Ole Miss Former Player Profile: Cory Peterson
We had a chance to talk with Cory Peterson (WR 1996-1999) on the SEASON TICKET program on REBEL SPORTS RADIO. We talk about rivalry games, the secrets to playing well early in your career and some of his favorite moments as a Rebel. (Audio – Show Link HERE)
The 1997 Egg Bowl was so big for the Ole Miss program because of the prior NCAA probation and the chance to get a bowl game. Take us back to that night, what did you guys discuss on the sideline, what do you remember about that game?
It was early in my career, I was a sophomore wide receiver. Coach Tubs had recruited some good classes and really got our team and program back up and going. This was our first year off probation, our first chance to go to a bowl and we had a lot of young players but also some great senior leaders in Walker Jones, Brock Kreitz, Nate Wayne, Eli Anding, and so many more.
The 1997 Egg Bowl was a typical Egg Bowl. It was cold, wet, low scoring game, a fight at the beginning, I mean we dont like each other. It was a great defensive battle and after that long drive at the end we were pretty worn down. Our QB Stewart Partridge was a great college QB. He is a Brett Farve type guy that brought us back in a lot of games. He was a grind it out, gutsy type player and this was a great game in his career of course. He makes a great touchdown pass to Andre Rone who also scored the first touchdown and gives us an opportunity, that’s all we could ask for.
I guess this is where coach Tuberville gets his title the ‘Riverboat Gambler.’ We all gather up and he asks if we can get the 2 point conversion, he looks us in the eye, we look him in the eye, we hustle out there, everybody does their job, everybody blocks, we get the 2 point conversion and it was just an unbelievable way to cap off that season.
I attended this game but was a little late and missed the fight. I tried to find you on the youtube video but couldn’t really make out anyone. Did you have a bloody nose at the end of that too?
I was very fortunate because I grabbed the first guy I could find and it just happened to be Nakia Greer who was about 300 lbs and he just kind of pushed me around. I had a high school team mate on the MSU team, Trey Belcher. I still tell him that I told the State players, ‘I knew you and they beat me harder.’
The recruits got the worst of it, I remember Wes Shivers was at the game and got into the fray. He was supposed to take a visit to Oxford the next weekend but he ran into Deuce Mcallister. Deuce was a great boxer and kind of laid him out with one punch. So that’s the Egg Bowl, we don’t like each other. It’s a battle when these two teams face each other.
The ’96 egg bowl was really a one sided affair for MSU (17-0 MSU win). Patridge didn’t have much success in that game. Did that force Stewart to really circle the 1997 game?
Partridge came in as a junior college transfer and if he had 4 years he would be up there in the record books with Romaro and Eli and Bo Wallace. I think his dad played at state, he is a Mississippi guy from the delta so this game meant a lot for him. He was a guy that really worked for everything he got, so it’s easy to rally around a guy like that and make sure he went out a winner.
In the Egg Bowl so often the home team has the advantage, talk about the difficulties of playing big rivals at their home field.
You know MSU is probably not the loudest stadium in the country but when Ole Miss plays there it seems like it is. The Egg Bowl for sure is late in the year, its bad weather, there could be fights before the game, its emotional, and the fans really get into it and make a difference.
I sometimes think it is harder for the fans as you have to hear it from opposing fans all year. I know now there are some MSU fans around me that I’ve had to hear it from the last few years.
The current wide receiver group at Ole Miss maybe the best we have ever seen. How do you like this group.
You’re talking about NFL type guys. Donte Moncreif who did it all, big size and speed. Jamez Logan who just made big play after big play. You have to give props to Coach Grant Heard who I played with at Ole Miss. I met Laquon Treadwell with Coach Heard when he was on a recruiting visit. I told his mom wherever he chooses to go to school he will be very successful. He looks like a Dez Bryant, for a young guy he plays so much bigger, faster, stronger than a young guy. Then there is Vincent Sanders who has had success and coming back from an injury, Collins Moore, its an impressive group.
You played well as a freshman/sophomore, what’s the key to overcoming the pressure of playing in the SEC?
My freshmen year to sophomore year was like night and day. My high school at Germantown wasn’t a big passing offense, so the 1st year and spring of my sophomore year I got a lot better, running routes and knowing what im supposed to do. Treadwell is way above where any of us were. They also got some bowl practices and that’s huge for young players like Treadwell and Evan Engram and others. So they are doing well and progressing so fast
You have a long list of huge catches for Ole Miss, the 1998 overtime LSU game, The comeback against SMU, the ‘97 Egg Bowl, ‘99 at Auburn. What is your favorite catch or play?
I just enjoyed having an opportunity to win those rival games. I really think I was too young to even know what I was doing in ‘97. So, in ‘99 it was a different feel. Football is a business and Tubs left for his own reasons and we understood that. But to win that game was really for the fans and for the program. To go down to Auburn and get a win over the coaching staff that pretty much raised you up was a special feeling and was probably the best game for my senior class. Even though we were in Auburn it seemed like a home game, especially at the end. So I would say Auburn in 99 and the 97 egg bowl were like 1A and 1B, and beating LSU on Halloween is always fun.
Ole Miss in 2014 has some big expectations, what is the ceiling for this team.
I think playing all the freshman in 2013 and with the extra bowl practices and Bo is coming back; my question is are we going to have enough balls to go around? I like the running backs, Jaylon Walton, I would like to see him get him the ball more. Freeze is the leader we need and will be there a long time. I tell you, if my son is a player I would want him to play for a guy like Freeze, I would have liked to play for a coach like Freeze. I’m excited about where the program is going and some big things are coming in the future.