Ole Miss Defensive Lineman JJ Pegues Named 2024 Chucky Mullins Courage Award Winner
OXFORD, Miss. – Ole Miss senior defensive lineman JJ Pegues has been named the winner of the 2024 Chucky Mullins Courage Award, as announced Thursday by Ole Miss.
Introducing your 2024 Chucky Mullins Courage Award Winner!#HottyToddy pic.twitter.com/vuEZl9QM5q
— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) August 22, 2024
A native of Oxford, Miss., Pegues is a fan favorite who is known not only for his talent but for his leadership, hard work and ability to make those around him better — the ultimate team player.
Pegues becomes the 34th recipient in the 35-year history of the award. The Chucky Mullins Courage Award and its ensuing No. 38 jersey is the highest honor a Rebel defensive player can receive.
Chucky Mullins Courage Award winner, JJ Pegues! @JeremiahPegues4 | #HottyToddy pic.twitter.com/Sc6BxKBQrO
— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) August 22, 2024
The award, sponsored by Phi Beta Sigma fraternity, honors the late Chucky Mullins, who had his Ole Miss career come to an end during the 1989 Homecoming game against Vanderbilt when he was paralyzed after making a tackle. After returning to his studies at Ole Miss, Mullins passed away May 6, 1991.
Going into 2024, Pegues has been nominated for the 2024 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team and the Wuerffel Trophy Watch List. He was also named this week to the Senior Bowl Watch List.
“I just won the Chucky Mullins Award” 🥹#HottyToddy pic.twitter.com/fVp5C5APZm
— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) August 22, 2024
The Pegues File — On the field
JJ played in all 13 games for the Rebels in 2023 while starting 12. He ended the 2023 campaign with career highs in tackles (42), tackles for loss (8.0), sacks (3.5) and pass breakups (4) while also adding two QB hurries. Pegues – a former tight end – also further cemented his role as one of the nation’s more versatile linemen, rushing for a crucial first down in Ole Miss’ Peach Bowl victory over Penn State. In 2022, he hauled in a one-yard touchdown reception in the Egg Bowl.
In the community
Pegues is heavily active within the Lafayette-Oxford-University community, partaking in numerous community service events during his time at Ole Miss. Pegues – a member of the SEC Leadership Council, the SEC Community Service Team and the Ole Miss Student-Athlete Advisory Committee – held his own community-wide school supply giveaway last fall, which helped distribute school supplies for elementary students.
Other community events Pegues has been part of include: the yearly Adopt-a-Basket program run by the Ole Miss athletics department, which donates more than 100 Thanksgiving baskets to local families; the yearly Feed the Sip program through the Stronger Together MS initiative, which has collected and donated more than 12,000 non-perishable food items to elementary students within Tunica and Quitman counties; Ole Miss’ ongoing Reading with the Rebels program, which features student-athletes visiting local elementary schools to read to students to increase support for reading and literacy throughout the state of Mississippi; the local Boys and Girls Club after school programs; the local Court-Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Back to School event that helps prepare foster students for the start of the school year; CASA’s Adopt-a-Child program, which assists children during the holiday season; CASA’s 5K Superhero Run fundraiser; the Tim Tebow Foundation’s A Night to Shine event, which holds a community-wide prom for individuals with disabilities; former Rebel KD Hill’s Back to School Bash, a fun event for local children ahead of the school year; assisting in the inaugural AJ Brown Foundation event hosted by the former Rebel and current NFL great; Ole Miss’ water collection drive to assist residents of Jackson, Mississippi during the city’s water crisis; and multiple cleanup and donation efforts to help communities throughout Mississippi affected by devasting tornadoes in the spring of 2023.
Former Chucky Winners
Former Chucky Mullins Courage Award recipients are Chris Mitchell, Jeff Carter, Trea Southerland, Johnny Dixon, Alundis Brice, Michael Lowery, Derek Jones, Nate Wayne, Gary Thigpen, Heard, Anthony Magee, Kevin Thomas, Lanier Goethie, Jamil Northcutt, Eric Oliver, Kelvin Robinson, Patrick Willis, Jeremy Garrett, Jamarca Sanford, Marcus Tillman, Kentrell Lockett, Deterrian Shackelford (twice), Jason Jones, Mike Marry, Mike Hilton, John Youngblood, Marquis Haynes, C.J. Moore, Austrian Robinson, Jaylon Jones, Keidron Smith and KD Hill.
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.
