The quarterback who climbed from Division II to the SEC is partnering with Mama Justice on $225,000 in scholarships across Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee — including at the schools he plays against
TUPELO, Miss., Sept. 3, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Last winter Trinidad Chambliss went to court for the right to keep playing football. The NCAA had twice denied the Ole Miss quarterback a sixth year of eligibility. On Feb. 12, a Mississippi judge granted an injunction and gave him the season back.
He is using it to help send other kids to college.
Chambliss and Missy Wigginton, founder of Mama Justice — MW Law Firm, announced Thursday the Macon a Difference Scholarship: a five-year, $225,000 commitment funded by Mama Justice in partnership with Chambliss that will put one student a year through college in each state of Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee.
The scholarships are funded by Mama Justice in Partnership and on Chambliss's behalf, an outgrowth of the firm's Name, Image and Likeness partnership with him. The first three $15,000 awards will be applied to the spring 2027 semester.
Each award is used at a Southeastern Conference university in the winner's own state. Which means the scholarship — championed by Chambliss, who threw for 3,937 yards last season and won the Conerly Trophy as the best college football player in Mississippi — will pay tuition for students at Alabama, Auburn, Tennessee and Vanderbilt, and, the school his team beat 38–19 in November's Egg Bowl.
"The Division I offers never came out of high school — but Ferris State believed in me and put me on scholarship," Chambliss said. "People believed in me before I believed in myself, and my faith carried me the rest of the way. This scholarship is for every young person working twice as hard just to get to the starting line."
The road was real. Coming out of Forest Hills Northern High School in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Chambliss drew interest from a number of programs and earned multiple Division II offers — but the Division I offers never came. He committed to Ferris State on scholarship, where he became a two-time national champion and led the Bulldogs to the 2024 title. He arrived at Ole Miss in 2025 as a backup, took the job after an injury to the starter, and finished the year as SEC Newcomer of the Year, a second-team All-SEC selection, and led the team that beat Georgia 39–34 in the Sugar Bowl to send Ole Miss to the College Football Playoff semifinals. He shared the game's Most Outstanding Player award.
Mama Justice, a personal injury firm based in Tupelo, had no role in the eligibility litigation. Its agreement with Chambliss is an advertising partnership signed in July.
The scholarship carries the name of Wigginton's eldest son. Macon McKinney struggled with alcohol and died at 25. Wigginton established the Macon a Difference Foundation in 2018 in his memory and has funded scholarships to Mississippi universities and trade schools since. The three-state partnership is the foundation's most ambitious expansion to date.
"Macon had a heart for people who were struggling, and this scholarship is a direct extension of who he was," Wigginton said. "I grew up poor in a family of factory workers who couldn't afford college. I worked in a garment factory during summers just to buy my own school clothes — the first in my family to attend college, then law school. When Trinidad and I sat down and realized how similar our stories are, we knew we had to do something together for young people facing those same obstacles."
Chambliss appears in a 60-second commercial that begins airing across Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee on Sept. 6, when Ole Miss opens the season against Louisville at Nissan Stadium in Nashville.
How to Apply
The Macon a Difference Scholarship awards one $15,000 scholarship in each of Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee every year — three awards annually. Students qualify in either of two ways: current enrollment at a Southeastern Conference university in that state, or graduation from a high school in that state, including incoming freshmen who have not yet enrolled. Each award is used at an SEC university in the recipient's own state — the University of Mississippi or Mississippi State University; the University of Alabama or Auburn University; the University of Tennessee or Vanderbilt University. Priority is given to students who demonstrate financial need, first-generation college students, and those who have overcome significant adversity.
Requirements:
- Enrollment at an SEC university in Mississippi, Alabama or Tennessee, or graduation from a high school in one of those states
- Minimum 2.5 GPA — high school GPA for incoming freshmen, cumulative college GPA for enrolled students
- Essay on overcoming adversity through faith and determination
- Demonstrated community involvement or volunteer service
- Letter of recommendation from a teacher, coach, or mentor
Applications open October 1, 2026 at mamajustice.com/macon-a-difference, with recipients announced in late 2026 and awards applied to the spring 2027 semester. The program is administered by Create Foundation, a Tupelo, Mississippi–based community foundation, and managed through the Macon a Difference Foundation.
About Mama Justice — MW Law Firm
Mama Justice — MW Law Firm is a personal injury firm with offices across Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, and Texas. Founded by attorney Missy Wigginton, the firm has been recognized on the Inc. 5000 list for four consecutive years and has earned more than 700 five-star Google reviews. Mama Justice represents individuals and families in car and truck accidents, wrongful death, workers' compensation, and catastrophic injury cases. mamajustice.com Principal office: Tupelo, Mississippi. Missy Wigginton is the attorney responsible for the content of this communication. Free background information available upon request. No representation is made that the quality of legal services to be performed is greater than the quality of legal services performed by other lawyers.
About Trinidad Chambliss
Trinidad Chambliss is the starting quarterback at the University of Mississippi. A two-time Division II national champion at Ferris State, he transferred to Ole Miss in 2025, where he threw for 3,937 yards and earned SEC Newcomer of the Year, the Conerly Trophy and second-team All-SEC honors while leading the Rebels to the College Football Playoff semifinals. He has been featured by ESPN, The Athletic, USA Today, Sports Spectrum, and CBS News.
Missy Wigginton is available for interviews, in person or by phone. Contact:
Kendall Eaves, 662-883-6262, [email protected].
Media kit, high-resolution photography, and the commercial for embed: mamajustice.com/macon-a-difference
If you or someone you know is struggling, contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988, or the SAMHSA National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357 for free, confidential substance use support.
Media Contact
Jerry Wigginton, Mama Justice — MW Law Firm, 1 (662) 883-6262, [email protected], https://mamajustice.com/
SOURCE Mama Justice — MW Law Firm
Share this article