomenal spring, not just in the 15 practices of spring ball, but also with the way he’s attacked the off-season program in lifting and conditioning,” Hall said. “He’s developed into a leader.” COVID freshman Frank Gore Jr. said that Lowe sets the example of hard work for the team. Since coming onto campus at six-foot-two and 218 pounds, Lowe bulked up to almost 235 pounds at the start of fall camp. “He’s a warrior,” Gore said. “He’s the first in the weight room and last one out. He’s a hard worker, so he’s going to get better every day.” Hall said Lowe has built on his strengths but has also used the offseason to improve his offensive knowledge. Hall has expressed that his offensive scheme this season is complex, paralleling professional schemes. Lowe participated in the Manning Passing Academy in July, where he learned how to become a better quarterback from football greats Eli and Peyton Manning. “Just working with Eli and Peyton
was a good opportunity[,] and working with other quarterbacks to see where you are made it a great experience,” Lowe said. Lowe has also spent time practicing with his receiving corps, including individual practices with emerging lead receiver Jason Brownlee. “He understands that every night is an opportunity to do better or worse. There’s no such thing as no change,” Hall said. “He [Brownlee] and Trey were throwing together the other day in the rain[. They] are putting in work all the time.” While Lowe is the clear starter going into the season, newcomers Tee Webb and Ty Keyes have competed for the backup spot and have the potential to step up if needed. Webb, a transfer from Louisville, was ranked as the No. 16 pro-style quarterback in his class coming from Cartersville High School in Georgia, where he posted a 52-3 record as starter. Keyes is a true freshman and highly touted four-star recruit from Taylorsville, Mississippi. He won three state championships and threw for 115 touchdowns and 14,525 yards. His talents as a runner helped land him a No. 7 national ranking for dual-threat quarterbacks. With fall camp at an end and the season just beginning, Hall expresses no doubt in his faith at putting Lowe as the starter. “I’m the most blessed human in the world. I’ve got my dream job, a beautiful wife and I’ve got a great quarterback who loves football and lives life as a winner,” Hall said. Lowe and the offense struggled in the opening game against South Alabama, with Hall taking the blame for the offense’s play and Lowe deferring it to himself. “We were doing uncharacteristic things but we can fix it,” Lowe said. “It’s game one. We’ll get it fixed.”
WWW.STUDENTPRINTZ.COM
NEWS
SEPTEMBER 8, 2021 WWW.STUDENTPRINTZ.COM Southern Miss offense looks for depth development, consistency outside of top playmakers
AUSTIN LINDSEY SPORTS DIRECTOR
Since the start of
camp, it is sure to say that Trey Lowe and Frank Gore Jr. have been the model of consistency for the offense. Lowe has bulked up in the weight room and strengthened his arm. Lowe’s passes were thumping wide receivers in the chest at the start of camp. In the run game, Lowe will be hard to get on the ground and Gore is simply hard to put a hand on with his ability to make guys miss. The quarterback and the running back duo have flourished in camp with the help of play in the trenches. The offensive line is led by returning starter Arvin Fletcher and Khalique Washington. The duo has been a force to be reckoned with under the leadership of offensive line coach Jeremy Darveau. Throughout camp, the offensive line has created huge holes for running backs and provided time for quarterbacks to make plays in the pocket. In the second scrimmage game of fall camp, the rushing attack put up 515 rushing yards in 77 rushing plays. In comparison to
the first fall scrimmage, it was a complete turnaround, as there were only 139 yards rushing. On “Competition Tuesday”, as Hall has coined it, Tykeem Doss earned the edge over Briason Mays for the starting left tackle position and Bryce Foxworth had earned the starting right guard spot. The major takeaway from the offensive line has been their physicality and the depth the squad has at multiple positions. “We feel like we have two deep units at O-line, which is rare at the group of five-level, “ Head Coach Will Hall said. Competition at the running back position The secondary running back competition became interesting to watch behind Gore Jr. as Darius Maberry, Dajon Richard and Dee Baker battled in camp. Maberry earned the edge as the second back, as he showed out with 12 carries on 131 yards rushing in the second scrimmage. Richard took the third spot. The receiving corps is young with talent and has a couple of returning names. The receiver room has returning starters,
Antoine “Shurdy” Robinson and Demarcus Jones, who each received 200 plus yards last season. The two have looked solid as Shurdy has performed numerous highlight grabs throughout camp. Hinds Community College transfer Jakarrius Caston has added questions to the slot receiver position as the newcomer has made his presence felt. Last but not least, star wideout Jason Brownlee, though injured throughout camp, has remained solid. Brownlee caught two passes for 84 yards in the first scrimmage game, which were two huge gains that led to touchdowns. The former Taylorsville’s three-star quarterback, Ty Keyes, has adjusted well to the Golden Eagles system. At the start of camp, Keyes had a bit of adjusting to do, adjusting to the new playbook. The backup quarterback battle was close throughout camp. When fall camp first got underway, the slight edge seemed to lean towards Webb, but he hit a roadblock at the start of the last week of camp, throwing five interceptions in two days.
