University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Bower Names Black & Gold Spring Game Honorary Coaches
4/7/2003 12:00:00 AM | Football
Bower Names Black & Gold Spring Game Honorary Coaches
Hattiesburg, Miss. - Reggie Collier and Adalius Thomas are well known for their stellar play at Southern Miss and in the professional ranks, but on April 12, they will find themselves on the M. M. Roberts Stadium sidelines as honorary coaches for the Annual Black & Gold Football Spring Game.
Head Coach Jeff Bower has named the two honorary coaches for the annual Black & Gold spring football game that will start at 1 p.m., and will highlight EagleFest weekend. "We've had so many great players here who have gone on and been extremely successful in the NFL and in private business," Bower said. "Many of them continue to give back to the program and are very supportive, and it's always good to have those players come back to the campus."
"This is a great weekend for the fans and alumni and it gets the players back on campus. These two players made outstanding contributions to our program and now continue to be involved after they are gone. I believe it's great for our current players to see these players who have left our program and been successful coming back to the campus and showing their support."
Collier, one of the top quarterbacks to ever play at Southern Miss, became the first player in NCAA history to rush for a 1,000 yards and pass for a 1,000 yards in a single season, rushing for 1,005 yards and passing for 1,004 yards. He ended his Southern Miss career rushing for 2,304 yards and scoring 26 touchdowns. He passed for 3,662 yards and threw 16 touchdowns.
Collier was a third-team All-America selection in 1981 and an honorable-mention honoree in 1982. Following his Golden Eagle career, he had a successful professional career with the Birmingham Stallions, Washington Federals and Orlando Renegades of the USFL and the Dallas Cowboys of the NFL.
He came on the scene in 1979 and earned his first start at Tulane. All he did was lead the team down the field in the final minutes to set up Winston Walker's game-winning field goal, giving Southern Miss a 17-14 win.
In fact, Collier would lead the team to wins in their first six games and a No. 20 ranking in the Associated Press Poll. The team finished 8-3 and earned a berth in the Independence Bowl, the school's first postseason appearance since the 1950's. He passed for 1,268 yards and rushed for 464 yards.
In 1981, The Golden Eagles won their first four games, tied Alabama, and then finished 9-1-1, ranked as high as eighth in the nation and earned a berth in the Tangerine Bowl. He led Southern Miss to a 7-4 record in 1982, including a 38-29 win over Bear Bryant's Alabama Crimson Tide, the first loss for Alabama in Tuscaloosa since 1962.
Thomas, one of the top defensive players to ever don the Black and Gold, helped lead Southern Miss as a founding member of Conference USA and on to unprecedented success throughout his career. He helped the Golden Eagles win three of the first four Conference USA championships and earn three bowl appearances.
The two-time Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year, Thomas helped guide the Golden Eagles to national rankings as high as 14th at the end of his senior season. He was a two-time All-American selection, named by several organizations.
Thomas finished his career as the school's leader in tackles for loss (56) and quarterback sacks (34.5). He set the season record for quarterback sacks (12.5) and was second in tackles for loss (20).
Thomas was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens (NFL) in 2000 and was a member of the Ravens' World Championship team in 2001. He was a big contributor early in his pro career and now is a starting defensive end for the Ravens. Last season, he finished with 68 total tackles, three sacks, two interceptions, 11 pass breakups and forced a team-high three fumbles.
