University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Fan Feature: Roger Cameron
7/15/2016 12:00:00 AM | Football
HATTIESBURG, Miss. -- The strength of The University of Southern Mississippi's foundation is not found in its facilities nor the picturesque campus. Make no mistake, these facets are important and vital to the university. However, the true strength of the university comes from the incredible people who unite to create the tight-knit family atmosphere that is unique to Golden Eagle Nation. The family attitude is unique and corroborated time and time again by the fans, students and student-athletes. The foundation of this family is built upon passionate people who have loved the university for decades. Roger Cameron is one of these important patriarchal members of the family who have sustained it for years. The key to the success of Southern Miss are people like Roger who came, invested, supported and continue to be involved.
Born in Quitman, Mississippi, Cameron was the son of a Methodist minister which meant that his family moved frequently during his childhood. Over the years, they lived in Leaksville, Laurel, Glendale, Pike County, Utica, Raleigh and Hazlehurst. It was in Hazlehurst where Roger finished high school and met his lovely wife, Patricia.
After graduating high school, Roger studied at Copiah-Lincoln Community College from 1961-62. Originally, Southern Miss was not on his radar going into junior college. He knew he wanted to go into education and looked into the department at Mississippi State. However, some of his friends were going to USM and he agreed to visit campus. After visiting campus, Roger decided to join his friends in Hattiesburg to be closer to home. It was from that moment forward that his love for Southern Miss grew and he graduated from the university in 1965 with a bachelor's degree in education before earning a master's degree in 1967.
Throughout his life, Roger's career has varied from sales to architecture to education. He taught at Prentiss High School for four years and later spent time working for the state. For much of his adult life, Roger lived in Crystal Springs for 27 years, working in business-to-business sales that included selling medical equipment to hospitals. During those years, he raised a family while ardently supporting the Golden Eagles. Each weekend he and his family drove to Hattiesburg wearing their black and gold to support their beloved university for game days at The Rock.
Roger commented on game days at The Rock by saying, "I enjoy seeing friends I haven't seen in years. I enjoy seeing all the people getting out to support the team."
Across five decades of Golden Eagle football, Roger has seen several of the greatest moments in Southern Miss history. He watched the team climb to new heights with Reggie Collier and Sammy Winder. He watched the meteoric rise of Brett Favre in the late 1980s. He enjoyed the consistency of the Bower era with the impressive bowl streak and watching his Golden Eagles become dangerous giant killers throughout the 1990s.
Given all of the teams and players throughout the years, Roger could only narrow down his favorite games and players to series and lists. Some of his favorite players are Sammie Winder, Cedric Scott and Adalius Thomas. His favorite series against an opponent were the unforgettable Louisville games in the late `80s and `90s. But the game that stood out the most from Cameron's 50 years of fandom was the Florida State game in 1989. With 20 seconds remaining in a tight game, Brett Favre added to his incredible legacy by throwing the game-winning touchdown pass that took down the Seminoles. Looking back, Roger commented on the `89 team saying, "We had two excellent running backs (Rickey Bradley and Tony Smith) that gave them trouble. We really had top quality players on the field."
Throughout his lifetime, Roger has been one of the most faithful fans for the Golden Eagles. He traveled from Jackson to home games for over 20 years and made his way to road games. To Roger, being at every game regardless of the opponent or season record is the essence of being a fan. He elaborated by adding, "It's important to show support - we have excellent players, coaches, and staff, and it is important to support them. I can't settle for just tailgating, and not actually attending the game."
Roger is excited about the 2016 season. He knew Coach Jay Hopson from his previous stints at Southern Miss as an assistant and raves about his abilities. Roger reiterated the importance of supporting the team by saying, "We need people to get out and support us. We have a new coaching staff but our system and personnel are pretty much the same. You never know what will happen, but we just have to play. You play who you play and you beat who you beat."
Roger and his wife Patricia have two grown children, Daniel and Dee, who live in Hattiesburg with their families. Roger's grandson Hayden Chapman is a senior at Southern Miss and a member of ROTC, and another grandson will attend the university in fall 2017 upon graduation from Hattiesburg High School. After the coming spring, the parents, kids, and grandchild will all be Southern Miss alumni. Love for Southern Miss runs deep in this family and Golden Eagle Nation is thankful for them. Roger Cameron has been the epitome of a devoted fan and we look forward to having him, and all of the Cameron family, join the rest of Golden Eagle Nation at The Rock this fall.
