At Oxford, not every battle is waged between the white lines of Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Some are fought quietly on the sidelines, often unnoticed. For one Ole Miss staffer, the fight wasn’t for a touchdown or a title, but for his life. With the same grit that defines Rebel football, he rebelled against cancer and emerged victorious.

Meet William Correro. A beloved member of the Ole Miss family, who won’t give in to the fatal challenges before him. Battling cancer in itself is huge. But life was not done testing Correro. T1, a triple bypass surgery, and a major wreck trauma tested him again. It took its toll, but those hardships weren’t enough to break him. He bounced back stronger than ever, setting an example for all the survivors. To all the individuals fighting their battles, his message? “Never Quit.”

On Wednesday, Lane Kiffin shared a motivational message for his fans. He wrote on X, “You are right here for a reason!! Go help change someone’s life. You got this today🔥. #GoIntoDarkCaves. Along with the message, he attached an excerpt from a book. “After all the world has put you through, you are still here, holding your dreams up to the light,” read the excerpt. “You are still here, asking for healing and change. You are still here, even if you only have only an inch of hope left.” And that resonated with Correro, as he came forward and shared his resilient journey with Ole Miss fam and the rest of the world.

Clad in blue and green apparel with an SEC logo and wearing a headset, he stands beside the Ole Miss head coach on the sidelines. “Cancer, Triple bypass, Major wreck trauma, T1 – 53 yrs.” While the players showed grit on the field, Correro would bravely defeat all four of his opponents on the sidelines.

He continues. “Believe in yourself! Be an example of His Love!! ❤️🩵💙.” His heartfelt message for others was in response to Kiffin’s wholesome message to never give up. The book excerpt further continued. “You are still here because after everything the world has put you through, it has not extinguished what burns inside of you,” it further said. “It has not taken away your power to wonder if maybe another way is possible. And that? That will carry you all the way to the other side.” For Correro, he lived it. All those adversities coming his way never succeeded in breaking his spirit. In the end, he beat them all. “I’m 4 – 0!!”

And now, he is all about giving back to the community.

Ole Miss’s William Correro gives back to the community

A native of Senatobia, Mississippi, William Correro recently celebrated his birthday on October 16. Clad in denim and a blue sweatshirt that reads Northwestern, he stands with his palms faced on top of two pyrotechnic machines shooting sparks, as he wears a flashy smile on his face. The caption read, “Huge Thank You to my Family & Friends for all the Happy Birthday Wishes on this 29th Anniversary of my 40th Birthday!!! I am so Incredibly Blessed!!! 🙏🏻❤️🩵💙.”

But more than that, it’s his initiative that has won over hearts. He just didn’t want to celebrate his birthday, but share his happiness with others by opening a fundraiser. “For my birthday this year, I’m asking for donations to Friends of the Senatobia & Tate County Animals,” he wrote on Facebook. “I’ve chosen this nonprofit because their mission means a lot to me, and I hope you’ll consider contributing as a way to celebrate with me. Every little bit will help me reach my goal.”

His love for football intertwines with his passion for the arts. Associated with Northwest Mississippi Community College’s Heindl Center for the Performing Arts, as a production and Technical director, he would engage with the artistic fraternity on the campus. Is the lively community one of the reasons for his sunny persona?

To help the cause, he was successful in raising more than $200.