MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2016 Regular Session
To: Rules
By: Senator(s) Simmons (13th), Butler, Hopson, Clarke, Blackmon, Frazier, Norwood, Barnett, Blackwell, Blount, Browning, Carmichael, Caughman, Chassaniol, Dearing, DeBar, Fillingane, Jolly, Kirby, McMahan, Simmons (12th), Stone, Watson, Wiggins, Jackson (11th), Jackson (32nd), Burton
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING THE POSITIVE INFLUENCE OF ALCORN STATE UNIVERSITY HEAD FOOTBALL COACH JAY HOPSON AND CONGRATULATING THE "BRAVES" FOR THEIR 2015 SOUTHWESTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE (SWAC) FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP.
WHEREAS, you can make a case that, all things considered, nobody in college football has done a better coaching job over four seasons than Alcorn State University Head Football Coach Jay Hopson and his Alcorn staff. Hopson still commutes 40 minutes to and from work from his Vicksburg home. In season, that means leaving at dawn, returning home late at night. Those rides give him plenty of time to think, and above all else, he has come to this conclusion: "This was meant to be," says Hopson. "It's been a blessing"; and
WHEREAS, his first Alcorn team won four games, all league games. Since his first season, he has experienced much success: the 2013 Braves won nine games and finished second in the SWAC; the 2014 and 2015 teams have won a total of 18 games and two SWAC titles; and this year's senior class is the one Hopson didn't get to recruit in 2012; and
WHEREAS, "At Alcorn, we're all purple and gold," Hopson said. He does not have time to deal with race. He is racing to create a program basically from scratch. Hopson hired Fred McNair and Willie Simmons as his first two coaches and went to work. Says McNair, who remains as Hopson's Assistant Head Coach and Quarterbacks Coach, "Nobody will outwork Jay. I don't just mean coaching and recruiting. I mean everything." For his first game against the defending SWAC Champion, Grambling and its famous Coach, Doug Williams, Alcorn beat Grambling 22-21. It was "still the greatest moment that I've experienced as a Head Coach," says Hopson, who has won two league Championships since that victory; and
WHEREAS, the Braves rolled up an outstanding 411 yards on the ground in the SWAC title game against Grambling on December 5, 2015. The Celebration Bowl in Atlanta on December 19, 2015, matching champions of the two historically black Division-I conferences, had four scoring plays in the first quarter cover a combined 315 yards. North Carolina A&T (10-2) used a slew of big plays for a 41-34 win over Alcorn State (9-4). A 73-yard scoring run with 4:17 left in the game was the game-winner, although Alcorn State threatened the Aggies till the end. Only when Lenorris Footman's fourth-and-goal pass from the 9-yard-line sailed over a receiver with nine seconds left was North Carolina A&T safe; and
WHEREAS, the 2015 Braves SWAC Championship Roster is: Deago Sama; Joe Price; John Gibbs, Jr.; Charles Hughes; Tollette George; Tavares Johnson, Jr.; Jordan Payne; Jarvis Turner; Marquis Warford; Jaborian McKenzie; Brandon Vessell; Noah Johnson; Deundre Pickett-White; Ben Brooks; Haiden McCraney; Lenorris Footman; LaShaun Ealey; Anthony Williams, Jr.; AJ Bruce; Quinton Cantue; Darryan Ragsdale; D'Andre Smith; Warren Gatewood; Eric Foster; Quintin Smith; Daniel Franklin; Kylan Johnson; Jeremiah Sams; Darius Dean; Christian Brown; Stacey Garner; Damon Watkins; De'Lance Turner; Ashton Hall; Arron Baker; Terry Whittington; Demetrious Whitehead; Trae Ferrell; Evan Grimes; Josh Ivery; Darien Anderson; Jayron Harness; Michael Lester; Michael Hurns; Terrell Williams; Solomon Muhammad; Ramonte Bell; Darrell Henderson; Dwayne King, Jr.; Julius Lawrence; Darien Moody; Chris Matthews; Davonte Hill; Ferderrick Ross; Theron Bonds; Pablo Williams, Jr.; Iskeli Ongosia; Toto'a Leilua; Detonio Dade; Deonte Brooks; Johnathan Scott; Jeffery Reno, Jr.; Ladonn Bolden; Chris McCrea; Eric Snow; Edrick Thigpen; William Gordon; Isaac Sampson; Corbin Johnson; Raidarious Anderson; Stephen Glover; LaDarrien Davis; Jalen Walker; Norlando Veals; Troy Hobbs, Jr.; Brandon Campbell; Lamarvin Ashley; Metise Moore; Kenyon Brantley; Antonio Wells; Michael Ajumobi; Bryce Mingo-Bradley; Michael Brooks, Jr.; Johnathon Hauer; Jaquaveon Bolles; Deion McNair; and Ramone Atkins. Coaching staff: Jay Hopson, Head Football Coach; Fred Kaiss, Offensive Coordinator; Tony Pecoraro, Defensive Coordinator; Fred McNair, Assistant Head Coach/Quarterbacks Coach; Cedric Thomas, Defensive Back Coach; Wes Turner, Linebackers Coach/Videographer/Football Ops; Derek Nicholson, Defensive Line; Shannon Harris; Wide Receivers; Ryan Stanchek, Offensive Line Coach; AJ Antonescu, Tight End; Kenry Tolbert, Graduate Assistant/Defensive Line; William Prince, Equipment Manager/Strength and Conditioning; and Roderick Young, Athletic Trainer; and
WHEREAS, Alcorn State University is known for its family culture. Jay Hopson grew up as a huge Alcorn football fan. He was raised 40 miles from Alcorn's campus in Vicksburg. In high school, he played with and against a lot of future Alcorn State players. "I can remember the Mississippi Valley State game when Jerry Rice was playing and Ike Holt was the DB at Alcorn," Hopson said. "He was the premier defensive back in the SWAC, and they were playing Jerry Rice and Willie Totten at Valley State, and Archie 'Gunslinger' Cooley was the Head Coach at Valley, and Marino (Casem) was the Head Coach at Alcorn. And that game had such huge hype, that it went to Jackson where 63,500 showed up for that game. That is still the largest sporting event attended in the State of Mississippi. The "Who Dat' chant didn't start with the New Orleans Saints. 'Who Dat' started on the Alcorn State University campus in Lorman." When Alcorn State University created a plan to identify the most qualified candidates for Alcorn State football, one of the most important qualifications was someone with a connection to the area, and they found Jay Hopson:
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING THEREIN, That we do hereby recognize the positive influence of Alcorn State University Head Football Coach Jay Hopson and congratulate the "Braves" for their 2015 Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Football Championship, and extend our best wishes to Coach Hopson and the Alcorn family.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be presented to Coach Jay Hopson and Dr. Alfred Rankins, Jr., forwarded to the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning, and made available to the Capitol Press Corps.