Keeping Up With Kelly: Evening of champions...

A few weeks ago, Southern Miss hosted an event called "Eventing With Ellis". This was a welcoming for our new head football coach Ellis Johnson. It was a fun event and well organized by Southern Miss. I had not yet met Coach Johnson and his wife, Caroline, so I was excited to meet the newest members of the Golden Eagle family.

All of our recent trophies where set on display.

2011 Baseball Championship

Southern Miss quarterback, Austin Davis', Conerly Trophy - The Conerly Trophy is given to the best football player in the state.

Southern Miss quarterback, Austin Davis', Burlsworth Trophy - The Burlsworth Trophy is given to the country's best "walk-on".

2011 Football Championship

2003 Football Championship - This was when we beat TCU and the goalpost game down!

Hawaii Bowl Trophy

A few years ago our university celebrated it's 100th year. This year is the athletic program's 100th year. In addition to introducing the new head football coach, the 100 years of Southern Miss athletics celebration also began.

Seymour!

The night was full of football, Coach Johnson introduced the new coaching staff. He also discussed all the new players for the 2012 signing class. A few days before this event, Southern Miss played Memphis in basketball. This was a HUGE game, as Southern Miss is having the best basketball season in school history. (More about the basketball game in a few.) While at the basketball game I ran into the highest rated signee in the football signing class, Anthony Alford. He is a dual sport athlete and is supposed to play on both our baseball and football teams. He is also predicted to be drafted in the first round of the MLB draft this Spring. All of Golden Eagle Nation is hoping he'll stay at Southern Miss and forego the professionals for a few years. Regardless, I knew I better snap a pic with him now, he may become too famous later for me to run down. Ha!

Back to the "Evening With Elllis", I think that this event should be been re-named "Evening With Champions". After Coach Johnson was finished discussing football, the evening turned into the beginning of a year long celebration of 100 years of Southern Miss athletics. To the surprise of everyone in the room, organizers had gathered prominent players and coaches throughout the years of Southern Miss athletics. Everyone cheered when beloved coaches like Coach Corky Palmer, Coach Jeff Bower, Coach M.K. Turk, Coach Kay James and many more surprised us with their appearance. And we all loved greeting former athletes like NFL's Reggie Collier, NBA's Clarence Weatherspoon and NFL's Ray Guy. But everyone was more shocked to see.....

Brett Favre!!

He just walked right in there, everyone was happy to see this Super Bowl champ come in! What a great way to kick-off the 100th year of Southern Miss athletics!

Former Southern Miss QB, Heisman nominated, and former NFL player, Reggie Collier.

Three time Super Bowl champion, seven time pro-bowler, only punter to ever be selected in the first round of the NFL draft, and Southern Miss alumni, Ray Guy.

As if all of that didn't put me into Southern Miss overload, just two days earlier the basketball team played one of the most anticipated and well attended games in school history.