While the Grenada County standout was courted by many universities, it was an Ole Miss win on November 15, 1952 against Maryland that tipped the scales for Jake to head to Oxford.

At Ole Miss, Jake was a two sport All-American that led the Rebel baseball team to two SEC Championships in 1959 and 1960, and led the Rebel football team to back-to-back National Championships.

Jake had his best season as a Yankee in 1970, when he hit 8 homeruns and had 7 game-winning hits in 49 games.

In 1972, Gibbs coached Ole Miss to the SEC Championship and to an appearance in Omaha. He was also named Southeastern Conference Coach of the Year. His 485 wins rank second all-time at Ole Miss.

Gibbs was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1995, and continues to be known as one of the greatest Ole Miss athletes of all time.