Introducing MESH Academy: Shay Hodge and Mike Espy’s Mississippi flagship 7v7 teams and premier training organization
When former Ole Miss stars Mike Espy and Shay Hodge were done with their playing careers, the two standouts knew they wanted to give back to athletes in the Magnolia State. They’re doing just that with the MESH Academy (Mike Espy Shay Hodge Academy), which is the state’s flagship 7v7 team and premier training organization in Mississippi.
With its commitment to excellence and dedication to player development, MESH offers specialized training and serves as a recruiting specialist, preparing the best players in the state of Mississippi for their future on and off the gridiron.
Shay and Mike are bringing their home-state talent to the rest of the nation.
“There’s a lot of talent here at every age group,” Mike explains. “We’re going to showcase this talent. We want to help grow and develop. We’re looking to finish first, not just in MS, but around the country,” he added.
They’re already making good on that, having won the prestigious Cam Newton Memorial Classic 7v7 tournament in Atlanta in May, followed by the Arkansas State Championship in June.
🥇 Cam Newton Memorial Classic 🥇
Bringing back some hardware 🏆#slideouts #mississippimade#covergang @OxfordExxon pic.twitter.com/n1Hn5lN0Tq
— MESH ACADEMY (@MeshAcademy) May 29, 2023
“These kids in our academy represent Mississippi so well. We are changing children’s lives through football; winning championships is just a bonus.”
Shay Hodge
Back to Back Championships 😎@MeshAcademy #MeshOnTheMove #MississippiMade #SlideOuts pic.twitter.com/OQ0Nb7pSKw
— MESH ACADEMY (@MeshAcademy) June 10, 2023
In addition to training and coaching some of the finest athletes in the state, Mike and Shay also work with college players who want to hone their skills as they navigate the pre-draft process. Recently they worked with former Ole Miss wide receivers Jonathan Mingo (Carolina Panthers) and Malik Heath (Green Bay).
MESH Academy boasts an impressive track record of success, with a roster of accomplished athletes who have gone on to achieve great things in their football careers. Their program consists of over 500 Division 1 athletes, more than 20 All Americans, and over 30 NFL alumni.
As for Mike and Shay, they are truly impacting lives one athlete at a time.
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.
