Gross, Conner and Hibbler attend Ole Miss media day
Published 12:00 am Tuesday, August 16, 2016
By Ike House
Ole Miss has players from all over the country but some of their stalwart players come from Panola County. Three former Dandy Dozens and one of the best tight end in the state occupy some prestigious roles as Rebels. Seniors Issac Gross, Tony Conner and Temario are all looking to make their last year remarkable.
“Coming off my injury all I could think was I have one more year left with my cousins,” Gross said “Two of best players I’ve played with.”
On the other hand redshirt freshman Willie Hibbler will be carring the torch when the others leave.
“I believe he can be one of the best linebackers in the SEC before he leaves,” Gross said. “He knows what kind of torch we are leaving behind.”
With Gross and Conner both coming off injuries they are looking to come back strong and prove everybody wrong.
“At first it was kind of bad but it gets better day-by-day,” Conner said.
But the big time Rebels are looking for Hibbler to help carry them to a SEC title and possibly a national championship. It will be a different world for all four players with two coming off injuries, one switching from defense to offense and another moving around on defense. The road is filled with obstacles, but each one said they think they overcome everything.
“The transition was challenging but with each rep things become easier,” Hibbler said adding, “But the mental plays and learning the playbook is everything.”
The Rebels will have a big task this year when attempting to win the SEC but their first challenge will be playing against Florida State in prime time on a Monday night.
“Of course everybody knows about their running back but I think we do a good job of stopping the run,” Conner said. “It’s going be a good environment and big time game from both teams.”