In the south, we love our nicknames. Whether it is Bear, or Bo, or Shug - mutter those phrases and sports fans know who you are talking about.

Inside the college baseball world, there is Skip and Smoke. Add Corky to the list I've covered college sports for eight years now and met all kinds of characters. Corky Palmer is one of my favorites. With two bad knees - if he had a third it would undoubtedly be bad too - Corky doesn't move anywhere at a brisk pace. Just watching him walk is painful.

He talks as you would expect a Mississippi native named Corky to talk - with that thick twang they try to replicate in movies and just mess up. He's unique, a true character of the game.

Before the season I called down to Hattiesburg for a quick fallball update and about an hour later I've got the complete scoop on everything from new players to injuries to which guys better get it in gear. Likeable, genuine, and plain-spoken, Corky knows baseball and can articulate it. Don't let the drawl fool you, he's got a great handle on the college game - his team's place in it - and what it takes to win.

A few weeks ago I was at Southern Miss for a game against East Carolina. The umpiring was - well, creative. I think the best heckle of the night was, "you couldn't call the plate in T-ball". Southern Miss had three ejected in the game, included Palmer who got a quick exit.

Coaches have been known to lurk in the clubhouse tunnels, monitor the game from a hidden area, or even sit in the stands. Not Corky. Palmer shared that he walked over to his office and listened to the Southern Miss radio broadcast.

"I just sat in here and listened to the game on the radio," Palmer told me. "I enjoyed hearing them call the game. I listened to John Cox and Lance Pittman.. They are personal friends of mine who have been calling the games for years. I never get to hear their call. They took me through every pitch from when I left."

I love that quote, "I never get to hear them call the game".

Awesome.

Here's a photo of Corky articulating his opinion with a man in blue: http://vmedia.rivals.com/uploads/1048/355561.jpg