On Saturday, September 6, 2025, the entire Ole Miss fanbase watched the Rebels’ starting quarterback, Austin Simmons, come off the field with an apparent ankle injury.
As a fan, I was personally concerned because the Rebel offense hadn’t been anything to write home about, and the idea of having a backup quarterback start until Simmons was healed was not very appealing.
Then the following week, against Arkansas, Trinidad Chambliss stepped onto the field. The former starter for the Division II Ferris State Bulldogs lit up the Arkansas defense (which, in hindsight, is what teams did all season). However, he seemed to be the kind of leader the Rebels needed, and at the end of the season, they are 11-1, awaiting their playoff seeding.
I’m not going to harp on the Chambliss story. It’s impressive going from a Division II starter to a starter at an SEC school, playing against larger crowds than every game you’ve previously played in combined.
I would like to argue that when you look at it, what Chambliss is doing isn’t that shocking. Instead, it’s expected.
Last season, Ferris State won the Division II national championship. It really doesn’t matter what level you do it at; a national championship is a national championship. All of a sudden, every player on that team has some idea of what goes into having a championship team. These athletes don’t have to ‘act’ like they’ve been there before, because they have.
Athletes who bring these traits into the locker room give their teams an edge that coaches can’t teach. They know that something is possible, and they make sure their teammates know it too. They don’t just say that something is possible, though; they act like it is possible every single day.
The real championship mentality is in action. It’s in the monotonous day-to-day training. It’s in the showing up to practice a few minutes early to talk to teammates beforehand or to assist coaches in preparation. It’s in studying the sport because you know there’s always something you can improve.
Championship mentality is more than these few things. It looks a little bit different for everyone. It’s not in the pregame rituals (but if those help you go for it). It’s in the consistency. Brigham Young University’s head track and field coach Ed Eyestone put it best: “Consistent competence leads to eventual excellence.”
My encouragement to athletes this time of year, whether you just finished your season or will compete once we return for the spring semester, be like Chambliss. Take the challenge at whatever level you find yourself at. Be continuously faithful in your day-to-day, and find your success; don’t just wait for it.