Ole Miss’ Nick Broeker, Otis Reese understand the importance of team chemistry and brotherhood to a winning team
OXFORD, Miss. – Every college football team takes on its own persona, whether it is being fast, being tough or simply being confident. But there is one aspect all winning teams possess – a great team chemistry.
That is sometimes hard to achieve in this day and age of players changing teams and positions on their current teams.
Ole Miss offensive lineman Nick Broeker is making the transition from tackle to guard this spring, but the familiarity with his teammates has made that transition easier.
“Honestly it’s been pretty smooth,” Broeker said recently.
“One thing that has been nice for us (offensive linemen) is we’re all playing in different spots this year, but we’ve all played together before. I’ve always had Caleb (Warren) next to me, I’ve played with Jeremy (James) a ton, and Eli (Acker) is obviously playing the same spot, so I think that’s something that has helped us. And just kind of the friendships off the field, watching extra film with each other definitely made it a smooth transition for us all.”
Ole Miss OL Nick Broeker
The Rebels’ defense is also forming a new chemistry with the introduction of freshmen and transfers. Safety Otis Reese, a transfer himself from Georgia two years ago, knows it takes effort to form a bond with new teammates.
“(It’s) something you got to work on, I feel like it’s the vibe you get when you step in the facility — the energy from the players — like we are not about ‘I,’ we are about ‘we,’ and that plays a big role when it comes down to winning games.”
Ole Miss DB Otis Reese
“You’re not playing for yourself, you’re playing for your brothers out there, also your loved ones back home,” Reese continued. “So, the respect in the locker room, the respect among one another, it just plays a big role. Football is like the real deal, like team sport so it plays a big role.”
Ole Miss began spring camp March 22 and according to Reese, the bonding is a priority given the limited number of times the team can take the practice field.
“We are just trying to build; we got a lot of new guys, new positions,” Reese said.
“We’re just excited for the journey. We are just trying to attack everything. We don’t got much time, the season will be here before you know it. We’re just trying to build our chemistry with one another, the staff and the players.”
Otis Reese
For Broeker, who could have declared for the NFL Draft but instead chose to come back this season, the chance for a brotherhood and future success dictated his decision to return to Ole Miss.
“Being around the guys for one more year, getting a chance to compete for a national championship is definitely something you really strive about,” Broeker said. “You know, I think as a room we want to win a Joe Moore Award and to top it all off, I will get my degree this December.”
The Joe Moore Award
The Joe Moore Award annually recognizes the nation’s Most Outstanding Offensive Line Unit that best displays toughness, effort, teamwork, consistency, technique, and “finishing.”
The Joe Moore Award is the only award given to a unit instead of an individual player.
To win that prize, a line must be smart, physical and of course, have a great chemistry.
Hotty Toddy!
(Feature image credits: Josh McCoy, Ole Miss; Graphic credit: Lee Ann Herring, The Rebel Walk)
Steve Barnes
Steve Barnes joins The Rebel Walk staff as a senior writer and brings a trifecta of journalistic experience. As a writer, he has covered college sports for Rivals.com, Football.com and SaturdayDownSouth.com as well as served as a beat writer for various traditional newspapers.
He has been a broadcaster for arena football and several national tournament events for the National Junior College Athletic Association as well as hosting various shows on radio.
A former sports information director at Albany (Ga.) State University and an assistant at Troy and West Florida, he has helped host many NCAA conference, regional and national events, including serving five years on the media committee of the NCAA Division II World Series.
Barnes, a native of Pensacola, Fla., attended Ole Miss in 1983-84, where his first journalism teacher was David Kellum. The duo has come a long way since that time.
He will bring a proven journalistic track record, along with a knack for finding the out-of-the-ordinary story angles to The Rebel Walk.
Barnes continues to reside in Pensacola a mere ten minutes from the beach because he does have taste and a brain.