Keyes did not play his best when Webb struggled, as he was sacked multiple times in the backfield in the first scrimmage game. Since then, Keyes’s talent level has been on full display as he ran 12 times for 114 yards in the second scrimmage game. Keyes has been able to use his legs to scramble but has thrown some impressive passes. “He’s going to [learn] because he puts everything he has into it. It’s a lot on him, but man can he can play football. I sure am glad they [the Keyes family] trusted me to coach him,” Hall said. Southern Miss’s offense struggled in the first game against South Alabama, turning the ball over with two interceptions and two lost fumbles and only produced seven points. Lowe called his and the offense’s performance ‘uncharacteristic’. “The good thing is that it’s all fixable,” Hall said. “We’ve got to run the plays and we’ve got to read them right. We’ve got to catch the balls that hit us in the hands.” Southern Miss will look to fix its mistakes by the next game on Sept. 11.
‘The Nasty Bunch is back’: New defense promises return to defensive dominance over upcoming season CHARLIE LUTTRELL SM2 NEWS DIRECTOR
A year after ranking near the
bottom of Conference USA defensive leaderboards, new Defensive Coordinator Austin Armstrong and company have focused on one priority for the season: bringing the Nasty Bunch back. “The first thing we wanted to do here is [teach] how to play defense,” Armstrong said. “Getting to coach in a place with such history and tradition, especially on the defensive side of the ball, it’s really almost a responsibility.” Armstrong comes from his stint as an inside linebackers coach at Louisiana at Lafayette, where he helped the Ragin Cajuns last season hold three top-five defensive national rankings. At 28-years-old, he is the youngest coordinator in the Football Bowl Subdivision. Despite his youth, Head Coach Will Hall has praised Armstrong as a “phenomenal” teacher, a skill that the
new defensive coordinator has used to help players learn the new scheme. Armstrong said he has utilized the use of various learning styles to accommodate learning preferences. “It’s a complicated but simple scheme at the same time,” senior linebacker Devin Thomas said. “When we don’t understand something, he [Armstrong] can bring it down to our level to help, and then we as a team tried to do a good job of listening and applying what they teach to us.” Along with the new scheme, Armstrong and his staff have aimed to install a mentality that reflects the defense’s moniker: speed, toughness and physicality. “We want to control the game and not let them control us,” Thomas said. “We don’t want to react, we want to be proactive. Armstrong, Coach Mark Kriner, and all the defensive coaches have done a good job of putting that mindset into the game.”
In the new scheme, the secondary has transitioned to man-to-man coverage, a task that defensive back Malik Shorts said has taught him to be more patient on defense. “It’s about knowing what to read and when to read it. After that, he [Armstrong] just wants us to play fast and be ourselves,” Shorts said in spring camp. The new mentality Armstrong and his staff have aimed to install represents the values that the defense’s moniker represents: speed, toughness and physicality.Southern Miss’s defense is led by team veterans but has an influx of newcomers, including Ole Miss transfer safety Jay Stanley and Southeastern Louisiana transfer linebacker Josh Carr Jr. The team has noted its depth at the linebacker position throughout camp, a corps that redshirt freshman LB TQ Newsome said is versatile. “A lot of our guys can do a lot of
different things. We have athleticism in the room, we’re a really smart bunch and we’re going to surprise a lot of people,” Newsome said. However, injuries have plagued the linebacker and defensive line position throughout camp. Multiple starters have sat during fall practice with injuries, causing Hall and his staff to prepare different rotations in those groups. While the Nasty Bunch’s return will depend on the unit’s health, the framework is in place with the new scheme and a refreshed mindset We know what’s coming to us and we’re going to be aggressive, go out there and strike somebody,” Thomas said. “That’s the whole mentality as defense -- the Nasty Bunch is back.”
