Patrick Willis’ Ole Miss career ended nearly 20 years ago. Still, two decades later, when he appeared on a podcast, the discussion revolved around his college days. It was quite surprising, but it turns out Willis was suspended at Ole Miss for just $40 after all. Given the current NIL era, it exposes the irony of college football.  

“I mean, obviously making a lot of money in the league is awesome, but you were doing all right at Ole Miss, weren’t you?” Taylor Lewan, in his Bussin’ With The Boys podcast, inquired. 

While the others present on the show cracked up, Willis had an ‘Oh, not again’ face.

“I got suspended for 40 bucks and a meal,” the Ole Miss legend shared. “So I just thought, man, just a little simple dinner. I get called into the office, and they tell me they heard that I had taken a meal and a little bit of money. I’m like, ‘Man, it’s about 80 bucks.’ So I heard about what some other guys supposedly, allegedly got. I’m like, ‘Man, what did y’all know that I didn’t know? How are y’all getting money?’”

Before Willis replied, Lewan let him know how they once hosted former Ole Miss coach Ed Orgeron, under whom Willis played. Even though the former head coach didn’t mention the linebacker by name, there were enough hints for the fans to guess who it was intended for. 

News served to you like never before!

Prefer us on Google, To get latest news on feed

Prefer Us on Google

“Back then, we used to walk through the back door with cash,” said the ex-Rebels coach about NIL on the Bussin With The Boys podcast in December last year. “Now we just got to walk through the front door with cash.”

Two months later, the fans can now connect the dots. Orgeron was in charge of the Rebels between 2005 and 2007, the same time Willis played for Ole Miss. At that time, charges got dropped because the SEC had paid players even before it was legally allowed to do so. It was one of college football’s worst-kept secrets that players were paid long before NIL became legal, even if no one would admit it on the record.

Fast forward to 2026. Have you ever wondered how ironic it is that an Ole Miss player is benched for a mere $40? The Rebels are going through a head-coaching revamp, with Lane Kiffin gone and Pete Golding in. But the money does not leave the Ole Miss camp. Reports say Walker Jones, executive director of The Grove Collective, said their grassroots approach has gathered nearly 7,000 donors, from millionaires to college students. This is impressive for a program without the alumni power of Ohio State or Texas.

“We may not have a T. Boone Pickens or a Phil Knight,” said Keith Carter. He’s the Vice Chancellor of Intercollegiate Athletics at Ole Miss, sending a jab in Oklahoma and Oregon’s way by pointing at their financially strong NIL boosters. “But when you put us all together collectively, and people give not only what they can, but maybe even a little above what they should, we’ve been able to be really good.”

This new reality, where thousands of donors can openly fund players, stands in stark contrast to the era that punished athletes for a simple meal. This change prompted fans to rally behind an ex-Georgia player who confessed to finding sneaky ways to earn some cash.

Ole Miss Rebels’ journey from $40 suspension to welcoming 7,000 donors to the club

While the Ole Miss legend received a suspension for $40, which included a meal, then-Georgia running back Todd Gurley sold his signature to earn a fortune. 

“WILD: #Rams legendary running back Todd Gurley was PAID ILLEGALLY while in college,” reported MLFootball. “Gurley admitted to receiving over $3,000 in cash from multiple people for autographs. This led to his suspension in 2014.”

According to ESPN, sources in the autograph world said Gurley charged between $8 and $25 per signature. He even sweetened the deal with bulk discounts for dealers.

The NCAA penalized Gurley and Willis for earning spare change. And now? The sport watches coaches dishing out fat offers with little resistance. Ole Miss’s Golding was allegedly in the mix, trying to sway Clemson transfer Luke Ferrelli with under-the-table incentives. Swinney also alleged that the Rebels’ head coach texted Ferrelli a photo of a “$1 million contract.”

So, Ole Miss coming down hard on Patrick Willis over $40 leaves fans wondering how many elite players just missed the right era to cash in fairly.