By Curtis Rockwell/Sports Director

OCEAN SPRINGS — For the past three decades, an Ocean Springs resident has been at the forefront of the growth of sports medicine across South Mississippi on all levels of competition.

Now, as Dr. Jeff Noblin celebrates his 30th year of providing those services to many high school and junior college athletes in the area, he is also getting recognized for the impact he had as a standout player on the collegiate level prior to his arrival on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

Noblin, the longtime Director of Sports Medicine for Bienville Orthopaedic Specialists, will be inducted in to the prestigious “M Club Hall of Fame” at Ole Miss over the weekend.

“The 2026 M-Club Hall of Fame class represents a group of outstanding former student-athletes who have made a lasting impact on our university,” said Jessica Lynch, M-Club Director. “They reflect the excellence, competitiveness and pride that define the traditions of Ole Miss. These former players have left a mark that extends far beyond their playing days, and we are proud to celebrate their accomplishments and the example they have set for those who follow. Their legacy will continue to inspire future generations of Rebels.”

Noblin, who founded Sports Medicine Specialists of South Mississippi in the mid-1990’s along with Dr. Bob Terrell, hit the ground running, changing the landscape and scope of sports medicine practices and procedures almost immediately with the 1997 prep football season in South Mississippi.

“We started sports coverage of schools 30 years ago and would like to think the quality of care of the athletes has improved dramatically with the addition of athletic trainers and advances in sports medicine.” Noblin said. “The coast has been a great place to start a practice and to raise a family.”

The Jackson, Miss., native Noblin was a three-year letterman at free safety from 1984-86 for Ole Miss. He was a first-team All-Southeastern Conference selection as a senior in 1986 and was credited with 179 career tackles, including 85 solo stops, while playing for the Rebels.

A Co-captain of the 1986 Rebels’ squad, Noblin helped lead Ole Miss to an 8-3-1 record, their best mark since the 1971 season. He finished second on the team during that season with 92 tackles, along with three interceptions, five pass breakups, and one fumble recovery

Noblin also received multiple academic awards during his tenure in Oxford. A two-time second-team Academic All-American and three-time Academic All-SEC selection, Noblin received the 1987 SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year award. In 1986, he was one of 11 players in the country to be named National Scholar-Athlete by the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame

After a brief stint in training camp with the Dallas Cowboys, Noblin landed back in his home state of Mississippi in medical school.

Also a revered orthopedic surgeon, since arriving in South Mississippi, Noblin has become one of the most renowned sports medicine specialists in the Gulf South region.

He worked for numerous years as a part of the Kansas City Chiefs training staff, and also served as one of the medical facilitators at the annual NFL combine as well.

“When Dr. Noblin came to the Coast, he embraced the local athletic trainers,” Eric Oehms, who served as a certified athletic trainer for the past 30 years as well as the Sports Medicine Coordinator for Encore Rehab and Sports Medicine Specialists for three decades, said. “We could call him on his cell phone anytime to get an athlete in to see him. His accessibility and experience set him apart. Having played college football and doing his residency with the Kansas City Chiefs, he was the first sports med ortho on the MS Gulf Coast with his background and training.  He made Ocean Springs his home, but he saw athletes from the entire Coast.”

Noblin and his wife of some 40 years Sallie Baumhauer Noblin, a Pascagoula native, raised four childen in Ocean Springs in sons Sam, James and Blake as wsell as daughter Ashley. The trio of Noblin sons also made their individual marks on the athletic programs at Ocean Springs High as well over the years.

Noblin’s impact on the once overlooked sports medicine field wasn’t just noticed in the medical community either.

Mark Hubbard spent almost 25 years as first the head boys basketball coach at his alma mater Ocean Springs High, but then served as Athletics Director at OSHS for 15 years as well.

“When he arrived 30 years ago, sports medicine on the coast, especially at OSHS, went to another level,” Hubbard said. “We at Ocean Springs were blessed he chose to raise his family here and enroll his children in our district. He was always a phone call away whenever we needed him and didn’t hesitate to support athletics any way he could. Not only is he the best orthopedic surgeons in the South in my opinion, but he is as genuine of a person as I’ve ever known also.”

On Saturday, Nobiln will be recognized in Oxford for what he accomplished on the football field some 40 years ago.

But his legacy looms just as large for his work with student/athletes and their families in South Mississippi over the past three decades as well.