40+ NFL Players From Mississippi To Greet Fans/Sign Autographs Friday Night
PEARL, MS - In addition to celebrating the incredible baseball history in Mississippi on Friday night, the Mississippi Braves are also celebrating football legends that made their mark on the state. There will be 40+ former NFL Players from Mississippi on hand to sign autographs during our 6:35 pm game against
PEARL, MS - In addition to celebrating the incredible baseball history in Mississippi on Friday night, the Mississippi Braves are also celebrating football legends that made their mark on the state. There will be 40+ former NFL Players from Mississippi on hand to sign autographs during our 6:35 pm game against the Jackson (TN) Generals at Trustmark Park. The team will be wearing Jackson (MS) Generals throwback uniforms during the game.
Autograph tables will be located on the first base concourse. There will be three sessions, an hour in length, beginning at 6:00 pm.
Former NFL Players Scheduled:
Vernon Perry: Perry played for the Houston Oilers (' 79-'82) and the New Orleans Saints ('83). Perry's most notable NFL accomplishment was in a 1979 AFC playoff game against the San Diego Chargers. In the game, he blocked a field goal and returned it 57 yards before being tackled by the holder, and set an NFL postseason record by intercepting four passes from Chargers quarterback Dan Fouts. In the next playoff game, the AFC Championship, against Pittsburgh, Perry intercepted a Terry Bradshaw pass and returned it 75 yards for a touchdown on Pittsburgh's first possession of the game.
Robert Brazile Jr. The Jackson State University alum was a first-round draft pick of the Houston Oilers in 1975 and found immediate success by winning the NFL's Defensive Rookie of the Year. Brazile was named to the Pro Bowl seven straight seasons and was an All-Pro from 1976 to 1980. Brazile was selected to the NFL's All-Decade Team for the 1970s and was a 2018 inductee into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Eddie Payton: Older brother of NFL legend Walter Payton, Eddie played collegiately at Jackson State University and played five seasons in the NFL from 1977 to 1982. In 1980, he led the NFL with 53 kickoff returns for 1,184 yards.
Elex Price: The Yazoo City, MS native Price played eight seasons for the New Orleans Saints.
Leon Seal: Seal played collegiately at Jackson State University where he earned the nickname Dr. Sack. Seal was a fourth-round draft pick of the Buffalo Bills where he played from 1987 to 1991 and was the starting Defensive End in Super Bowls XXV and XXVI.
Aubrey Matthews: Matthews played collegiately for Delta State University and played in the NFL for 11 seasons with the Atlanta Falcons, Green Bay Packers, and Detroit Lions. Matthews had 2,112 career receiving yards and nine touchdowns.
Marcus Dupree: The Philadelphia, MS native broke Herschel Walker's national high school football touchdowns in a season record with 87 as a senior at Philadelphia High School. As a freshman at the University of Oklahoma, Dupree rushed for 1,144 yards and 13 touchdowns earning him Second Team All American, First Team All-Big Eight and Big Eight Newcomer of the Year honors. Dupree played two seasons in the NFL with the Los Angeles Rams.
Lewis Tillman: The Hazlehurst, MS native, enjoyed a record-setting career at Jackson State University breaking Walter Payton's career rushing record with 3,989 years where he was also a two-time Kodak All-American and Walk Camp All-American. Tillman spent seven seasons in the NFL winning a Super Bowl ring with the New York Giants in 1991.
Other NFL Alumni Scheduled to be in attendance:
Kenny Bryant, Mike Espy, Mark Smith, Ollie Smith, Sean Woodson, Jimmy Smith, Sr., Nolan Smith, Rod Phillips, Perry Harrington, Laster Walls, Lawrence Pillier, Larry Hardy, Mike Jones, John Sanders, Jim Evans, Larry Cowan, Ben Williams, Frank Sutton, Glen Collins, Thomas Leonard, Sylvester Staps, Gary Lewis, Veron Ollie, Frank Thompson, Earl Bryant, Ben Williams, Jeffery Moore, Chris Burkette, Lester Holmes, John McDougle, Antoine Cash, Roscoe Ward Robert Brazile and Richard Byrd.
Former Jackson General Chad Alexander will throw out the ceremonial first pitch. During his 10-year professional baseball career, the outfielder played parts of two seasons here with the Jackson Generals hitting .296 with 22 home runs and 89 RBI over the 1998 and 1999 seasons.
The first 1,000 fans on Friday will receive a retro Jackson (MS) Generals Replica Jersey T-Shirt, presented by Visit Jackson. There will also be a Jackson (MS) Generals Hat Auction on the concourse for player-signed caps. These hats will be available for purchase in the Extra-Innings Team Store as well. Tickets may be purchased at the Trustmark Park Box Office, by phone at 888-BRAVES4, or by visiting mississippibraves.com/tickets.