It’s downright heart-rendering is what it is. In the last week or so, surely the get-well cards and calls of condolence have been pouring in for Ole Miss running back Matt Jones.

So don’t say the Southeastern Conference, for all its petty differences, doesn’t rally around its own in times of crisis. Warms  up your old cockles is all it does.

Jones is apparently back on solid foods now and well on the road to recovery, probably with a productive life awaiting.

But that was quite a scare there … for a milli-second or two. There’s nothing quite so alarming as watching a young athlete, the very picture of strength and vitality, in the prime of his life, suddenly stricken and collapsing in the Rebels’ backfield, in his own tracks, as it were — and also on cue from his quarterback who appeared to be taking his own direction from the Ole Miss sideline.

Whatever was ailing young Jones, although the symptoms are not unique to the Rebels’ varsity, has reached epidemic outbreaks at Ole Miss.

Just last Saturday against South Carolina, for instance, by some counts Ole Miss players suffered 11 outbreaks of the mysterious malady.

Jones’ seizure was eye-opening only in that he’s on the Ole Miss offense. The Rebels’ defensive lads seem far more vulnerable, usually stricken, conveniently enough, right after an opposing long gainer or first down when perhaps the defense could use a clock stoppage to catch its breath. A suspected side effect is that it might also get a humming offense out of its rhythm.

“First of all, I hope all those guys are OK,” South Carolina coach Shane Beamer said afterwards.

His concern, though perhaps a tad sarcastic, was well warranted.

Jones’ collapse has made him a You Tube star, although his theatrics would not have impressed the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Save the Oscars for those punters instantly “writhing in pain” after an oncoming rusher passes by in the same area code and might even have dislodged a spot of lint from said punter’s jersey.

Flopping for Stoppages probably comes under the heading of Everybody Does It.

To a certain extent, maybe so. Probably so.

Everybody talks about the “other guy” doing it. Nobody admits to doing it, no matter how blatant, but everybody seems to agree that’s a very bad thing for the game … when the other guy is doing it.

And, even if you were doing it, there’s nothing anybody can do about it.

To my knowledge Analytics Central has not yet checked in on whether the alleged ploys work over the long haul.

Maybe it needs more study before a cure can be attempted.

But it surely shouldn’t surprise you that, if something is this edgy, this controversial and annoying, then Lane Kiffin is not only on the cutting edge of it, but also out there all but flaunting it.

Nobody strides up to the precipice of questionable sportsmanship and uses it to his own advantage like the Ole Miss coach.

Part of his charm. Shamelessly so. He thrives on it, is celebrated for it.

Off hand, I can’t remember LSU ever doing it. But the Tigers probably have.

LSU will have to deal with it when the Flopping Rebels come to Tiger Stadium Saturday for the Tigers’ biggest game to date.

Normally you think Kiffin, you think up-tempo, beep-beep offense and hope you dodge his flying visor. But now there’s also the Rebels’ slow-down defensive tactics to overcome — just when you think you’ve found something ticking with your own offense.

“As a coach you just coach your guys and try to play through any of those instances,” LSU coach Brian Kelly said. “The SEC has a policy regarding it. There was a policy in place … relative to sportsmanship.”

The devil you say.

It was news to me that the SEC has a policy on Football Flopping. I thought flopping was why the conference does not sponsor or sanction men’s soccer.

So in a rare fit of investigative journalism (and one e-mail) I was able to obtain the SEC’s policy on faking injuries for personal gain.

I have it right here in my hands. Actually, it’s not the SEC’s policy, per se.

It’s lifted straight out of the 2024 NCAA rules book under Points of Emphasis.

I will paraphrase what is called a “strongly-worded statement” after “serious discussions” and “potential options.”

Bottom line, The Policy tells coaches that “faking injuries is not ethical” and “against the spirit of fair competition” and “a bad look for our great game.”

Finally, “Such tactics can not be tolerated among sportsmen of integrity.”

And …

Well, nowhere in it is there any mention of an in-game 15-yard penalty or even a coach possibly forfeiting his courtesy car.

So, my interpretation would be … Carry on.

You can only imagine the chuckles and cackles the coaches get when they gather ’round the campfire and read those passages to each other.

Meanwhile, in lieu of flowers for Matt Jones’ recuperation, instead please send your donations to Possums Anonymous.