Southern interim coach Fred McNair was a teenager when he saw his future in the stands of Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium in Jackson, Mississippi.

It was 1984 and he was one of the 63,808 people who flocked to watch one of the biggest football games in the history of the Southwestern Athletic Conference.

It was the high-octane offense of Mississippi Valley State, led by Jerry Rice and quarterback Willie Totten, against the rugged defense of Alcorn State, whose architect was legendary HBCU coach Marino Casem. He would later become Southern’s athletic director from 1986-99.

McNair was with one of his classmates from Mount Olive High School, marveling at the game when he told them, “I want to be one of them.”

His friend looked down at the field and agreed he could one day be a co

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