BOARD OF TRUSTEES
A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
Students, Fans, Alumni,
On behalf of Northeast Mississippi Community College, welcome to the greatest institution in the United States!
Here at NEMCC, we have a tradition in all sports of exhibiting not only a championship atmosphere, but one of class, integrity, and professionalism. We are proud of the student-athletes that have chosen to attend Northeast. We are thankful each of you have chosen to attend this athletic event.
While our students are here, our goal is to provide opportunities of personal growth through cutting edge instruction in the classroom and athletic programs. Northeast recognizes that its primary commitment is to the education of our student-athlete.
Northeast was recognized as an Apple Distinguished School. Receiving this coveted honor exhibits to the world our commitment to cutting edge technology within our instructional process.
I hope you will have time prior to or after this athletic event to walk or drive around our campus and get a small glance at what we have to offer. You are welcome to visit anytime with our students, faculty, and staff.
We are happy to have each of you as part of the Northeast family. Please feel free to contact me should the need ever arise. As you leave campus after this event, we wish you the very best and safe travels.
Sincerely,
Dr. Ricky G. Ford, Northeast Mississippi Community College President
TIGER FOOTBALL COACHING STAFF
ATHLETIC SUPPORT STAFF
2025 NORTHEAST HOMECOMING FESTIVITIES
Northeast Mississippi Community College invites the community to join in the pageantry and tradition of Homecoming 2025 on Thursday, October 16, as the Tigers host Coahoma Community College in an exciting “Battle of the Tigers.” Fans are encouraged to wear gold in support of the Tigers on this special occasion.
The day begins at 12:00 p.m. with a spirited Pep Rally, where the 2025 Homecoming Court will be officially presented to the community for the first time. At 4:00 p.m., Northeast will honor its rich athletic and alumni traditions with the induction of the newest class into the Sports and Alumni Hall of Fame.
At 5:30 p.m., the campus will come alive with a tailgate hosted by President Dr. Ricky G. Ford on the Ramsey Hall lawn. Following the tailgate, alumni are invited to join the Tiger Legacy Celebration at 6:30 p.m. in the Alumni Pavilion next to the field house to reconnect and continue the festivities.
Kickoff for the “Battle of the Tigers” is scheduled for 7:00 p.m., with the presentation of the 2025 Homecoming Court taking place during halftime.
Join us for a day filled with tradition, pride, and Tiger spirit as we celebrate NEMCC Homecoming 2025.
Greg Davis (11th year - Texas Christian University)
Steadman
(2nd year - University of Arkansas)
Sean
(3rd year - Delta State University) LINBACKERS
Cedric
(8th year - Alcorn State University)
(1st year - Mississippi State University)
Cole
(5th year - Mississippi College)
(1st year)
(11th year- Mississippi State University)
(11th year- University of North Alabama)
2025 NORTHEAST FOOTBALL ROSTER
(4th year - University of North Alabama)
2025 NORTHWEST FOOTBALL ROSTER
5-11
6-1
Sophomore Corinth, Miss. Corinth
Sophomore Blakely, Ga. Early County
Antione Keefer, Jr. LB 6-1 270 Sophomore Memphis, Tenn. Southwind
Elliot Helps LB 6-3 225 Sophomore Olive Branch, Miss. Lewisburg
Montra Sanford LB 6-2 240 Sophomore Charleston, Miss. Charleston
Jayden Williams DL 6-3 250 Sophomore Booneville, Miss. Booneville 36 Joey Colella LS 5-10 200 Sophomore Brandon, Miss. Northwest Rankin 38 Hayden Wolfe K/P 5-9 155 Sophomore Clinton, Miss. Clinton 44 Avery Jackson LB 6-2 205 Sophomore Madison, Miss. Madison Central
Michael Pride, Jr.
6-2
6-2
6-5
6-2
Sophomore Olive Branch, Miss. Olive Branch
Miss. Southern Miss
Miss.
NEMCC TO WELCOME HOME INAUGURAL BOWLBOUND TEAM FOR TWENTY-YEAR REUNION
A group of men that led the Northeast Mississippi Community College football program to the best season in its modern era are reuniting to reminisce on their many good moments together.
The 2005 edition of the Tigers will hold a 20-year reunion on Thursday, September 25. It will coincide with Northeast’s home division matchup with Northwest Mississippi Community College.
The celebration will begin at 4:30 p.m. at the outdoor pavilion beside the fieldhouse at Tiger Stadium with a meal available around 30 minutes later. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. between Northeast and the Rangers.
Andy Greening, who was in his third of five seasons as head coach of the Tigers, is organizing this event. He is pleased that this reunion is finally coming to fruition after years of discussion about its possibility.
“It’s a dream come true for all of us. We’ve been talking about it for years and I just decided that it was time,” he said. “I just hope and pray that they can all figure out a way to get there because we want to see every one of them.”
Northeast went 7-2 overall, which included the first-ever undefeated regular season in school history. The Tigers ran the tables to a north division championship with an average margin of victory of 25 points.
However, the Tigers got off to a slower start after the impacts of Hurricane Katrina canceled their first two contests.
Northeast’s defense produced a fourth down stop with less than two minutes remaining in a 20-13 win over Holmes Community College in its delayed opener.
