Steady and Locked In: Ole Miss Wide Receiver De’Zhaun Stribling and Rebels Focused on Tulane
OXFORD, Miss. — On Thursday, and for the first time since the Egg Bowl, media met with select Ole Miss football players. It was also the first media opportunity to talk with the Rebels since the hiring of new head coach Pete Golding. One of the players who spoke was De’Zhaun Stribling. The wide receiver is looking forward to next week’s playoff game against Tulane, and says the team’s focus is not affected by the past weeks’ events.
The Team Still Has a Job to Do
Stribling was certainly an excellent choice of a player to talk with media, especially since he had to face the inevitable questions regarding the changes at head coach and its impact on the team.
It comes as no surprise that when asked whether the change in head coach had caused any distractions, Stribling answered it was not. He talked about the team’s focus because there is still a job to do.
“I can only speak for myself because I’m not sure about the other boys. But for me, it really wasn’t that distracting. I treated it as business as usual, you know what I mean? He (Lane Kiffin) had a decision to make, and he made his decision, but that doesn’t take away from us, what we’re going to do out there…We just kind of kept a clear mind and a clear head that going forward that no matter what happens, we still have a job to do.”
De’Zhaun Stribiling on distractions during the coaching change
Stribling was asked if the next game is a chance to show the world that it has been the players who have led Ole Miss to reach this point. His answer is indicative of a player and a team who are focused on one another and what they need to do to succeed, instead of “proving”anything to anyone.
‘We know in our (position) rooms that it’s all about us. So, it’s not really going out there and proving someone or showing this and that. We’re just going to go out there and believe in ourselves, and show everyone what we’ve been doing this whole season.“
De’Zhaun Stribling
Charlie Weis Jr.’s Return Excites De’Zhaun Stribling
At one point, it looked like Ole Miss would need to make a decision on an offensive coordinator for the college football playoff run. Charlie Weis Jr. looked to be heading to LSU; however, he made a U-turn to return to coach the team during the playoffs. Stribling is happy to have him back, knowing it makes the team stronger.
“He gives us the best chance to win. I’m glad he’s here to help us out and finish this whole thing.“
De’Zhaun Stribling on Charlie Weis Jr.
Next Up
Next week, the focus will intensify for the first College Football Playoff game in Ole Miss history. The Rebels will face Tulane at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on December 20, with kickoff at 2:30 p.m. CT.
Jordan Merritt
Jordan is a freelance writer who covers sports, games, and more. A United Kingdom native, he covers everything Ole Miss for The Rebel Walk. He has written for several publications, including Athlon Sports, On SI, Fansided, and others. Away from writing, he loves spending time with his family and watching films and TV series.
