Ole Miss Chapter to Honor Two with NFF Awards

Skipper Jernigan
Photo courtesy of Ole Miss

The Ole Miss Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame will honor Arthur F. “Skipper” Jernigan of Madison, Mississippi, with its Distinguished American Award and Deano C. Orr of Bartlett, Tennessee, with the Contribution to Amateur Football Award here Saturday, Nov. 5 when the Rebels host Georgia Southern.  Kickoff for the ESPNU telecast is set for 11 a.m. CT at Vaught‑Hemingway Stadium/Hollingsworth Field.

The Distinguished American Award is presented by the Ole Miss Chapter to individuals who have set the standards for excellence in a life of service to the community, while the Contribution to Amateur Football Award is given in honor of those who have made numerous contributions to the college athletics world through service to their fellow man.

“We are pleased to honor these two individuals for their contributions to Ole Miss athletics,” said Richard Noble of Indianola, Mississippi, president of the Ole Miss Chapter.  “They are most deserving of this recognition, and having an on-campus salute provides an excellent opportunity to express our sincere appreciation for all they have done for Ole Miss.”

Skipper Jernigan, a partner in the Ridgeland, Mississippi law firm of Jernigan, Copeland & Anderson, has long been an active leader in community organizations and is known for his kindness to those he serves. He has served on a number of boards, including the YMCA Metropolitan Area, Mississippi Chapter National Multiple Sclerosis Society, University of Mississippi Alumni Board of Directors, Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Mississippi Children’s Home Services.  Mississippi Baptist Health Systems appointed Skipper as Chairman of its Board of Trustees last January for a two-year term.  He has served on Baptist’s board for nine years.

In addition to handling complex insurance and other types of litigation, Jernigan has also practiced in the area of adoption law for over 40 years, having handled hundreds of adoptions for Mississippi Children’s Home Services, other agencies and private parties.

Recently Senator Thad Cochran nominated him to receive the 2016 Angel In Adoption Award for Mississippi presented by the Congressional Coalition On Adoption in Washington.  He has lectured at numerous conferences on adoption law and is recognized in Mississippi as one of the premier adoption attorneys in the state.  Additionally, as part of his pro bono service to the Bar and the Jackson community, he has represented indigent parties on behalf of Mission First in the area of adoption law and related family matters.

As an offensive lineman, Jernigan earned All-America, All-Southern, All-Big Eight, All-State and Jackson Touchdown Club Player of the Year honors at Murrah High School, which won the 1966 Big Eight Championship.

After signing with Ole Miss, Jernigan was a two-time All-Southeastern Conference performer as he earned three varsity letters while playing for legendary coach John Vaught and helped lead the Rebels to three bowl games before being chosen to play in the 1971 Hula Bowl All-Star Game.  Jernigan received both his Bachelor of Business Administration and Juris Doctor degrees from the University of Mississippi.

A 2011 Ole Miss Sports Hall of Fame inductee, Jernigan and his wife, the former Judy Lynn Williams, are longtime members of Northminster Baptist Church and have been active in various church activities, including teaching Sunday School, Meals On Wheels and the Billy Brumfield House, which is affiliated with Stewpot Ministries, a Jackson organization that serves the homeless and those who are dealing with difficult financial times.

Deano Orr’s professional career includes more than 22 years of diverse public affairs experience with a primary emphasis on community relations, corporate contributions and philanthropy, media relations and state & federal government affairs.

He served as the Executive Director of the International Paper Foundation from 2011 through 2016, where he was responsible for oversight, development and strategic alignment of all International Paper giving programs.  Orr was an inaugural recipient of the International Paper Diversity and Inclusion Impact Award.

While playing football for Coach Billy Brewer at Ole Miss, Orr earned four letters and was a member of three bowl teams.  As a freshman in 1989, Orr was the recipient of the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame Scholar-Athlete Award and also earned All-SEC Honor Roll status during his collegiate career.

Orr, who received his Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Mississippi in 1993, is a lifetime member of the Ole Miss M-Club as well as the Ole Miss Alumni Association. He also serves on the Ole Miss Athletics Diversity Committee and just recently was selected to the M-Club Board of Directors.

He routinely coordinates reunions for the 1980’s and 1990’s Ole Miss football teams and led the initiative to have Chucky Mullins Drive named after his fallen teammate. Orr has served two terms on the Ole Miss Alumni Association Board of Directors and currently serves as an athletics committee member and as an officer for the Ole Miss Alumni Association.

Orr has served as a speaker at several Ole Miss campus events, including the “Bridging The Gap” event and the 2016 Ole Miss PULSE Leadership Conference.  Deano attends Highpoint Church in Memphis, Tennessee.