Ole Miss took a major hit along the offensive front on Tuesday, when offensive lineman Ben Brown was lost for the season following surgery.
The senior was initially injured in the Rebels Week 7 win over Tennessee and was forced to miss last week's matchup vs. LSU, ending a 40-game starting streak with the team, and likely ending his career in Oxford as well.
Brown made the announcement via his personal Instagram account on Tuesday afternoon, revealing the extent of his injury as a "complete tear of my distal bicep tendon".
“It is with great sadness that I must announce that I have played my last game as an Ole Miss Rebel,” Brown wrote. “I suffered a complete tear of my distal bicep tendon in the fourth quarter of the Tennessee game. I never imaged that my time as an Ole Miss football player would end so abruptly, and it causes me great pain not to be able to finish this amazing season alongside my brothers. Even so, God is good. I had surgery today and begin a long recovery process. Please keep me in your prayers for the road ahead.
“I will be forever grateful for the honor and privilege to don the Red and Blue to represent Ole Miss, the great state of Mississippi, my hometown of Vicksburg, and the St. Al Flashes! It has been a dream come true for me, and I have truly had the time of my life! Thank you to (former Ole Miss head) Coach (Matt) Luke for believing in an unproven boy from a tiny school. Thank you to all my coaches, teammates, trainers, managers, and support staff. I love you guys!
“Thank you to the best fans in the world for supporting me and being so gracious to me and my family. Your kind words, cards, and prayers over the last five seasons have meant more to us all than you will ever know.
“Thank you so much to my Mama, Dad, sister Anna Ware, brother Bash, and all of my family. Your love and support for me has made me the man I am today. I love you so much. Papa and Papaw-I hope I made you as proud of me as I have always been of you!!
“Thank you to my beautiful fiancé Juliana and all of her family who have supported and loved me for the past two years! The best years are ahead for me with her by my side.
“Most of all, thanks be to God, my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the One who holds my future in His hands. “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”Jeremiah 29:11
“Hotty Toddy!”
Brown, 24, does have one year of eligibility remaining thanks to the eligibility rules dictated by the 2020 COVID season, but judging his statement, he seems unlikely to utilize that chance.
Projected as a preseason All-SEC performer, Brown's Ole Miss tenure will end as one of the most well-respected and decorated offensive linemen in the team's recent history.
Brown has been projected as a mid-to-late round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.
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