By Jimmie McDowell
New York-----Returning to the Great White Way in December is always a treat, attending the National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame Dinner and the Heisman Trophy Dinner, which I have done since 1962. This time was extra special with this being the 50th Anniversary of the NFFHF Dinner at the Waldorf Astoria and the 75th Heisman Trophy Banquet at the Marriott Marquis Hotel.
In between I attended the Army-Navy Gala in Philadelphia and visited the Princeton, Trenton,and Lawrenceville, New Jersey area where I voted for 30 years before returning to Mississippi.
The Foundation Dinner drew a capacity crowd honoring another outstanding group of players and coaches as well as some top citizens, Scholar-Athletes,and football officials and the like. Phil Knight was the Gold Medal recipient along with his deceased partner and fellow Oregonian Bill Bowerman, who founded Nike.
Mississippian Archie Manning is the current chairman of the National Football Foundation and along with Steve Hatchell, the President and CEO, provide excellent leadership for the organization which I served for 27 years plus three more years as a Consultant.
The NFFHF is the beneficiary of my $100,000 Life Insurance policy in appreciation of being given the opportunity to serve this national organization which I first joined as a member while being the Sports Editor of the Jackson Ms. State Times. I helped launch the Foundation's first Mississippi chapter. When the Times was sold to the rival Clarion-Ledger and closed I was invited to become the Executive Sports Editor-Columnist of the Trenton New Jersey Times, covering the Yankees, Mets, and Phillies in Baseball, the Giants, Eagles, Army,Navy, Penn State and the Ivy League in Football.
I was the Secretary-Treasuries of the Football Writers Association of New York for 25 years and have been a member of the Football Writers Association of America since 1948, I knew all of the Heisman Trophy recipients and enjoy being in their company each year. I am the Heisman's Southern Regional Representative and always enjoy this great dinner.
The South has produced two of the last three Heisman Winners. Alabama's super sophomore Mark Ingram was this year's recipient. He will cross swords with Texas Quarterback Colt McCoy in the national championship game in Pasadena. McCoy was runnerup last year to Oklahoma's Sam Bradford who was hurt early in the season, depriving him of the opportunity of joining Ohio State's Archie Griffin as the only two time Heisman recipient.
Florida's Tim Tebow won the Heisman as a sophomore and the voters obviously waited until the SEC Champiohship game before casting their 2009 ballot. Tim finished fifth this time around.
Dick Kazmaier of Princeton was the senior member in attendance this year. Kaz was a triple threat for Old Nassau. Notre Dame's Johnny Lujack, with Doc Blanchard gone, is niow the oldest living Heisman winner. In the famous 1946 Irish-Army battle Doc, a legendary fighter pilot in Korea and Viet Nam, broke clear and was headed for the end zone when he was tackled by Lujack. Years later, Doc told Lujack he scared the hell out of him. " I did" ? John said. Doc replied: "Yes,I thought I had killed you".
Billy Cannon of LSU was the 50th Heisman Anniversary Honoree. Boston College's Doug Flutie was the Silver Anniversary Honoree. I covered Cannon including his 89 yard run to beat Ole Miss 7-3 and the Sugar Bowl rematch won by Ole Miss 21-0.
I also covered Flutie, the Classic Big little Man.
Ron Dayne of Wisconsin was honored as the 10 year Heisman recipient.
Bill Dockery is Chairman of the Heisman Trust. Rob Whelan is the Director carrying on the fine work of Rudy Riska who looks forward to his 5oth Heisman Dinner in 2010. Johnny Lattner is still the best Heisman Dancer. The Notre Damer usually moons the crowd at the Sunday dinner. General Peter Dawkins represented the Brave Old Army Team. Like Genral Dwight D Eisenhower he would have made a great President of the United States.
John David Crow was back again. While at Southern Miss as Director of Public Relations we were proud of End Coach-Recruiter H. A. Smith asking John David how he would like a new Olds 88 to come to Southern? Johh David said thanks but no thanks Bear Bryant had already promised him a 98 if he came to Texas A & M.
