Ole Miss defensive lineman Peria Jerry (left) receives a $2,500 check to the Ole Miss Athletic Department from Cellular South President Hu Meena (right) after he was selected as the 2008 Cellular South Fans' Choice Award winner as Mississippi's top collegiate football player. Jerry outpolled two other finalists, Ole Miss offensive tackle Michael Oher and Millsaps College quarterback Juan Joseph, in a text messaging voting contest among the state's gridiron fans.
Cellular South President Hu Meena (left) and Perian Conerly (center) are all smiles during presentation of the 2008 Cellular South Conerly Trophy to Millsaps College quarterback Juan Joseph (right) after his selection by a panel of media representatives as the state's top collegiate football player. Conerly is the widow of Charlie Conerly, the award's namesake and former Clarksdale High School, Ole Miss and NFL star.
Clarksdale, MS - (December 2, 2008) – – Millsaps College quarterback Juan Joseph is the 2008 winner of the Cellular South Conerly Trophy while Ole Miss defensive lineman Peria Jerry took home the Cellular South Fans' Choice Award as Mississippi's top football players for the 2008 season during the Cellular South Outstanding Player Award program at the Clarksdale Country Club in Clarksdale, Miss.
Joseph, the first Division III finalist in the award's 13-year history to be named as the state's best collegiate football player, was selected by a panel of 57 media experts as the Cellular South Conerly trophy winner. With more than 16,000 total tedxt messaging votes cast by fans, Ole Miss defensive lineman Peria Jerry took home the Cellular South Fans' Choice Award.
Jerry received 7,181 votes, narrowly beating out Ole Miss teammate Michael Oher (7,067 votes) and Juan Joseph (2,701 votes) of Millsaps College as the fans' choice for Mississippi's best college football player. Thanks to Jerry's victory, Cellular South will contribute $2,500 to the Ole Miss athletic department.
The award is named after the former Clarksdale High School, University of Mississippi and National Football League star, the late Charlie Conerly, who starred for Clarksdale High School and later at Ole Miss where he was an All-American selection.
Widely considered the greatest football player in state history, Conerly went on to play professional football for the New York Giants, leading the team to three NFL championship games in four seasons. In 1956, he led the Giants to a 47-7 win over the Chicago Bears for the coveted NFL championship.
The Cellular South Conerly Trophy and Cellular South Fans' Choice Awards are part of Cellular South's Outstanding Player Awards, administered by the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame & Museum. The award series also includes the Cellular South Howell Trophy, honoring Mississippi's best collegiate male basketball player of the year, the Cellular South Gillom Trophy, honoring the state's top female collegiate basketball player and the Cellular South Ferriss Trophy, honoring Mississippi's best collegiate baseball player.
For more information on the Cellular South Fans' Choice Award and the Cellular South Outstanding Player Awards series, visit www.cellularsouth.com/csopa. The Cellular South Fans' Choice Award is managed by Cellular South as a separate program and has no bearing on the official judging of the Cellular South Conerly Trophy Award.
About Cellular South
Cellular South is a privately-owned diversified mobile communications company passionately committed to helping customers get the most out of their wireless devices and services. The company accomplishes this goal by providing the most reliable and advanced 3G nationwide wireless voice and data network, offering industry-leading unlimited flat rate plans, and through its online and in-store Discover Centers, which give customers easy, simple and convenient tools, tips, advice and information to get the most out of their mobile phone. For more information, visit www.cellularsouth.com.
