JACKSON, Miss. – Millsaps football junior linebacker
Nehemiah Coalson gained recognition across the Magnolia State for his impressive stats following the 2024 season. On Tuesday, he was announced a nominee for the prestigious 2024 C Spire Conerly Trophy by the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum.
Hailing from Belzoni, Miss., Coalson currently is tied with a Southern Athletic Association-best 4.5 sacks, while also ranking second with 8.2 sacks per game.
The junior sits third with both 74 total tackles and 35 assisted tackles. His 39 solo stops are sixth through nine contests.
Coalson was named SAA Football Defensive Athlete of the Week on Oct. 21 after delivering a key fumble recovery and returning it for a touchdown. The defensive standout helped the Majors power past Southwestern University 17-14.
The Business Administration major tallied 8.5 tackles for loss, ranking him eighth leaguewide, including the eighth-most sacks of 3.5. Coalson also holds five quarterback hurries.
Coalson was key in helping Millsaps football total their most wins in a season since 2019.
Each college and university in the state with a football program selects one player who they feel best represents their team as the Most Outstanding Player to be nominated for the prestigious award. This year's winner will become the 29th recipient since the program started in 1996. Named in honor of Ole Miss and NFL star Charlie Conerly, the award is voted on by a panel of media and NFL scouts who cover college football in the state.
This award has come to represent the Mississippi version of the Heisman Trophy. It is highly coveted and respected throughout the country. Previous winners of the C Spire Conerly Trophy have gone on to successful NFL careers including Eli Manning, Jerious Norwood, Dak Prescott, and Evan Engram. Two former recipients, Deuce McAllister and Patrick Willis, have been enshrined in the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame.
The 2024 C Spire Conerly winner will be announced during a presentation at the Sheraton Refuge in Flowood, on Tuesday, Dec. 3. A reception will be held at 5:30 p.m., with the program and dinner to follow at 6:30 p.m. Tickets for the event are available at the Hall of Fame office or online at
www.msfame.com.
Coalson and his teammates will also await the announcement of the 2024 All-SAA Football Team in the days ahead.
2024 C Spire Conerly Trophy Nominees
- Alcorn State University – Xzavier Vaughn (Quarterback)
- Belhaven University – Wyatt Beck (Linebacker)
- Delta State University – Kelvin Smith (Running Back)
- Jackson State University – Irv Mulligan (Running Back)
- Millsaps College – Nehemiah Coalson (Linebacker)
- Mississippi College – Brennan Blake (Defensive Lineman)
- Mississippi State University – Isaac Smith (Safety)
- Mississippi Valley State University – Nathan Rembert (Wide Receiver)
- University of Mississippi – Jaxson Dart (Quarterback)
- University of Southern Mississippi – Bryce Lofton (Punter)
To keep up to date with everything surrounding the football program this year follow the Majors on X and Instagram, like Millsaps Majors Athletics on Facebook or visit gomajors.com.
Founded in Jackson, Mississippi in 1890, Millsaps College is a national liberal arts college dedicated to academic excellence, open inquiry and free expression, the exploration of faith to inform vocation and the innovative shaping of the social, economic and cultural progress of our region. Consistently ranked as one of the best values in higher education, Millsaps has been praised by Colleges That Change Lives, The Princeton Review, Forbes Magazine, U.S. News & World Report, The John Templeton Foundation, and The Fiske Guide to Colleges.
