The Heart of the Rebel Nation

Photo by Robert Jordan

Archie Manning is ours, and we are his. He is my generation’s greatest childhood football hero. When Johnny Vaught was the father of Ole Miss football and Archie was the prince.

If you and your daddy ever paced around the living room in front of the family stereo, holding on with all you had, as the Rebels were locked in a great late fourth-quarter battle with LSU in Baton Rouge, then you know why Archie is in charge now. The absolute jubilation of a 1970s Ole Miss kid as Stan “The Man” Torgerson yelled back to every Ole Miss kid in Mississippi…HE SCORESSS! It was bliss, and when you remember it again now, then you know why Archie is in charge.

My brother and I yelled and danced around the living room, Momma jumped up and clapped and Dad yelled, more like roared, and pumped his fists in the Oxford air. The good times were on, and we knew we won because Archie was in charge.

Finally, after we settled down, Dad put his ear to the radio to hear every post game word out of Stan’s mouth. As soon as the broadcast ended, then a rare thing happened. We got phone calls at 11 p.m., and it was cool with the folks. Cause it was Uncle Joe and Uncle Hubert and granddaddy calling to roar on the phone with dad and shake their fists in the Jackson and New Albany air.

We laid in our beds excitedly replaying it in our heads. You could see the green field and feel Tiger Stadium and see Archie under center in white and it was a sweet sleep the 70’s Rebel kids fell off into that night because we were in Archie’s Army. And then real early on Sunday morning, I made the run with dad to the newspaper stands at the Holiday Inn. And when I jumped back in the car and Dad popped open the Clarion Ledger sports section and there was a huge color shot of Archie on the run with the ball in his hand, looking down field in Tiger Stadium, then I absolutely knew in my Ole Miss heart that Archie Manning would always be in charge of my Ole Miss.

The line of Rebel legends is long and storied. From “Bruiser” Kinard to Johnny Vaught to Charlie Conerly to The Pooles to Jake, Ben, Deuce, Eli, Dexter and Donte and starting at Vandy with our best recruiting class ever. All the greats through the years had their place and led Ole Miss football into the future. They will live in the collective memory of the Rebel Nation, forever.

Childhood heroes can never lessen. They don’t fade. Archie Manning was my childhood hero as he was for so many. He doesn’t need a title. That’s not what I mean. Hugh Freeze is our man and the SEC knows we are coming. But through the years, if ever Archie takes to a microphone to speak to Ole Miss, then I’ll be right there with him. I’m still in Archie’s Army.

So when you look at this photo you aren’t just looking at a Colonel Reb and an Ole Miss Homecoming Queen, although that in itself would be enough. And you’re not just looking at Mr. and Mrs. Archie Manning either. You are looking at the very heart of Ole Miss and the Rebel family is blessed that he is ours, and we are his. –– John Cofield