University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Fan Feature: Stacy Busby
7/8/2016 12:00:00 AM | Football
July 8, 2016
Stacy Busby may be the most interesting woman in the world. When called to discuss her passion for the Black and Gold, she took the time to step out of a meeting. But this was no ordinary meeting as Stacy stepped out of a meeting discussing rockets to dive deeper into her love of Southern Miss. On the list of most interesting things in the world that one could be meeting about, discussing rockets at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, AL is certainly near the top...right behind Southern Miss Football, of course, for Stacy Busby.
Hearing Stacy talk about her love for Southern Miss is similar to hearing someone divulging their most cherished memories about a beloved family member. At the ripe-old- age of 6 months old, she began to regularly attend Southern Miss events with her family. And if that sounds familiar to a previous feature, one of her cousins is Lance "The Iron Man Fan" Lefan, who was raised in similar Black and Gold fashion.
Born in South Mississippi, Stacy has been attending Southern Miss events for 45 years beginning with her weekend trips to The Rock with her family as a child. When her family moved to Central Mississippi, their Golden Eagle Pride never faltered as they continue to attend all home games. Both of her parents graduated from The University of Southern Mississippi and always faithfully supported their Alma Mater. No drive was too far for the Jacksons and their passion was too strong to avoid passing on to the next generation of Golden Eagles.
When her time came to choose a college, Stacy did give consideration to other institutions. She thought about becoming an orthodontist and even visited the University of Mississippi Dental School in Jackson, Miss. Ole Miss was also on the table; however, she decided to enroll at her parents' Alma Mater. The Polymer Science Program at The University of Southern Mississippi was ultimately the route that she chose and she graduated from the school in 1990.
While she talked affectionately about the program, her actions over the years have spoken louder than her words. Busby was the USM Alumni President for Mobile, AL until her career moved her to North Alabama, where she now serves the North Alabama Alumni Chapter. Throughout the years she has served on the Alumni Association Board of Directors from 1991 - 2001, has been named USM Alumni Ambassador of the Year and the Outstanding Young Alumni of the Year, has received an award for her Outstanding Service and her alumni chapters have won multiple "Best Chapter" honors from the Alumni Office. Recently, when the "To The Top Tour" travelled to North Alabama, she helped to put on an incredible event that saw over 100 Golden Eagles gather to mix and mingle with coaches and staff members. Her commitment to serving her Alma Mater is unparalleled.
The family road trips of her childhood engrained travel as a part of the college football experience. As aforementioned, Stacy works at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center and serves as a Vehicle Systems Engineer. The road trip to Hattiesburg is exactly 661.2 miles there and back; yet, the daunting drive has never dissuaded the Busby family. The family has driven almost 30,000 miles over the years just to attend Southern Miss home events. Along with football trips, the Busbys also hit the road for the Golden Eagle Baseball team. They travel to Pete Taylor Park for several games each year and rarely miss postseason action. On top of traveling to NCAA regionals, the Busbys had the joy of making the trek to Omaha as the Golden Eagles made their magical run to the College World Series in 2009.
Stacy's favorite Football players over the years have been Adalius Thomas, Gerald McGrath, Michael Boley (from North Alabama), and Jeff Kelly. Her current favorite players share her connection to the Yellowhammer State with Nick Mullins, Paxton Schrimsher, and Dakota Siniard.
When Stacy recalls her favorite memories, the game that stood out immediately was the 1999 Louisville game that secured the C-USA championship for the Golden Eagles. A trick play proved to be the difference-maker in a 30-27 victory that gave Southern Miss a perfect C-USA season in front of a stunned crowd at Papa John's Stadium in Louisville. Several Southern Miss players walked away with honors and Stacy got her pictures made with all of them, along with the Director of Athletics at the time Richard Giannini. These photos still reside on Stacy's wall at her home today and serve as a constant reminder to her to never quit even when the odds are stacked against you.
On what makes game days at The Rock special, Stacy said, "The continuation of making great family memories. After 45 years, it's special to see people who knew my Dad and his involvement in the Alumni Association and The Big Gold Club (now Eagle Club). It is also important for my children to learn what is important to me. I love Southern Miss. As my Dad used to say, "God, Family, Country, and U - S - M!" Perhaps she summed up game days the best when she went on to state that being at The Rock is like being in "God's Heaven on Earth. There's just nothing like it."
Stacy's Golden Eagle Pride truly is infectious, especially when seeing the incredible support that she and her family have demonstrated throughout the years. The pictures that she has throughout the years showcase the immense pride that she has for her university. In 1974-76, Southern Miss renovated M.M. Roberts Stadium to add the iconic double-decked concrete grand stands. Stacy's father, David Jackson, captured this important moment in Golden Eagle history with an amazing photograph during construction. Stacy and her father can be seen in this photo pictured below.
In other pictures, Stacy's husband, Johnny Busby is pictured with their 12-year old daughter Elizabeth before going to the Heart of Dallas Bowl at the end of last season. The important note is that Johnny's alma mater is not the University of Southern Mississippi. He attended Baylor University but Johnny blends right in with Golden Eagle fans, who often think he grew up a Southern Miss fan.
The rest of the pictures show how the next generation of Busbys are growing up to love the Golden Eagles. Elizabeth and her 7-year old brother David have been on the road like her mother before them. David is pictured with Seymour and former Golden Eagle quarterback Austin Davis at the 2016 Champions Brunch.
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Stacy Busby is a special member of the Golden Eagle family. Her influence extends into other states and even out of this world, literally. She is a road warrior who refuses to let distance keep her from supporting her beloved Golden Eagles. We are appreciative of all she has given back to the University of Southern Mississippi and bid her safe travel this fall.
