Ole Miss announces festivities celebrating Eli Manning; Former QB to Lead Team through Walk of Champions
OXFORD, Miss. – (Release) Ole Miss will honor one of its football icons this weekend, as it retires Eli Manning’s No. 10 jersey number and celebrates his Rebel legacy.
Manning will be just the third player in Ole Miss’ storied history to have his number retired, joining his father Archie Manning (18) and Chucky Mullins (38). Saturday’s game against LSU is set for 2:30 p.m. CT, and a limited number of tickets remain available at www.olemisstix.com.
Festivities will kick off Thursday with Manning’s induction in the M-Club Hall of Fame. Registration is closed for the ceremony.
On Saturday, Manning will lead the team through The Grove for the Walk of Champions at approximately 12:15 p.m.
Manning’s jersey number retirement ceremony will take place at halftime of the game. The university’s marching band, The Pride of South, will be part of the presentation, including family and other dignitaries, as the number is unveiled on the south facade of Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.
As part of the festivities, MANNING will be painted in the end zones of Hollingsworth Field.
In addition, a special series of merchandise has been released surrounding the celebration. The Eli Manning Collection features t-shirts, pennants and other items that are available at Ole Miss Authentics at shop.olemisssports.com and the store location at 1801 Jackson Avenue West in Oxford. Highlighting the collection are replica Manning jerseys that will be on sale on gameday at the Ole Miss Authentics locations in and around the stadium and Grove.
Manning, a four-year letterwinner for the Rebels from 2000-03, won the 2003 Maxwell Award, an honor given to the best all-around player in college football. The New Orleans, Louisiana, native set or tied 47 Ole Miss single‑game, season and career records during his time in Oxford.
Manning became the highest pick in program history when he was selected No. 1 in the 2004 NFL Draft. His father, Archie Manning, was the No. 2 overall pick of the New Orleans Saints in 1971 after a historic career with the Rebels from 1968-70.
Eli, who finished third in the 2003 Heisman Trophy ballot following his senior season, finished his illustrious Ole Miss career with a school-record 10,119 career passing yards and 81 career TD passes. He also set new Ole Miss career records for completions (829) and passing attempts (1,363), and both marks ranked fourth on the SEC career lists.
Evelyn Van Pelt
Evelyn has covered sports for over two decades, beginning her journalism career as a sports writer for a newspaper in Austin, Texas. She attended Texas A&M and majored in English. Evelyn’s love for Ole Miss began when her daughter Katie attended the university on a volleyball scholarship. Evelyn created the Rebel Walk in 2013 and has served as publisher and managing editor since its inception.