NEWS
SEPTEMBER 8, 2021
WWW.STUDENTPRINTZ.COM
Southern Miss plans for return to ‘normal’ gameday experience CHARLIE LUTTRELL SM2 NEWS DIRECTOR
A year ago, college sports
became severely limited with the first challenges of COVID-19. Now, Southern Miss and other colleges across the country hold onto their optimism that sports will return to normalcy, despite the rapid spread of the COVID Delta variant. As the football home-opener against Grambling State approaches on Sept. 11, Director of Athletics Jeremy McClain said that the school will stick to its goal of returning to full attendance while still ensuring safety by continuing some protocols from last year, including social distancing in lines and hand sanitizing stations. “We’re going to continue to try to do those things, but we’re not in a situation this year, at least now, where we’re going to limit capacity or put a mask mandate for an outdoor event,” McClain said on Aug.19. At the beginning of the last football season, the typical gameday experience was fundamentally altered. With a state or-
der that limited attendance to 25%, Southern Miss operated last season around a maximum of 9,000 fans per game in M.M. Roberts Stadium. This meant traditions like the Eagle Walk, the Pride’s halftime shows and on-campus tailgating remained absent throughout the year. “Last year when we didn’t get to do some things, you were able to take a step back and realize I won’t take that for granted again. [...] I hope our folks see this as a chance to get back and do some of the things we all love and that’s getting our students and people back in The Rock and winning football games,” McClain said. McClain hopes to build on the momentum from the excitement built around first-year Southern Miss Football Head Coach Will Hall’s team. “Anyone who’s ever played sports will understand that momentum is real and it’s valuable,” McClain said. “So when you gain momentum as we have over the summer [...] you want to make sure
Fans cheer on Southern Miss at South Alabama game. Austin Lindsey | Printz
you can maintain that and it comes in different forms.” With plans to return to a more traditional gameday experience, Southern Miss aims to utilize the newly built Southern Station in Spirit Park for the first time. Former Southern Miss baseball player and now singer Adam Doleac will begin the Spirit Park Live concert series before Southern Miss’s home-opener against Grambling State. "This is also part of a grand re-opening of our Southern Miss football gameday experience as we transition back to normal,” Southern Miss Senior Associate Director of Athletics for External Relations Brad Smith said in a press release. “The fan experience plays a critical part in creating one of the best gameday atmospheres in the country and we're looking forward to Sept. 11." The return to in-person events and gameday traditions will be a first for many students and student-athletes who did not experience them last season. “This is like my first year in college really,” COVID-freshman running back Frank Gore Jr. said. “I get to see everything like the Eagle Walk[,] so
I’m very excited for this season.” As for the game itself, players have expressed their excitement at the idea of having a full stadium of fans again for the first time in nearly two years. “They [the fans] bring the energy,” redshirt sophomore tight end Cole Cavallo said. “This is the best atmosphere you can ever be in. I’ve been to Alabama, but nothing compares to the Rock when it’s at full capacity.” As Mississippi has become one of the nation’s COVID hotspots with the second-highest ranking of cases per capita, McClain and the athletic staff have encouraged people to get vaccinated to help ensure a safer return. The efforts have resulted in almost 90% of the football team and staff being fully vaccinated. “I hope that what it says to the sports fans in Hattiesburg is, although we have to be very conscious of what’s happening around us, we’re moving in a direction where we can begin to do some things that feel normal,” McClain said.
