OLE MISS

Ole Miss players try to move past bowl ban

Antonio Morales

The Clarion-Ledger

Jordan Wilkins (22) missed last season after being ruled academically ineligible and won't be able to participate in the postseason this year.

OXFORD - Nearly a month has passed since Ole Miss received its notice of allegations from the NCAA's enforcement staff and the university announced a one-year postseason ban.

So Rebels players, who met with the media Tuesday for the first time since the ban was announced, still share a sense of disappointment.

But they also said they're using spring practice as a tool to move on from the news.

"We know it's out there, but it's not an issue," offensive lineman Javon Patterson said. "We're just worried about this spring practice and getting one step better as an offense, our defense, kicking game. The whole team."

Patterson said the players had no idea a postseason ban, which includes the SEC title game, was coming and that he was devastated when he found out.

There was a meeting between players, according to Patterson, and some guys checked in to see how players within their position groups were handling the news.

Patterson is a junior, so if all Ole Miss receives is a one-year postseason ban then there's a possibility for him to play in a bowl game again. The same can't be said for guys like defensive end Marquis Haynes and running back Jordan Wilkins, who each have different outlooks on the situation.

Haynes turned down a chance to go to the NFL and opted to return for his final season.

"I just took it as this is my last year, there's not much I could do to control it," he said. "But all I can say is it's more work for me to get better film for next year."

Wilkins was ruled academically ineligible during fall camp last year, which kept him off the field for the entirety of the season. The postseason ban will keep him out of a bowl this year, which means the 2016 Sugar Bowl was the last postseason game he'll ever play in.

"The bowl ban does suck, but compared to what I went through before that it was nothing, so I just brushed that off," Wilkins said. "I was really just helping my teammates get over that."

Wilkins said he tries to stay away from social media as much as he can, but felt compelled to voice his thoughts when the ban was announced.

"We're not going to shy away from anything," Wilkins said. "We're going to give everything we have and there's going to be a lot to watch because we're going to put on a show for everybody."

Even though the circumstances are far from ideal, both Haynes and Patterson seemed to be encouraged by the attitude their teammates have displayed thus far.

"The next morning we had a 6 (a.m.) workout, everybody showed up with high energy," Patterson said. "Everybody just got after it. That said a lot about our team."

Ole Miss finished 5-7 last year and had to watch bowl season from the sidelines. That didn't become a certainty until sometime in the second half of the Egg Bowl though.

The team has to enter this season and suit up 12 times knowing it can't play in a bowl game.

"It doesn't take anything away from how hard we're going to work or where we're going to push to," Wilkins said. "I think everybody's focus is just to wipe the table and let them take care of everything."

Contact Antonio Morales at 601-961-7117 or amorales2@gannett.com . Follow him on Twitter .