'Really means a lot': Veteran Ole Miss players are not taking the Texas Bowl for granted.
Nick Broeker remembers it was not too long ago that Ole Miss’ season would be over at this time of year and a postseason nonexistent.
Now as Ole Miss is in the middle of its preparation for its third bowl game in as many years, veteran players like Broeker are embracing every minute.
For the offensive lineman this is his final game in an Ole Miss uniform and along with his teammates wants to see the season through to the very end.
“I always really wanted to play in the bowl game,” Broeker said earlier this week. “To me, being in a bowl game is just kind of a reward for a successful season. Especially early on in my career here, my first year we won four games here. So, for some of us older guys, going to a bowl game really means a lot.”
Broeker is one of a couple Ole Miss players who had the opportunity to opt out of playing in the TaxAct Texas Bowl on Dec. 28 and begin NFL Draft preparations. But like receiver Jonathan Mingo, Broeker opted to stay in and play a 13th game this season with the rest of his teammates.
Earlier this week Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin noted there had been discussions with a few players about opting out, but all of those discussions resulted in each player deciding to take part in the bowl game.
“It says a lot. I mean it just kind of proves how close we are together,” Broeker said. “I think that’s kind of one of the main things is we kind of want to stick it out and finish what we started. We’re such a close-knit team that we want to play for each other.”
While Broeker has his eyes on the Texas Bowl and finishing out his Ole Miss career it is not the end of his college career.
Broeker joins Mingo as the two Ole Miss seniors to receive invitations to play in the Reese’s Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala. on Feb. 4.
The game will be the final audition in front of NFL scouts and the last chance to get game action on film before the Pro Days and potential NFL Combine, if either earn an invite to Indianapolis in the spring.
For Broker this will not be a first-time experience of the NFL Draft process, who went through it last year. After receiving an evaluation from the NFL last spring Broeker made the decision to come back to Ole Miss for one more season to to continue to improve.
“I’m really excited for (the Senior Bowl). It’s a huge honor,” Broeker said. “Every year you kind of see who’s in it and it’s always a really good group and it’s going to be really fun to compete with those guys. Top level group of people and I”m really excited for it.”
Before early February gets here Broeker wants to wash the taste out of his mouth from how the regular season went.
Losing four of the last five games and three straight has the Rebels looking for its first win in a game since Oct. 29 at Texas A&M.
When Ole Miss and Texas Tech kick off inside NRG Stadium in Houston in a couple weeks it will have been nearly two months since the Rebels enjoyed a victory.
“It’s been a long time since we won a football game,” Broeker said. “Losing our last three, by the time we play it will have been months since we’ve won a football game. There’s such a bad taste in our mouth. Throughout the regular season I go, ‘Okay next week, next week.’ I mean obviously we won’t play for another two weeks from now. …It’s just something, you’re itching to get out and compete again.”
Watch Broeker’s full press conference after Wednesday’s practice below. Video courtesy of Ole Miss Sports Production.
