University of Mississippi freshman quarterback Nathan Stanley warms up before an Ole Miss Rebels game. (Submitted photo)

By Jim Trickett

Sports Writer

 

TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – It’s a huge difference from playing at Sequoyah High School’s Thompson Field to entering the large college football stadiums in the Southeastern Conference. But for former SHS quarterback Nathan Stanley, he is making that adjustment in one of the toughest football conferences in America.

 

Stanley became the Indians’ starting quarterback in the fourth game of his freshman season, and the 6-foot, 5-inch signal caller never missed another start. He started 43 games for Sequoyah and led the Indians to district titles in 2006 and 2007.

 

At SHS, Stanley completed 329 of 601 pass attempts for a 54 percent completion percentage, 5,260 yards and 62 touchdowns. He was named the District 2A-8 Player of the Year and was selected by the Oklahoma Coaches Association as an All-State athlete.

 

After his senior season, Stanley was recruited by the University of Arkansas, but head coach Houston Nutt resigned in December 2007 and was hired as the head coach of the University of Mississippi Rebels.

 

Nutt highly regarded Stanley, who was at the top of Nutt’s list while at Arkansas. The new Rebels coach took little time in offering Stanley a scholarship to Oxford, Miss., with Stanley signing his name on a letter of intent in February.

 

But since going to Ole Miss, Stanley has had to adjust from being not only a high school football player to a college player, but also to college life.

 

“It’s a big adjustment, but I’m taking it day-by-day,” Stanley said in a phone interview after a Rebels practice. “I’m taking in as much as I can (of the college life).”

 

After class, Stanley heads to the practice field. He is using this season as a learning experience and redshirting so he can have four years of eligibility.

 

“I’m very happy that I’m getting to redshirt this year and I get to absorb everything and get to learn the offense more by watching the game and not out there playing” he said. “During the games, I have a headset on and listen to the plays being called, and I help signal the plays in. Several of us, including coach Nutt signal the plays in and we know who is giving the real play and who are the decoys.

 

“Practices have been not been too bad, and I’m learning a lot,” Stanley added. “(Sequoyah) Coach (Brent) Scott definitely helped get ready for college practices and everything he told me has happened. He’s been through it all when he played, and it has helped me as everything that he’s told me has happened. It helped a lot in preparing for the practices here at Ole Miss.”

 

The biggest change for Stanley was going from playing in front of 5,000 fans at Sequoyah to walking into some of the largest stadiums in the country. His first experience of road life in the SEC was the Rebels’ trip to Florida Field or “The Swamp” to play the Florida Gators, winning 31-30 over the fourth-ranked Gators.

 

“It was a pretty awesome experience to walk into a stadium with 95,000 fans screaming as loud as they could. I had never seen anything like it,” he said. “Alabama was the same way, 95,000 fans and sold out. It’s a great atmosphere and the fans love their football.”

 

Despite not playing Oct. 25 against the Arkansas Razorbacks, Stanley was happy to be close to home and see family and friends that traveled to Fayetteville, Ark.

 

“Getting to play so close to home and get to see not only my family, but friends after the game as well was great,” he said. “This is the closest that we come to Tahlequah, so it was great to get right at home and get to see people that I haven’t seen since I came to Ole Miss.”

 

Not only has coach Nutt helped Stanley in the transition to college football, but Rebels offensive coordinator Kent Austin has also helped him learn the game.

 

“Coach Austin has helped me a lot in getting used to the faster pace of the college game and he knows his stuff,” said Stanley.

 

The offseason is already planned out as he will go through spring drills and then spend the summer in Oxford preparing for next season.

 

“I’ll stay down here for the summer and will workout five days a week,” he said. “That way, I’ll get more familiar with the offense, along with lifting three to four days a week, depending on what they schedule for strength training.”

 

Stanley will possibly have a chance to work during the summer with a couple of famous Rebel alumni – Archie and Eli Manning.

 

“Eli was here during the summer and I briefly got to talk to him when he was walking through the indoor practice facility,” Stanley said. “Hopefully, I’ll get to talk to him more this spring and summer.”

 

But for the former Indians quarterback, Stanley is getting used to SEC life and is preparing to help Ole Miss battle for a SEC Western Division title next season.