"Ole Miss has lost another football legend with the passing of Jennings Paige Cothren, Sr., 81, who died September 1, 2016 at North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo, Mississippi, after a brief illness.

Visitation will be at First Baptist Church, Houston, Mississippi on Sunday, September 4 from 1-3 p.m. The funeral will follow at 3 p.m., and burial will be at French Camp Cemetery, French Camp, Mississippi.

As a fullback, kicker, cornerback and linebacker, Cothren was one of the most versatile players in Ole Miss football history, earning first-team All-America honors in 1956 and a second-team All-America selection in 1955. He was named first-team All-Southeastern Conference in 1955 and 1956, while also being named to the All-South team in 1955.

Cothren, who was inducted into the Ole Miss Athletics Hall of Fame in 1988, helped lead Coach John Vaught’s 1954 and 1955 teams to back-to-back SEC championships. During his three varsity seasons (1954-56), Ole Miss posted a 26-6 overall record, including a loss to Navy in the Sugar Bowl and a victory over TCU in the Cotton Bowl. He was the leading Ole Miss rusher in both bowl games. In the 14-13 Cotton Bowl win against TCU, Cothren gained 79 yards rushing on 12 carries, including a three-yard touchdown. He also had a key 13-yard reception on fourth down from quarterback Eagle Day on the game-winning drive and then provided the winning margin with his PAT kick.

Named to receive the Jacobs Trophy in 1955, symbolizing the best blocker in the SEC, Cothren led the SEC in scoring in 1955 with 74 points and also won the NCAA kick-scoring championship in 1955 with 38 points.

Cothren, who was drafted by the National Football League Los Angeles Rams in 1957,

He played two years (1957-58) with the Rams and then one year (1959) with the Philadelphia Eagles before retiring from professional football. His 14 field goals in 1958 led the NFL as did his 56.0 field goal percentage (14-25). He was 38 of 38 on extra point attempts in 1957 as his 100.0 percentage was tops in the league.

Although he had retired from the pro ranks after his 1959 season, on January 27, 1967, Cothren became the first player signed in New Orleans Saints history after the organization was awarded a franchise by the NFL on November 1, 1966.

Cothren played in 31 games during his three-year NFL career as he scored 180 points, connecting on 33 of 62 field goal attempts, while being a perfect 81 of 81 on extra point attempts. His 71 points in his rookie season ranked him fifth in the NFL in scoring and his 84 points the next year ranked second behind only Pro Football Hall of Famer Jim Brown."

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