University of Mississippi eGrove Daily Mississippian Journalism and New Media, School of 2-3-2012 February 2, 2012 The Daily Mississippian Follow this and additional works at: https://egrove.olemiss.edu/thedmonline Recommended Citation The Daily Mississippian, "February 2, 2012" (2012). Daily Mississippian. 418. https://egrove.olemiss.edu/thedmonline/418 This Newspaper is brought to you for free and open access by the Journalism and New Media, School of at eGrove. It has been accepted for inclusion in Daily Mississippian by an authorized administrator of eGrove. For more information, please contact [email protected]. 1 DTheailyMississippian Thursday, February 2, 2012 thedmonline.com Vol. 100 No. 240 Despite rankings, Freeze touts first recruiting class and his staff made up a lot of three hats representing Oklahoma ground, getting official visits and State, LSU and Ole Miss, Elston in-home visits to be in the running unzipped his jacket to reveal a red for top prospects, but they were not tie and picked up the Ole Miss hat able to win the final battles, which to indicate his commitment to the showed in the final recruiting Rebels. rankings. Ole Miss finished 44th “Our whole staff watched his nationally and 13th among the 14 decision,” Freeze said. “That was Southeastern Conference schools, the last of the 13 names we had on including Texas A&M and Mis- the board. That was the last name souri, according to Rivals.com. we were waiting on. We had one Ole Miss finished 63rd nationally change this morning with Kenno and last in the SEC, according to Loyal jumping into Jordan Tay- Scout.com. lor’s spot. To get Elston at the end “In this conference there is not was a big pick-me-up for our staff. anyone who is bad at recruiting,” We were thrilled.” Freeze said. “You are not going Elston, who played in both the to go to a place and it not be im- Alabama-Mississippi All-Star pressive and they not do a good Classic and the Under Armour job on recruiting weekends. Most All-American Game, was one of of them have been recruited for a a few players Freeze singled out in year and half and have developed his press conference yesterday as relationships. Our staff was a new immediate impact players. Join- staff. We were learning about each ing him in those two games were ADDISON DENT | The Daily Mississippian Ole Miss head football coach Hugh Freeze addresses the media in the Indoor Practice Facility team meeting room Wednesday. Ole Miss other and where our strengths Ward and South Panola defensive finished 44th nationally and 13th in the SEC according to Rivals.com, and 63rd nationally and last in the SEC according to Scout.com. were. We didn’t get to go to the tackle Issac Gross, and Freeze said spring period and get to the areas. he feels like both will be pushing BY AUSTIN MILLER munity College quarterback Bo this is a great class because I think “You put people out and try to people for playing time. [email protected] Wallace, who signed during the that is proven in time. I do think play to their strengths. I thought On the other side of the ball are junior college transfer signing pe- it is a very good class. We had to we were somewhat effective at get- Wallace and San Francisco Com- In less than two months after riod. All things considered, Freeze try to develop these relationships ting people into some homes. We munity College offensive tackle being introduced as the new head was pleased with his first recruit- in the tough recruiting battles that didn’t win all the battles that we Pierce Burton from the junior col- football coach, Hugh Freeze put ing class and is looking forward to you face in this conference. We are got into, but to get into some of lege ranks and a trio of running together a 19-player recruiting the future. thrilled with a lot of the outcomes those in just three weeks time with backs in Kenno Loyal, I’Tavius class, including 13 who signed “We are excited to have this day that we had.” some of the schools we were com- Mathers and Jaylen Walton who their National Letters of In- come and get it over with and get Given the compressed recruit- peting against was a great tribute will be expected to play this sea- tent yesterday. He held together our guys in the boat moving to- ing period and coming off 4-8 and to our staff.” son. much of this year’s class despite ward spring ball and being who 2-10 records the past two seasons, One of the recruiting battles Ole Ole Miss signed 19 this year to the coaching change and made a we are going to become here,” Freeze and his staff faced an up- Miss won played itself out on Na- get to the 85-player scholarship splash with the additions of Ab- Freeze said. “We are really excited hill battle in making inroads and tional Signing Day with Oxford, limit. If during the mid-year sign- erdeen defensive end Channing about our class. I’ll never stand building relationships with high Ala., defensive back Trae Elston’s Ward and East Mississippi Com- before you any year and say that school players and coaches. Freeze announcement on ESPNU. With See RECRUITING, PAGE 5 Nic Lott returns as keynote speaker for Black History Month BY JACOB BATTE Lott said being the first black former Oklahoma Congressman [email protected] ASB president meant a lot to J.C. Watts and former Gov. Ha- him. He recalled the memory ley Barbour, and he is currently By the late 1990s, the Univer- of a local reporter talking to him serving under Gov. Phil Bryant, sity of Mississippi had already shortly after the election. working with the Mississippi enrolled its first black student, “He said that at my age that I Development Authority. Con- cheered on its first black student- couldn’t possibly understand or gressman Watts was the highest- athlete, elected its first black Miss comprehend the significance of ranking black elected official in Ole Miss and crowned its first what it meant to minority stu- Congress while Lott worked for black Miss University. However, dents who had come and gone, him. at the turn of the millennium the to the alumni,” Lott said. “But Though he has been across students had yet to be led by a over the years, I have certainly the United States working with black Associated Student Body grasped the importance of it.” different politicians, Lott has re- president. Lott said he is happy to be able mained close to the university, But in February of the year to represent the university in such serving on various alumni com- 2000, that would change, as a positive way to the state and to mittees. Taylorsville native Nic Lott was the nation. Lott said he was very honored elected to be the first black ASB “I’m glad that my election when he was contacted to be part PHOTO COURTESY NIC LOTT president. Lott said he first began served as a symbol of how far of the Black History Month Kick Nic Lott, the first black Associated Student Body president at the University of Mississippi, to think about running for ASB our university has come, the Off at Ole Miss. speaks to a reporter from WAPT during the 2008 presidential debate at the Gertrude C. president the previous December great progress our university has “I am thrilled to be a part of Ford Center for Performing Arts. when he served as the state chair made and how we certainly ap- it, and I look forward to return- of the College Republicans his preciate and embrace diversity ing to campus to speak about 50 advantage of the opportunities “I encouraged them to visit,” junior year. When he heard the across the campus,” he said. “It’s years of integration,” he said. they have been afforded without he said. “They were amazed, news, Lott said he was surprised. great to be able to let folks know Lott said his speech will focus knowing the sacrifices and the when they would come to visit, at “I was very nervous about it, it was a new Ole Miss and that on the trials James Meredith tremendous courage that people how much it has changed.” but when the announcement we are open for diversity.” faced when he enrolled in 1962 had during those dark, evil days Lott will be speaking at noon came I was really excited,” he After he graduated from Ole and the ensuing 50 years of in- in our state.” in the Student Union lobby. For said. “I knew what it meant for Miss in 2001 with a degree in tegration that swept across the Lott said when he was in more information on black histo- me just to be able to accomplish political science, Lott interned nation. Washington, D.C., many people ry month at Ole Miss, visit zing. that goal. I was looking forward at the White House. He has also “It was not a cakewalk,” he still remembered the image of olemiss.edu/category/celebrat- to getting to work right away.” worked with Sen. Trent Lott, said. “A lot of folks today take old Mississippi. ing-black-history. 2 OPINION OPINION | 02.02.12 | THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN | PAGE 2 Washington needs an outsider BY SEAN HIGGINS with a Congress that is up for re- liberal U.S.