Former EMCC All-American Bo Wallace receives Conerly Trophy for Ole Miss Rebels

SCOOBA – Former East Mississippi Community College All-American and current Ole Miss sophomore quarterback Bo Wallace has received the C Spire Conerly Trophy in recognition as the top college football player in the state of Mississippi for the 2012 season.  The trophy was presented during a special awards program Tuesday night at the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum in Jackson.

Wallace, who has helped lead head coach Hugh Freeze's 6-6 Ole Miss Rebels to their first bowl berth since 2009, passed for 2,843 yards and 19 touchdowns while running for another 363 yards and eight scores during the regular season.  In starting every game for Ole Miss this year, Wallace's 3,206 yards of total offense make him only the second player in school history to eclipse 3,000 total yards in a season behind Eli Manning.

A year ago in Scooba, Wallace capped a record-setting season statistically for head coach Buddy Stephens' NJCAA Champion East Mississippi Lions by being honored as the 2011 National Junior College Athletic Association Offensive Player of the Year.  As a first-team NJCAA All-American last season, Wallace established new NJCAA single-season standards for most passing yards (4,604), most yards of total offense (4,810) and most touchdowns thrown (53).  Along with completing 67 percent of his passes during his record-breaking campaign, Wallace also rushed for 206 yards and five touchdowns to help lead EMCC to a 12-0 record and school-first national football title.

Wallace, a product of Giles County High School in Pulaski, Tenn., redshirted the 2010 football season at Arkansas State University before transferring to play his freshman season at East Mississippi Community College.

Wallace was one of five finalists chosen for this year's C Spire Conerly Trophy by a panel of 50 media members from around the state.  Other finalists included Mississippi State cornerback Johnthan Banks, Southern Miss defensive end Jamie Collins, Jackson State wide receiver Rico Richardson and Delta State offensive tackle Kendall Hunter.

This year marked the 17^th presentation of the C Spire Conerly Trophy, which is annually given to Mississippi's most outstanding college football players and honors College Football Hall of Famer Charlie Conerly.