Ole Miss Former Player Profile: RB Charles Stackhouse

Charles Stackhouse was a running back/ full back from West Memphis, Arkansas that played a prominent role for Ole Miss from 1998-2001. He played at 6-3, 240 pounds with good hands and was tough to bring down in short yardage.

He also got the opportunity to play a couple of seasons in the NFL with the Giants and the Vikings. We caught up with him on the MakeItRainSports show on RebelSportsRadio to catch up and talk some football (Show Link).

You can also check out Charles’ sports commentary in Rebel Nation Magazine starting with the May/June 2014 edition!

Charles, you are now back in the West Memphis area putting together some youth football camps. Tell us about your program.

We are in the West Memphis area, The Pro Excellence Camp. This will be the fourth year. Just getting some kids in the area, using my old high school facilities and showing them proper techniques and things that will help them in their football career as well as keep them occupied during the summer.

You are starting to see more of these youth camps with former athletes. Often times, players don’t get credit for positive news. If you can make a difference in one kid’s life, not even in football but giving them life skills and advice at that age, it would be worth it, correct?

Oh yea, to see an improvement in their attitude and that they have found a sport they can excel because of your techniques and seeing the positive results. The smile on their face, gives me a push to do these camps every year.

These camps didn’t exist a few years ago. In the south, football is so strength oriented, but now kids are getting the skills training and fundamentals to be ready as coaches expand the playbook.

That was one of my main focuses, to give the kids a chance. A lot of times we just throw kids out on the field and they have to play on instinct, instead of playing fundamental football. This broadens their horizons and their thinking about the game.

If I had someone to teach me like this as a young player I could have been a much better earlier in my life because I would have been exposed to the training. I would know that advanced training and you can see a difference when the kids go through the class.

Your time at Ole Miss 1998-2001 was some good years. Coach Cutcliffe led you guys to some big bowl games, big Egg Bowl games. Name one game that stands out.

It was one of the best times to be at Ole Miss, the whole party school and we had a good team. When I first came in, I came in under Tuberville, he recruited me. It was a chance I couldn’t turn down to play in the SEC.

I had a chance to play and start as a freshman. Those years were great, with Deuce, Romaro, Joe Gunn, then on the defense; Eddie Strong, Kendrick Clancy, lot of guys that played in the NFL. Cutcliffe came in and transitioned us to a new offense and coaching staff and the mentality of the football team got even better. We just really enjoyed playing football as a team.

You know I remember, I think in year 2000, Arkansas State came to Oxford. I remember one play in particular; you caught a pass out in the flat and you were isolated on a corner back, and you really lowered the boom! You really laid that kid out!

Yea I was about 240-250 (pound) then. Everyone remembers that one play, some people say it sounded like a shotgun when I hit that guy. I was playing a team 30 minutes from my home town and was really excited. I remember telling the coaches I really want to play well today, there will be a lot of people here from back home and I don’t want to embarrass them. So I already knew when I caught the pass that after I got up to speed they were going to be in trouble.

So Ole Miss new head coach Hugh Freeze has come in and made everyone a believer, he’s really recruiting well and you can tell he wants to be here.

When I first heard about him, I knew it would be good for recruits. Not that he is not a good offensive coach, but look at what he did at Arkansas State. He pretty much stands out as a coach and the best thing he did was bring in former players of Ole Miss as coaches because they will be able to recruit guys that he couldn’t.

I knew he would be good after talking to some other former players. Some guys had mixed feelings but most of us thought he would be good.

In your mind, what makes the SEC such a dominate conference and allows you guys to have success at the next level.

Speed of the game. Even the big guys are moving faster, It was the upper echelon of sports when I was there but you see the SEC on TV on every championship. it’s a conference that can’t be beat. The quality of Quarterbacks, the speed; there is just not much competition out there for the SEC.

The NFL is like going from driving a car to boarding a freight train. It’s that much of a difference but the SEC guys are known for their speed. The running backs, the lineman and now Quarterback’s, it does make it easier to transition when the college talent is so much better than other parts of the country.

It also makes a big difference when you play an SEC team every week compared to a 0-11 team. It makes a big difference, the level of competition.

How did you enjoy linking up with Eli Manning at Ole Miss. 

I caught a lot of passes from Eli. Right when he came in, I could see a great player. He was very smart and smooth throwing the ball, it was a smooth transition between Romaro and Eli. We were really good friends in college too just from playing together and doing everything together.

I always told his mom, I am his protection. I am his last line of blocking. He helped me by putting the ball right on you. He makes it easy to catch his passes.