JJ Pegues talks fall camp and being named Chucky Mullins’ Courage Award Recipient: ‘It means everything’
OXFORD, Miss. – Senior defensive tackle JJ Pegues met with the media on Monday as Ole Miss prepares to open the season against Furman on Saturday.
Pegues was recently awarded the honor of being this season’s Chucky Mullins Courage Award recipient.
38 🫡 #HottyToddy pic.twitter.com/i7la5kDg8U
— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) August 24, 2024
“It means everything. Just growing up here and just hearing about the award so young of an age. It just means the world to honor him and his legacy and to be able to keep it going.”
JJ Pegues on being named Chucky Mullins Courage Award winner
Head coach Lane Kiffin talked Monday about how Pegues has a lot of the same qualities that Mullins showed.
“Having JJ a local product win it is really neat,” Kiffin said. “He embodies a lot of that in his spirit, how he is as a teammate and brings others up.”
Pegues is from Oxford and played at Oxford High School.
The Ole Miss coaching staff showed this year’s players the film about Chucky.
“We showed the film to our players and it really was amazing for them to see cause of all the new players. Having Tom Luke here who was roommates with Chucky at one point was amazing to talk about it to the team.”
Lane Kiffin
When the announcement was made that Pegues had been chosen to wear the No. 38 this season, the Ole Miss Athletics staff filmed him as he told his parents about receiving the highest honor, telling them he will wear the No. 38 jersey inside the Vaught-Hemmingway Stadium and then wear his No. 89 on the road.
He talked about wearing his No. 89 on the road:
“My dad (Jerry) played college football, and he was No. 89, and in high school, I always wanted to be No. 89 just to represent him and the things he did for me. To honor him as well on the road, and obviously I want to wear the 38. Give the community what they want and what I want and wear it at home.“
JJ Pegues on wearing No. 38 at home and No. 89 on the road
Ole Miss’ Defensive Line
There is no doubt that Pegues is a member of one of the most-watched and most-talented rooms on the Rebel team this season. Joining him will be returner Jared Ivey, along with transfers Walter Nolen, Princely Umanmielen, and Chris Hardie. He’s also got incoming freshmen Kam Franklin and William Echoles.
JJ talked about things he has personally been working on in fall camp.
“A big thing I was trying to focus on was making plays outside the core. I know typical defensive lineman don’t like to run outside the core and play 40 yards down field. I’m just trying to build my endurance and be able to play everywhere… I felt like my team helped me with that and Coach (Randall Joyner).“
JJ Pegues
Next Up
Pegues and the Rebels kickoff the 2024 season on Saturday night as they play host to Furman. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. on SEC Network+.
Adam Brown
Adam Brown joins The Rebel Walk as the Managing Editor after being on the Ole Miss beat as a Sports Editor for over 11 years. He is a lifelong Oxford resident. Brown graduated from the University of Mississippi with a bachelor’s degree in journalism.
Prior to The Rebel Walk, Brown was the sports editor of HottyToddy.com covering every Ole Miss sport and local high school sports in the community.
