Ole Miss senior DE Fadol Brown wants to go out with Egg Bowl win on Senior Day
OXFORD, Miss. – Fadol Brown was relaxing at his home on Monday, enjoying the luxury of being out of class during Thanksgiving break. Then, all of a sudden, he started reflecting about his collegiate career, one that began in 2012 at Florida International University.
As Brown kept thinking, reality quickly settled in that his regular-season playing days will come to a halt Saturday afternoon in Oxford (2:30 p.m., SEC Network) as Ole Miss (5-6, 2-5 Southeastern Conference) faces off against Mississippi State on the Rebels’ Senior Day.
“This is my last game in the Vaught, and I want to go out the right way. I want people to remember this team, remember these seniors the right way.”
Ole Miss defensive end Fadol Brown
Fadol Brown plays in his final home game in the 2016 Egg Bowl Saturday, November 26 in Oxford. (Photo credit: Dan Anderson, The Rebel Walk)
Brown went back in time, smiling as he thought of his fondest moments as an Ole Miss Rebel. In the 2014 season, he was on the field when then-No. 11 Ole Miss defeated top ranked Alabama inside Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, 23-17, a game that ended with Rebels’ fans storming the field and climbing the goal posts.
In week three of last season, Brown was part of a Rebels team that defeated another top-ranked Crimson Tide team, this time doing so inside Bryant-Denny Stadium. Brown doesn’t have enough fingers on his two hands to count all his favorite memories, but his mind and heart cherish them all.
“I can name a whole lot,” Brown said. “I can name a whole lot.”
He can add to his memory book on Saturday when Ole Miss hosts the Bulldogs (4-7, 2-5) in the 89th Egg Bowl, a game that will determine whether the Rebels become bowl eligible for the fifth-consecutive season under head coach Hugh Freeze.
In a tweet from Brown Friday night, it’s pretty obvious how much it would mean to him to retain the Egg Bowl trophy.
— TASMANIANDEVIL_6 (@fadolbrown6) November 26, 2016
The Charleston, South Carolina native said he refuses to let the Bulldogs take the Egg Bowl trophy, which has been in Oxford the last two seasons, back to Starkville, Mississippi.
“I can’t imagine leaving the program behind and leaving the Egg on that side. It’s just crazy. It means the world for these players, for Rebel Nation and for these coaches.”
Fadol Brown on winning the Egg Bowl
Since Brown isn’t from the state of Mississippi, he arrived in Oxford somewhat clueless about the rivalry between the two programs that are roughly two hours apart. He learned from Mississippians and former Ole Miss’ players Charles Sawyer, Carlos Thompson, Channing Ward, and Deterrian Shackelford what it means to stake the claim as the top school in the state of Mississippi.
Ole Miss leads the all-time series 63-43-6.
“I have tremendous respect for this university, the fans around here, the way they carry themselves when we play this game, so it’s only right that I keep doing the same thing. Once you get to that feeling inside, you have no choice but to rise to the occasion.”
Fadol Brown on rising up for the Egg Bowl game
Brown’s thoughts on the MSU offensive line and QB
Earlier this week, Brown was asked about preparing for the Bulldogs’ offensive line. His answer exemplified the confidence Brown has in his fellow defensive teammates:
“They’re just like any other offensive line. It ain’t on them, it’s on us. Our DNA. When our environment changes, we don’t. We go out, execute, play hard, smack them in the face and let’s see what happens.”
Fadol Brown
Brown, then, talked about Bulldogs’ quarterback Nick Fitzgerald, who has been carrying much of MSU’s offense with his ability to pass and run. The sophomore has thrown for 2,178 yards and 18 touchdowns this season. He’s also rushed for a conference-best 12 TDs.
“That’s good for him,” Brown said about Fitzgerald’s accomplishments. “We are going treat him like any other quarterback that comes in. Just go out, execute our assignment and play Landshark defense.”
Other notes
The Ole Miss-Mississippi State series is tied with the Michigan-Ohio State series for the 15th-longest in NCAA Division 1 history. The Bulldogs aren’t eligible for a bowl game for the first time in seven years. Depending on Saturday’s outcome, they will either match or set their worst record under head coach Dan Mullen. This is the first time since 2013 that the Egg Bowl will not feature a pair of ranked teams.
Courtney Smith
Courtney is from Memphis and received his Bachelor's Degree in Fine Arts from the University of Memphis in May of 2014. He began his journalism career covering the Memphis Tigers Men's basketball team, which landed him an intern position on 730 Yahoo Sports Radio and a position with Rivals.com. A freelance writer for the Associated Press, Courtney is also a member of The Rebel Walk team and reports regularly on Ole Miss football and basketball. Courtney, the father of a six-year old girl named Soniyah, prefers to cover NCAA basketball and football, but is happy to report on any other sport that comes his way.