FEATURES
SEPTEMBER 8, 2021 WWW.STUDENTPRINTZ.COM
Black and gold scrubs: linebacker balances football and medical career aspirations CHARLES ARNOLD WUSM PROGRAM DIRECTOR
Taquoris “TQ” Newsome
is known around campus for his play on the gridiron as a linebacker for the Golden Eagles, but what the average fan watching the game may not know about him is what he’s accomplishing in the classroom and his career aspirations. TQ is a member of the Honors College as a part of the Keystone Program, after having joined in his academic junior year. He excels in the classroom, and as one of his mentors, Dr. Thomas O’Brien said, he does so with grace and makes keeping up with the rigorous Honors College academics look easy, and all while having a great attitude in class. Newsome has aspirations of becoming an orthopedic surgeon when he graduates from Southern Miss and has already begun learning from his early interest in the field. Newsome grew up in a medical family. His mother and godmother are both dentists, inspiring him to enter
Scarlett Gully | Printz
the medical field. “[S]eeing such strong women make real changes in people’s lives…has really been my biggest driving force in wanting to get into that field,” Newsome said. Through his mother and godmother, Newsome has had many opportunities to work with mentors and shadow some surgeons in the Hattiesburg area, mainly Dr. Rob Robertson, a foot and ankle specialist at Southern Bone & Joint Specialists. While shadowing Dr. Robertson, Newsome has had the opportunity to see what he does in the operating room during various procedures like ligament reconstruction and knee amputations. As Newsome continues to immerse himself in the medical field, he continues to advance his football career at Southern Miss. Newsome was a three-star quarterback recruit out of Gulfport High School but transitioned to running back in his freshman year at Southern
Miss. Newsome again made the switch to linebacker, which he currently plays. In terms of excelling in the classroom and how he does it on top of being a Division I athlete, Newsome said that he applies the discipline and persistence that he’s developed from playing the game of football, and through that discipline, he has learned to become very organized. Newsome credits his organizational skills accenting his ability to stay on top of things as some of the main reasons that he’s able to keep a workgame-life balance. O’Brien also described him as having one of the best smiles on campus. “I make it a point every day to affect at least one person positively, and if I do that then I consider it a good day,” Newsome said. In addition to being successful on the football field and in the classroom, Newsome has also excelled in the opportunities that he has had outside of the classroom.
In addition to working with Dr. Robertson, he has had the opportunity to research the safety and regulation of football helmets. Newsome has studied the protocols of the National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE) and how the tests are applied to various helmets in different settings (NFL, NCAA, etc.), seeing how the data looks on closer inspection across the spectrum. With this research, manufacturers of football equipment could potentially be held to higher standards for athlete safety should any discrepancies be found in the treatment of the protocol. “I’m questioning whether the manufacturers are making the helmets just to pass a test and make money, or if they’re actually doing what they’re supposed to [and] designing a helmet for the effect[iveness] that they say it has,” Newsome said. Newsome has expressed that he wants to stick around Southern Miss for graduate school for the remainder of his football eligibility and cites the University of Mississippi, Louisiana State University, Howard University and Morehouse College as some of his top programs to attend medical school once he is done studying here in Hattiesburg. “He’s got a bright future in this program, but even more, he’s got a bright future in life,” Head Coach Will Hall said. TQ’s background is…impressive, to say the least. How can someone keep up with sports and studies like he does? “It’s all about being persistent, having discipline and having a goal and just working towards that goal, even if it’s a small step,” said Newsome, “and really making good connections with people.” Even though Newsome will have to hang up his cleats one day, he has ensured that he will receive a new uniform when he gets his scrubs.
FEATURES SEPTEMBER 8, 2021 WWW.STUDENTPRINTZ.COM More than a number: transfer running back Dajon Richard dedicates football journey to family AUSTIN LINDSEY SPORTS DIRECTOR
Although running back
child, what am I going to do? I may have cried for the first year because every time I thought about it, it just was devastating.” The first news of the diagnosis sent shockwaves throughout Blair’s family. “It hurt to see a little kid so young deal with cancer,” Phillips said. “Everybody was feeling pain.” Blair initially underwent surgery to remove a five-inch tumor, but, because of complications, doctors were only able to remove a portion of it. He then received seven rounds of chemotherapy as the family hoped for improvement.
