Ole Miss football to retire jersey of first Black player, Ben Williams

2022-09-24 05:08:41 By : Ms. YiYi Sofia

OXFORD − Ole Miss football is adding a fourth number to the rafters at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.

The Rebels athletics department announced Thursday that it will be retiring the jersey number of football legend Ben Williams.

Williams, who died in 2020, became the first Black football player in Ole Miss history in 1972. Williams earned All-America honors in 1975 and was named first-team All-SEC three times. His 37 career sacks are the most in Ole Miss history and his 377 career tackles are the fourth-most by anyone ever to wear a Rebels uniform.

The ceremony to retire Williams' number will be held on Nov. 24 at the Egg Bowl against Mississippi State.

Williams' No. 74 is currently worn by freshman offensive lineman Erick Cade. Williams joins Chucky Mullins, Archie Manning and Eli Manning as the only former Ole Miss football players to have their jerseys retired by the program.

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In 1971, Williams signed a scholarship to play football at Ole Miss. Williams and teammate James Reed were the first two Black players to be awarded football scholarships at Ole Miss. The Yazoo City native played 10 seasons with the Buffalo Bills after leaving Oxford. He was inducted into the Ole Miss Hall of Fame in 1993 and the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in 1997. In 2002, Williams was recognized by the league as an "SEC Legend."

This fall marks the 50th anniversary of Williams' first game in an Ole Miss uniform. In 2021, the university recognized men's basketball player Coolidge Ball on the 50th anniversary of integrating the Rebels' athletics department by building a statue of Ball outside The Pavilion.

Contact Nick Suss at nsuss@gannett.com. Follow Nick on Twitter @nicksuss.