POPLARVILLE, Miss. — It was a cold and overcast day in Coffeyville, Kansas as the 2004 Pearl River football team took on Butler (Kan.) for the National Championship.
Pearl River's play was the only thing shining on that day as the Wildcats were clinging to a late lead — that was until PRCC's defense plucked an interception out of the air with a few minutes left in the game; Out of nowhere the sun began to peak through the clouds. The sun lit up the sideline almost as if it was the crowning moment for legendary Pearl River football quarterback Jimmy Oliver. With the sun now beaming down, Oliver knew that his team had just accomplished a feat that very few people get to say —they were National Champions.
"The Greatest Redshirt of All-Time," a two-time NJCAA Offensive Player of the Year and a holder of nearly every Pearl River passing record, Oliver will be enshrined in the Mississippi Community Colleges Sports Hall of Fame on Tuesday at Hinds Community College's Clyde Muse Center in Pearl.
"When the lights came on, I just played the game. I never looked at the stats, records or accomplishments," Oliver said. "The Hall of Fame is where everyone wants to end up. People want to be remembered for how they played the game. The moment still hasn't fully hit me. I'm just thankful to have the opportunity."
Oliver talked about the moment that he received the call that he was Pearl River's selection for the 2023 Hall of Fame.
"It definitely caught me by surprise. Coach (Tim) Hatten called and said that someone from PRCC wanted to talk to me. I didn't really know what to think," he said. "I had no idea that it was going to be about going into the Hall of Fame. I sat back, looked up to heaven and thanked God.
"Getting that call is something that everyone wants to get. It's an incredible accomplishment."
"THE GREATEST REDSHIRT OF ALL-TIME"
Oliver arrived at Pearl River from East Marion High School weighing 158 pounds. Needing some time to develop combined with the fact that Pearl River had a pair of sophomore quarterbacks resulted in Oliver opting to take a redshirt. Although Oliver was only playing in practice, Hatten recalls Oliver's talents being on display instantly.
"We had Anthony Johnson at the time who was a very good quarterback for us and we didn't want to waste a year of Jimmy's eligibility," Hatten said. "He took classes and ran the scout offense, but his talent was obvious from the start. He was giving our starting defense fits as a redshirt. We knew he was talented and was going to play somewhere for us, but we had no idea what the future held."
After a year of Oliver practicing and improving, Hatten and his coaching staff named him the starter for the 2004 season opener against Itawamba. The 6-foot-1 quarterback carved up the Indian defense, passing for 478 yards and five touchdowns in his first collegiate game. It was all Oliver from that point forward.
"In summer camp, Jimmy just started throwing the ball around like it was nothing," Haten said. "We made the decision to move forward with him as the starter. In the first game, he threw for over 400 yards and we never looked back. It was showtime and he was ridiculous."
Oliver went on to shred every defense that took the field opposite of him, finishing the year as the nation's champion in passing yards (3,487) and total offense (3,658). Not only did he pile up the yards, but he also racked up the touchdowns, accounting for 40 through the air. That record-setting season resulted in a perfect 12-0 record, an MACJC Championship and the second National Championship in program history. After the season had ended, Oliver was named All-MACJC, First Team All-American and the NJCAA's Offensive Player of the Year.
In the Hurricane Katrina-shortened 2005 season, Oliver picked right back up where he left off, helping lead the Wildcats to wins in the first four games of the season. The fifth game of the year saw Pearl River pitted against archrival Gulf Coast. The Bulldogs got off to an incredible start in the contest and the Wildcats headed to the locker room at halftime down by nearly 30 points. At the break, Hatten made the decision that they were going to win or lose the game with the ball in Oliver's hands.
"I walked into the locker room at halftime, looked at Jimmy, then looked at the running backs and told them that they weren't going back in the game," Hatten said. "We threw the ball every single play after that, and Jimmy was just unbelievable."
Indeed, the Wildcats did throw the ball every play as Oliver set single-game school records for pass attempts (69), completions (34), passing yards (608) and passing touchdowns (6). Oliver's production helped the Wildcats get just one defensive stop away from having a chance to tie it before Gulf Coast secured the victory, 55-47.
That loss was the only one that Oliver ever suffered while in the maroon and gold as he helped lead PRCC to four consecutive wins to end the season, including a 25-19 revenge victory over Gulf Coast in the MACJC Championship.
At season's end and in two fewer games than most, Oliver was once again the best player in the country, winning the passing and total offense crowns with 2,821 yards and 3,150 yards, respectively. The NJCAA named him a First Team All-American and its Offensive Player of the Year. Oliver is still the only player ever to be named Offensive Player of the Year twice by the organization.
TOPPING THE RECORD BOOKS
Eighteen years later, Oliver's name is still peppered throughout the Pearl River football record books. He's first in passing yards in a game (608), number one and two in touchdown passes in a season (40 and 27), second in pass attempts in a game (69), first in touchdowns in a game (6), eighth in pass completions in a game (34), first and second in passing yards in a season (3,487 and 2,821), first in career passing touchdowns (67) and first in career passing yards (6,415).
"Just hearing how many records I still hold is hard to believe," Oliver said. "I didn't know that. I just played the game. I was concerned about winning. I never thought about accolades. It's really a great feeling to be at the top of the list."
Oliver's main concern was winning and he certainly did that, ending his time at The River with a 20-1 record which was good enough for a 95 winning percentage.
"When you got off the bus with Jimmy Oliver on your team, you basically knew you were going to win," Hatten said. "There was a certain confidence that having a player like Jimmy gave you."
AFTER THE RIVER
Oliver went on to sign with Jackson State after his stint in Poplarville. As a junior, he completed 138 of 221 passes for 1,906 yards and 14 touchdowns. A year later, Oliver passed for 2,550 yards and 20 touchdowns, connecting on 177 of 305 attempts. He led the Tigers to their 19th SWAC title that season with a 2-31 win over Grambling State. He was named the championship game's Most Valuable Offensive Player.
In 2011, Jackson State named Oliver to its All-Century football team.
PAST INDUCTEES
Oliver joins a star-studded list of Pearl River inductees in the Mississippi Community Colleges Sports Hall of Fame, including his former coach, Tim Hatten (2019).
"It's amazing to join my former coach there," Oliver said. "He's the same guy that he was when we were together then that he is today. I'm forever grateful for him giving me the opportunity."
Other Wildcats included are Willie Heidelberg (2007), Dobie Holden (2007), Tommy Walters (2008), Jerrell Wilson (2008), Frank "Twig" Branch (2009), J.E. Loiacano (2010), Bobby Weaver (2011), Mack Cochran (2012), Steve Regan (2013), Doug Daniels (2014), J. Larry Ladner (2015), Jeffery Posey (2016), Jay Artigues (2017), Larry Whigham (2018), Elaine Powell (2020), Wendell Magee (2021) and LaRue Saulters (2022).
