Football: UL’s large Mississippi connection heading home

Tim Buckley, The Advertiser, September 12, 2014

 

UL linebacker Trae Johnson (38), one of 16 Cajuns who are natives of Mississippi, will be heading home to meet the Rebels on Saturday at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Miss. (Photo: Crystal LoGiudic/USA TODAY Sports)

 

OXFORD, Miss. – He got a glance.

But like so many current Ragin’ Cajuns who hail from Mississippi – and there are plenty of them – Terry Johnson did not pass the Ole Miss eye test.

Johnson – a product of Oxford High, located just a few miles the SEC school’s campus – didn’t look like the right fit to be a Rebel, Ole Miss coaches recruiting him at the time evidently decided.

But that won’t keep Johnson from playing Saturday at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, the same Rebel home where he played in two high school jamborees.

And when he does as UL visits No. 14 Ole Miss this afternoon, Johnson – the Cajuns’ starting senior center – will be out to show what the Rebels could have had.

"They looked at me for a little bit," he said. "But for the coaching staff it all came down to the height thing. Plus, I played d-line most of my life – so they were looking at me as a d-lineman.

"It all came down to a height thing, and arm length, and whatever all that stuff was," the 6-foot-2, 295-pound Johnson added. "But I’m not really sour about it. I’m happy where I am right now. I love it."

So do most, if not all, of the many Mississippians on UL’s roster.

At least 16 current Cajuns call the state home, some of them recruited lately and many of them signed when Mark Hudspeth left his assistant’s job at Mississippi State after the 2010 season to become head coach at UL.

Johnson is one of four Cajun starters on offense from Mississippi, along with tight end Larry Pettis (also from Oxford High) and offensive linemen Daniel Quave and Mykhael Quave (brothers from Gautier, Miss.).

Four Cajuns starters on defense are from Mississippi as well, and all were recruited as Hudspeth and current Cajuns recruiting coordinator Reed Stringer dipped into territory with which they were quite familiar: Linemen Justin Hamilton (from Natchez, Miss.) and Christian Ringo (Jackson), and linebackers Dominque Tovell (Columbia) and Trae Johnson (Mendenhall).

The Cajuns added three more Mississippians in their last recruiting class, all defensive linemen: Ackerman’s Taboris Lee, who is playing as a true freshman, along with LaDarrius Kidd of Gulfport and Ken Edwards of Philadelphia.

"It will be exciting for them to go back to a place they grew up watching," Hudspeth said. "I think they’ll be excited to play and give an unbelievable effort."

Hudspeth has Mississippi ties of his own, having been raised in Louisville and having played at Delta State.

Stringer does too.

He’s from Canton, and has extra incentive Saturday knowing that the last time he was in Vaught-Hemingway, as an assistant coach with Mississippi State, he was on the losing side of a 45-0 decision.

UL outside linebackers coach David Saunders is a former Ole Miss recruiting coordinator (form 1998-2002) and linebackers coach (in 2006).

But the one with perhaps the biggest point to prove is Johnson, who can’t be happier that he’ll finally get a chance to play where he’s from.

"I like that place," said Cajun center, whose brother Justin Johnson played basketball for Ole Miss from 2001-05. "I love Oxford. I love my home. I love my hometown. It’s a great atmosphere to play in."

Johnson spends all too much time in the Cajun locker room listening to debates over which state’s high school football is best.

The Mississippians are adamant it is theirs, while the Texans fight for their cause, a handful of Floridians and Alabamans do the same, and the numerous Louisianans speak in volume.

But this past week, especially coming off 48-20 loss to in-state rival Louisiana Tech, he didn’t want to hear any of it.

"I don’t want to get into all that. … We’re a team. We’re all together," Johnson said. "Trust me, there are a lot of arguments. I don’t want to get into it. We all play for Louisiana right now."

Deep down, though, the Mississippian in Johnson – the son of a military man, he lived in Oxford for more than half his life – feels all Cajuns from the state do have a message to deliver.

"Growing up in Oxford, you always wanted to play at an SEC school," Johnson said. "I’m happy with the place I’m at. I wouldn’t change this for anything. But going back, I just want to show I’ve got a chip on my shoulder.

"I want to show them how good I am right now, how good my team is. … I want to show them what they missed out on. All of us. All of us Mississippi guys."