The Tigers impressed from there with 40-plus point victories in their next two games against rival Itawamba Community College and Mississippi Delta Community College. The only other division opponent that stayed within two possessions of Northeast was Coahoma Community College at 16 points.
“We felt like we had a chance to make a run if we ever were going to,” said Greening. “They were a very special group. There’s no question about that. It was overall an enjoyable group to coach because they were so talented.”
The Tigers were eliminated in the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges (MACJC) semifinals, but still earned an invitation to travel west to Mount Pleasant, Texas, for the Pilgrim’s Pride Bowl Classic.
Cameron Montgomery (Houston, Texas) had touchdown runs of one and two yards that gave Northeast a 14-10 lead with 12:46 to go in the third quarter. Trinity Valley (Texas) Community College scored 14 unanswered points from there to ruin the Tigers’ inaugural bowl appearance.
Northeast rose to as high as No. 2 in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) rankings before settling at No. 15 in the final poll. The Tigers were also rated inside the top 10 in the country in both total offense with 399
yards per game and total defense.
Several Tigers received postseason accolades, including Greening as the MACJC Co-Coach of the Year. Chris Bradwell (Jacksonville, Fla.) secured NJCAA Region 23 Defensive Player of the Year and Most Valuable Player honors at the Pilgrim’s Pride Bowl Classic.
Quarterback Bruce Hall (Milton, Fla.), defensive back Justin Sanders (Pearl) and offensive lineman Antezdra Thigpen (Holly Springs) were recognized as the best players in the region at their respective positions.
Joining those four on the all-state first-team were linebacker Nikko Doyle (South Panola), linebacker Stanley Lykes (Birmingham, Ala.), offensive lineman Hollis Hoskins (South Panola) and Montgomery.
Second-team all-state recipients were offensive lineman Matt Blanchard (Saltillo), defensive back Chris Nance (Tuscumbia, Ala.), defensive lineman Cortez Lawrence (Murfreesboro, Tenn.), defensive lineman Greg Smith (Chattanooga, Tenn.) and tight end Charles Twilley (South Panola).
Five Tigers were selected to compete in the MACJC All-Star Game, including wide receiver Robert Fox (Calhoun City), defensive lineman Andrew Murphy (Booneville), Blanchard, Hall and Lawrence. Michael Ricks (Leighton, Ala.), Bradwell, Hall and Sanders eventually concluded their careers by signing free agent contracts with National Football League (NFL) franchises.
NEW VIDEO BOARD PART OF MILLION DOLLAR RENOVATION TO TIGER STADIUM
The long time home of the Northeast Mississippi Community College football program is undergoing its first significant changes in over a decade.
Northeast is investing approximately $1.5 million in renovations to Tiger Stadium ahead of the upcoming 2025 season. Among the highlights are a refurbished playing surface and a stateof-the-art video board.
“I think we’re doing a lot of things to enhance not only the playing surface, but the surroundings,” Northeast athletic director Kent Farris said. “The fans are going to enjoy the new look. We’re just excited about all the new things that are going on.”
Northeast partnered with video board manufacturer ACE Sports for the crown jewel of this venture. The towering LED structure will be located along the northwest corner in front of the field house.
The board will stand at 20 feet high by 39 feet wide and include a brand-new sound system at the top. The speakers will be hidden by decorative lettering that spells “Northeast” with the “NE” logo featured on both sides.
The board will include multiple sponsorship spots, a prominent space for video content plus the game clock and scoring information all on one display. The Northeast Development Foundation assisted with this portion of the project through its “Jump On Board” campaign.
“The improvements that Dr. Ford, the administration and the board have done to help this program is a game changer,” said Tigers head coach Greg Davis. “The face lift is much needed. It’s going to blow some people’s socks off. It’s going to change the level of our recruiting.”
The playing surface was another major part of Tiger Stadium’s revitalization process. Crews tore out the old grass, brought in additional dirt to level the field and laid fresh sod that was brought in from Arkansas.
Tahoma 31 Bermuda was selected as the new grass for the Tigers’ venue. It is a popular choice for sports complexes because of its exceptional winter
hardiness, early spring green-up and wear tolerance.
A modernized irrigation system featuring Hunter Industries products was installed to keep the grass in pristine condition. There are four sprinkler rotor heads down each sideline that disperse water across the field.
Underneath the turf lies a six-inch Hydraway drainage system to help shed excess water quickly. The same infrastructure is in place at Auburn (Ala.) University’s Jordan-Hare Stadium and at other Southeastern Conference (SEC) facilities.
“You can’t get a better surface than what we’re going to play on,” Davis said. “It’s top of the line. I’m fired up about it. It’s going to be magnificent once it’s all completed.”
A gray block facade will adorn three locations, including at the bottom of both sets of bleachers. It will also separate the south end of the facility from the ticket booth and concession stand.
Northeast plans to boost the environment behind the south end zone with the purchase of six high-top tables, stools and umbrellas for fans to gather around on game nights. It will be a similar setup to what is available between the baseball and softball fields at The Plex.
New fluorescent yellow goal posts, which meet the NCAA specifications of the uprights rising 20 feet above the crossbar, are included in this makeover. Select areas will receive upgraded fencing as well.