Dajon Richard has just begun his tenure as a Golden Eagle, he has already emerged as a rising force in the running back corps after impressing coaches and teammates throughout fall camp. As the standout Hinds Community College transfer dons his new colors of black and gold, he has kept a number that is a reminder of what he has to fight for. Richard has worn the number six since his days at Patterson High School in his hometown of Patterson, Louisiana, a small town with a population of around 6,000 people. For Richard, football presented the opportunity to do what he loved and to stick to his father’s word. “I let him know the streets aren’t for nobody -- there are better things in life.” Tarrike Phillips, Richard’s father, said. “I emphasized education and a degree. I’ve been there [the streets], so I refused to let any one of my kids go through that.” Richard’s collegiate football journey has been a winding path, with Southern Miss being his third college in three years. However, Richard’s connection with his family has kept him motivated throughout his football and school career. To this day, Richard remembers a conversation he had with his late grandmother, who died when he was nine years old, that still Austin Lindsey | Printz inspires him. “She grabbed me one day and told Jennings said the family stayed me that I’m the one that would get my strong throughout the process, and family out,” Richard said. “I really do Richard in particular stuck by Blair’s this for a lot of people.” side. This includes his seven-year-old “He would always come down cousin, Samuel Blair. Blair was diagthe street and check on Samuel and nosed with stage five neuroblastoma the kids. He’d take Samuel down the on October 18, 2017, when he was street and let him ride his four-wheeljust two years old. Neuroblastoma is er and walk behind him to guide an extremely rare adrenal cancer, with him,” Jennings said. “Any holiday or less than 20,000 cases per year report- just any time he was home or wasn’t ed in the United States. busy, he asked me when Sam gets out Marchele Jennings, Blair’s mothof school. If Samuel was upset, Dajon er, said the family discovered Blair’s would come around and bring him stomach was swollen during a routine to the store and let him get anything check-up. Jennings brought Blair to he wanted. That’s just how he is. He the Women’s and Children’s Hospital loves my son, his whole family, everyin Lafayette, Louisiana, where, after body.” a series of tests and an ultrasound, Richard first heard about Blair’s doctors told the family that Blair had cancer while still playing high school cancer. football, where he wore the number “I was just crying because the six. Since then, Richard has decided first thing you think about somebody to keep that number and dedicate it to having cancer, you think they’re going his cousin, who he calls “Sammy J”. to die,” Jennings said. “If I lose my “He’s the strongest man I know,
and he pushes me to go harder every day. […] Everywhere I go, I’ve been wearing that number for him,” Richard said. “His dream is to play football, and he can’t do that anymore, so I’ve got to do that for him.” “The fact that he dedicated his whole career to my son is a blessing,” Jennings said. “Everything he does revolves around Samuel. Ever since he found out that Sam had cancer, he’s just been there, since day one.” After years of treatments and surgeries, Jennings and the rest of the family heard the news they wanted: as of May 2021, Blair is cancer-free.
Since then, Blair has been able to play recreational basketball and flag football, where he hopes to sport the number six, just as his cousin. Richard still keeps close to Blair, too. During Richard’s signing day at Hinds Community this past summer, Blair sat by his side as he made his decision to attend Southern Miss. Richard’s decision marked his return to Division One Football a year after transferring from South Alabama to the community college level. As Richard makes his way back to the playing field, Phillips, who coached his son until high school, reflects on Richard’s passion for the sport. “Growing up, he always walked around with a football in his hand and he wanted to be a great athlete, that’s what he told me,” Phillips said. “When he touches that football field, he’s a different Dajon. Coming up in high school he played every position he could have played, that’s how great
of an athlete he is.” This drive was especially important during COVID-19. In the midst of the pandemic, Richard had to make the most out of his limited time on the field during a shortened season. “It was hard to get out of JUCO with the COVID situation. I had to do my thing, and with just four games in the season, I had to dig deep.” Richard said. And he did dig deep. In four games, Richard was able to produce 437 yards rushing on 72 carries and tacked on 14 receptions out of the backfield for 80 yards, which ultimately gained the attention of Southern Miss. As Richard transitions to his new team, he has already developed new relationships in the locker room and has felt welcomed by the coaches. “The coaches are outstanding, they love us,” Richard said. “They help us out every day. They are behind us for real, for real.” Jakarius Caston, another Hinds transfer who joined the Golden Eagles this summer, had nothing but good things to say about Richard. “That’s my best friend. We came from the same struggle,” Richard said. “I could relate to him. We’re doing it for the same reasons.” In the first game of the season, Southern Miss faced Richard’s former college, South Alabama. Richard wore cleats with #DoItFaSammyJ written on them against the Jaguars, along with other notes dedicated to his family. And he was not the only one who dressed for the occasion. “When I see South Alabama, I’m going to go crazy with the Southern Miss attire on to let them know what they had,“ Phillips said. While Richard is listed as the third running back on the depth chart, running backs coach Jordy Joseph said he will be an important part of their run game this season. “I’ve seen him be physical at the point of attack, which is great and I’ve seen him have a great balance and staying up on runs,” Joseph said. “I think he is going to help us this year a lot.” Jennings said that she and her family are looking into attending Southern Miss’s first home game against Grambling State University, as Blair wishes to be on the sideline to support Richard.
