The #1 jersey at Ole Miss has a new owner. On a rather ordinary offseason Monday, Deuce Alexander got the news of being the next in line to carry on the legacy of a storied line of receivers at the Manning Center.
It might be a time-to-time responsibility for the staff, but for Alexander, it was nothing less than a historic feat in his collegiate career. That is exactly what he felt when asked about it.
Deuce Alexander on what #1 jersey means
“I just felt like it was time to change. Just the history and just step into that role of being one of the greats to wear the No. 1 jersey at Ole Miss,” Alexander said on Friday. “Just be one of the great receivers and leave my mark here.”
Getting on a mantle like that hardly comes easily. It took Alexander about four months of proving himself to Pete Golding before getting his name on the #1 jersey.
“In the playoffs I was telling ‘PG’ like if we’re going to do this thing I need to be in that 1. I was just letting him know and he said, ‘You’re going to have to earn it.’ So, in the offseason that’s all I did. Just focus on earning it. Just competing every day. At practice, being the first one on the field and last one to leave. Leaving my mark just to make sure and let him know I’m that guy.”
His stats from the previous season, 15 yards per catch, were just scratching the surface. The Egg Bowl flashed his true potential, with 94 yards and a touchdown. That is the bar Alexander will be carrying into next season.
Four months of the off-season just to secure the #1? It suggests that the bar is set up that high, and his on-field performance will be nothing short of elite.
“I just wanted to leave my mark and leave my legacy at Ole Miss,” Alexander added.
For a team that was looking to unlock its national championship potential, this looks like the perfect start.