Ole Miss football vs. Troy will be a family reunion for brothers Micah, Dell Pettus

OXFORD − When Ole Miss football hosts Troy on Saturday, the game might be as intense as games of tag in the Pettus family front yard used to be.

In addition to being the season opener for the Rebels and Trojans, Saturday's game (3 p.m., SEC Network) will also be a family reunion. Ole Miss freshman offensive tackle Micah Pettus and Troy junior defensive back Dell Pettus are brothers, playing against each other for the first time in their lives. For parents Glenn and Tamara Pettus, it figures to be a surreal afternoon.

"'Don't cry, don't cry,' will be what's going through my head," Tamara Pettus told the Clarion Ledger. "Anyone that knows me knows that I'm a very emotional person. I cried their first day of kindergarten. I'm that mom. Seeing them out there together, I know I'm going to have to fight those tears back like crazy."

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At 6-foot-7 and 360 pounds, Micah is Ole Miss' largest player. He redshirted in 2021 but enters 2022 listed as the Rebels' second-string right tackle and figures to be on the field at some point, especially in non-conference play.

Dell, on the other hand, has been one of Troy's most productive players since arriving on campus. He was named a freshman All-American by Pro Football Focus in 2019. In three seasons, the safety has amassed 175 tackles, seven pass breakups, three tackles for loss, one blocked kick and one interception which he returned 44 yards for a touchdown.

Glenn Pettus calls it a mystery how one of his sons is a 360-pound tackle and the other is a 200-pound safety. But the fact that both are playing college football is hardly a surprise. Glenn played football and baseball at Alabama A&M. Tamara played basketball at Alabama A&M. The genetics were always there.

So was the drive.

"From the beginning they said they wanted to play college football," Glenn Pettus said. "They told me at a young age, so I trained them to play college football. Breaking down film, breaking down opponents. They loved the game. They both love the game."

Tamara Pettus recalls evenings where she'd walk in on her husband and sons watching games from previous years to prepare for teams they'd be facing later in the season. Micah and Dell weren't even 10 years old yet, but they had a knack for calling out what plays were coming and anticipating how opponents would react.

When two brothers are 18 months apart, they're bound to be competitive with one another. Glenn and Tamara say their sons took competition to extremes. Glenn remembers Dell getting mad that Micah learned his multiplication tables too quickly. Tamara remembers neighborhood games of tag turning into unending battles.

But there was also support. Micah tagged along to nearly every one of Dell's recruiting camps. Micah learned how to interact with coaches and what coaches were looking for by watching Dell go through the process.

Heading into Saturday, the brothers are falling back into their old competitive patterns. Tamara said they have shared memes and smack talk in family group chats. Glenn says Micah is begging Dell to blitz into his box. Dell replies Micah isn't quick enough to get a hand on him.

Glenn and Tamara don't want to upset the balance or come off like they're playing favorites. They, along with 20-30 friends and family members, will be wearing custom-made jerseys to Saturday's game. Dell's number and Troy's logos will be on the front, Micah's number and Ole Miss' logos will be on the back.

"I just want both of them to come out of there healthy and have a great game," Glenn said. "It's a unique situation. It's a great opportunity for both of them. For me to have both my sons on the same field at the same time, it can't get no better than that."

Nick Suss covers Ole Miss athletics for the Clarion Ledger. Contact Nick at nsuss@gannett.com. Follow Nick on Twitter @nicksuss.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: For Dell and Micah Pettus, Ole Miss football vs. Troy is family affair