SPORTS
SEPTEMBER 8, 2021 WWW.STUDENTPRINTZ.COM Southern Miss falls to South Alabama in season opener, again
CHARLIE LUTTRELL SM2 NEWS DIRECTOR
South Alabama beat South-
ern Miss in its season-opener for the second consecutive year, spoiling Head Coach Will Hall’s debut with a 31-7 victory. Hall’s first game did not go to plan, with Southern Miss turning the ball over five times and allowing 31 unanswered points. Hall said the team executed poorly on offense and took the blame. “I’ve been around football for a long time,” Hall said. “I’ve been a part of 11 championship teams and that’s probably the worst offensive performance I’ve ever been a part of. That’s humiliating; it’s on me.” While Southern Miss had 159 rushing yards, it averaged less than three yards per attempt and its passing game never materialized, with quarterback Trey Lowe III and receivers struggling in the game. Lowe threw for 13 of 29 for 133 yards and two interceptions. “When we threw it to the right guy, we dropped it. When we had people wide open, we didn’t read it right. We had guys miss signals and bust routes,” Hall said. “Trey made some errant throws and some bad
reads.” While the offense struggled, Hall said the defense battled throughout the match, outside of allowing a few deep passes. “I really liked the fight that we had in the end,” safety Malik Shorts said. “We didn’t give up. But really, [we needed to] cancel out those points so we can have a ball game to give our offense a chance.” While the offense never found a consistent flow, the defense started strong, limiting South Alabama to 17 yards in the first quarter and holding quarterback Jake Bentley to eight yards. “I thought there were only a few times defensively that we were out of position,” Hall said. “I thought we played hard and took some major steps to play good defense.” Southern Miss capitalized on its defensive pressure, drawing the first score on a quarterback sneak by Lowe at the end of the first quarter. Hall used Lowe heavily in the rushing game, with 19 carries, tying Frank Gore Jr. for the most in the game. The game started physically, with Lowe absorbing hard hits and
losing his helmet twice in the first quarter. Early in the second quarter, the Jaguars kickstarted as they found connections in the passing game, targeting receiver Jalen Tolbert for a gain of 17 yards and then a 49-yard play. Bentley then completed a short one-yard pass to his tight end Trent Tyre to tie the game 7-7. Southern Miss failed to contain Tolbert, who ended the night with five catches for 168 yards. Tolbert similarly gave the Golden Eagles a headache in its previous matchup last season with 169 yards and two touchdowns. “Tolbert is an athlete,” Shorts said. “He got what he had and he wanted it more than we did.” The Jaguars continued its momentum by forcing Camron Harrell to fumble on the kickoff return, giving the team field position near the red zone. Bentley continued to target Tolbert at the start of the third quarter with a 27-yard completion, which led to a quarterback sneak touchdown. After starting zero of two, Bentley
found a rhythm, throwing 14 consecutive completions and finishing the night with 17 of 22 for 269 yards and two touchdowns. Southern Miss gained traction in the second half but fumbled in the red zone on two consecutive drives, one being a center to quarterback exchange, and the next on a run from Darius Maberry. “The turnovers in the red zone were killer,” Lowe said. “We weren’t giving ourselves the opportunity with turnovers.” Lowe threw an interception to Shawn Steele II near the end of the first half and ended the game with a pick-six that gave South Alabama its final 31-7 lead. “We’ve got a long way to go,” Hall said. “We knew that tonight going in. As we build this program back, we’ll keep digging and fighting.” Shorts and Lowe both said they will start working after the game to watch tape and make corrections as the team moves onto its next home matchup on Sept. 11 against Grambling State.