Ole Miss head football coach Lane Kiffin has announced that senior defensive end Cedric Johnson has been named the winner of the 2023 Chucky Mullins Courage Award.
The Mobile, Ala. native becomes the 33rd recipient in the 34-year history of the award. Johnson will wear a No. 38 patch throughout the upcoming season.
The award honors the late Chucky Mullins, who had his Ole Miss career come to an end during the 1989 Homecoming game against Vanderbilt when he was paralyzed after making a tackle. After returning to his studies at Ole Miss, Mullins passed away on May 6, 1991.
Introducing your 2023 Chucky Mullins Courage Award Winner!@Cedric02_ | #HottyToddy pic.twitter.com/eEEd9RBkWP
— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) August 17, 2023
“It means a lot to me, to say the least. I honestly can’t even explain how I’m feeling right now. It’s an honor to be chosen by the coaches and the players,” Johnson stated. “[Chucky] means a lot to everyone here. Just the spirit he carried throughout the whole building, the spirit that he spread onto everyone, just the positive energy that he put on everyone. I feel like I can do that myself, and just bring the positive energy and good spirit to everyone that I touch.”
Johnson – a Bednarik Award watch list member who has also been named to the preseason All-SEC teams by Phil Steele (first team), Athlon (third team), and Lindy’s (third team) – enters 2023 as Ole Miss’ active career leader in sacks with 13.5.
Last season, Johnson played in 11 games for the Rebels, starting in eight at defensive end. He finished the season with 32 total tackles, four sacks, and 4.5 tackles for loss. He also blocked a punt against Georgia Tech, becoming the first Rebel since 2012 to block a punt and record a sack in the same game.
Johnson was selected from among several veteran defensive players by Kiffin and the Rebels’ coaching staff. The award is presented annually to an Ole Miss upperclassman defensive player that embodies the spirit of Mullins – courage, leadership, perseverance, and determination.
The defensive end will carry the torch passed by K.D. Hill, who was the recipient of the Chucky Mullins Courage Award last season.
Ole Miss will kick off the 2023 season versus Mercer on September 2 at 1:00 p.m. CT.
