Hopson happy in black and gold

Published 12:00 am Friday, June 1, 2001

Jay Hopson, a Vicksburg native who is defensive backs coach at USM, reacts after missing a putt on the ninth hole. (The Vicksburg Post/MELANIE DUNCAN)

[06/01/01] Jay Hopson, after spending his high school and college career in red and blue uniforms, said he is now all black and gold.

Three months after taking the defensive backs position with the Golden Eagles, Hopson said he has finally gotten settled in. Summer workouts can not get here fast enough for him.

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“I’m black and gold now, baby,” said Hopson, a former Warren Central and Ole Miss star who was playing golf at the Vicksburg/Golden Eagle scramble at the Vicksburg Country Club on Thursday. “We had a great spring; now we’re ready to get going in the summer.”

Hopson will have his hands full.

The Golden Eagles, coming off an 8-4 season that ended with a Mobile Alabama Bowl win, will again be young and inexperienced on defense.

In recent years, that has been the norm. Nine of the last 10 Golden Eagles either drafted or signed by NFL teams are from the defensive side of the ball.

Three of those who went this year Leo Barnes, Keon Moore and Raymond Walls played in the secondary.

“We’re going to be very young on defense, but look who we lost?” Bower said before teaming up with 48 golfers playing in the first such tournament in several years for USM alumni. “We lost a lot of talent, but the key is to get our young guys as much playing time as possible.”

One of those, Alex Ray of Warren Central, again finds himself second on the depth chart behind the Eagles’ best defensive back, Chad Williams. Last year, Ray backed up Barnes, an All-Conference USA pick.

Williams was second-team All-Conference USA a season ago. Nonetheless, both Hopson and Bower said Ray will have plenty of opportunities to play.

As a redshirt freshman last season, Ray played on special teams and saw spot action in the secondary.

“Alex has been doing a great job and was a spring starter in some of our nickel situations,” said Hopson, a 1988 WC graduate. “He is a hard worker and a great kid and he will play a lot of football at Southern Miss.”

The Golden Eagles are slated to kick off the 2001 campaign at home against Oklahoma State. USM had been contacted about playing in the Black Coaches Association bowl to start the season, but there is one snag: the Eagles can’t find an opponent.

Oregon, Oregon State, Michigan and most recently Kansas State all nationally ranked at times in 2000 have backed out of opportunities to meet USM in what would be the team’s 12th scheduled game.

“I think the longer it goes, the less likely it is (we’ll play),” Bower said. “That game would do a lot for us as far as exposure and would net us about a half-million dollars.

“Maybe we are getting used to people not wanting to play us.”

Hopson said he would like to see the series with his alma mater renewed. Ole Miss and USM have not played each other since 1985. No plans are in the mix to renew either that series or the one with Mississippi State.

“It really would be nice to get it going again,” said Hopson, who did not play in any of the matchups with USM. “It would be good for the state. But if it happens or not, I don’t know. It would be nice to play them.”

No matter the first opponent, the Eagles should see plenty of pass-happy teams. Louisville, behind standout quarterback Dave Ragone, was picked Thursday by C-USA coaches to win the league this year.

East Carolina, featuring senior quarterback David Garrard, and USM tied for second in the coaches’ poll.

Hopson, who was most recently defensive backs coach at Marshall, said the Eagles need to be ready.

“There will be a lot of teams that throw the football, but that’s the way the game is going,” he said. “Everyone is trying to throw the ball.”