There were lots of laughs, even more food and a six-foot Golden Eagle named Seymour outside of KJ’s River Town Grille on Washington Street Wednesday afternoon.

Southern Miss’ To the Top Tour soared through Vicksburg bringing 12 of its coaches and key members of the athletic department to Vicksburg, including the native-son Jay Hopson.

“Just good to get out on the To the Top Tour and see alumni and friends,” Hopson said.

The tour’s purpose is to promote Golden Eagle athletics in cities where alumni have settled and for coaches to interact with fans and alumni.

Before stopping through Vicksburg, the tour traveled as far west as Dallas and Atlanta to the East. Within Mississippi, it’s visited Natchez, Brookhaven, and McComb, and will continue on to Memphis, Nashville and Birmingham.

“Our coaches and our message have been really well received throughout Mississippi,” said Southern Miss athletic director Bill McGillis. “It’s been exciting. The tour is kind of a combination of it. It’s a great chance to share the gospel of the Golden Eagles, which is what we want to do everyday.”

After the introduction and reflection of individual athletic programs, Hopson addressed the crowd about the future of Southern Miss football and the process of building a program.

Hopson prefaced his point by telling his audience that if they come to watch the 2016 Southern Miss football team, they’ve made a grave mistake.

“You’re coming to a football game this year to watch the 2020 Southern Miss Golden Eagle football team,” Hopson said. “In that crowd is going to be a recruit. There’s going to be a player that’s going to have a critical decision.”

That critical decision Hopson mentioned is the recruit determining where to play collegiate football from the plethora of Division I universities in the state and region.

“Your investment is in the future of Southern Miss,” Hopson said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s a football game, basketball game, baseball game it’s irrelevant. They’re all the same. We need you to show up on Saturday’s.

“If you want Southern Miss football to go over the top, you got to show up this year to see what happens in 2020.”

With 2020 four years down the road, foundation for the 2016 has been laid in place.

McGillis announced Hopson as the new football coach with an unexpected tweet and photos of them together at the Vicksburg Municipal Airport on Jan. 30. Hopson is in his third stint with the Southern Miss football program.

Hopson has settled on campus with his new team and is completing the process of moving his family to Hattiesburg.

“The kids had a good offseason in the spring, they’re entering in the next phase of summer training,” Hopson said.

The big scrimmage for Southern Miss came before the annual Black and Gold Game, which Hopson said is “just a show.”

“I think Nick (Mullens) had a really good spring. Ito Smith had a really good spring. Those two guys are two returning all-conference players. We got to find some guys to step up too and be those other guys,” Hopson said. “It’s a great opportunity for guys to step up and make plays. We found a few guys who did some positive things this spring and we just have to keep building. That’s the journey.”