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Friday, December 18, 2009
Sunday, December 6, 2009
College Football Showdown
December is a special time for this writer. The National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame Dinner at the Waldorf Astoria, followed by the Army-Navy festvties and the game as well in Philadelphia, and then back to New York for the Heisman Trophy festivities, which I have attended since 1962.
Billy Cannon and Doug Flutie are the Golden and Silver Anniversary Heisman honorees. As a sports writer I covered both of these grid greats.
Ole Miss can rebound from its embarassing loss to Mississippi State in a Bowl game. I called the Cotton Bowl and recommended that Ole Miss be invited back, giving the University an opportunity to be the team to have played the last game in the old Cotton Bowl stadium and the team to play the next year in the new stadium.
Playing in a Bowl fame also give a team an chance to have a second spring training to practice. Notre Dame made a mistake in taking itself out of the Bowl picture. The next Notre Dame coach could have used this time to get acquainted with his returning Fighting Irish players if ND was playing in a Bowl game,
Mississippi State's win over Ole Miss will help the Maroons in the recruiting war. Georgia's victory over Georgia Tech was just as big as the Maroons' conquest over the Johnny Rebs.
Alabama could only score one TD over Ole Miss, but employed its exceptional field goal kicking to run up the score. Against Florida the Crimson Tide was a clear cut winner over defending national champion Florida and now plays the Texas Longhorns for the national title in Pasadena's Rose Bowl Stadium, where Bear Bryant played with Don Hutson and Dixie Howell
Howell got a movie role invitiation. Hollywood missed a chance to get a pal for John Wayne if they had hired Paul Bryant to play in a Western movie.
Officiating hopefully will be better in the Bowl games. Years ago when P.W. Underwood was Southern Mississippi's head coach the Golden Eagles were playing a SEC Team. SEC officials were working the game. Butch Lambert Sr. was one of t he officials. They came over to greet Underwood telling him they were looking forwdard to working the game. Underwood had this to say: Are you going to kiss me now? I know what you are going to do later."
Underwood was Southern's head coach in 1970 wen the national ranked Rebels featuring Archie Manning were shocked by the Eagles.Four of P.W.'s largest players picked him up all 300 pounds and carried him olur ton the field to exchange handshakes with Johnny Vaught. They dropped him. Vaught said P.W. should not expect two miracles the same day. The next day Vaught had chest pains and had to go to the hospital. He was finished as a coach the rest of the season. He made a dramatic comeback a couple of years later after Billy Kinard was fired after the third game of the season. Kinard lost his star quarterback Norris Weese in the first game of the season against Villanova in Jackson.
A Bowl game column will follow on my return from New York and my 47th Heisman Dinner.
--30=----
Billy Cannon and Doug Flutie are the Golden and Silver Anniversary Heisman honorees. As a sports writer I covered both of these grid greats.
Ole Miss can rebound from its embarassing loss to Mississippi State in a Bowl game. I called the Cotton Bowl and recommended that Ole Miss be invited back, giving the University an opportunity to be the team to have played the last game in the old Cotton Bowl stadium and the team to play the next year in the new stadium.
Playing in a Bowl fame also give a team an chance to have a second spring training to practice. Notre Dame made a mistake in taking itself out of the Bowl picture. The next Notre Dame coach could have used this time to get acquainted with his returning Fighting Irish players if ND was playing in a Bowl game,
Mississippi State's win over Ole Miss will help the Maroons in the recruiting war. Georgia's victory over Georgia Tech was just as big as the Maroons' conquest over the Johnny Rebs.
Alabama could only score one TD over Ole Miss, but employed its exceptional field goal kicking to run up the score. Against Florida the Crimson Tide was a clear cut winner over defending national champion Florida and now plays the Texas Longhorns for the national title in Pasadena's Rose Bowl Stadium, where Bear Bryant played with Don Hutson and Dixie Howell
Howell got a movie role invitiation. Hollywood missed a chance to get a pal for John Wayne if they had hired Paul Bryant to play in a Western movie.
Officiating hopefully will be better in the Bowl games. Years ago when P.W. Underwood was Southern Mississippi's head coach the Golden Eagles were playing a SEC Team. SEC officials were working the game. Butch Lambert Sr. was one of t he officials. They came over to greet Underwood telling him they were looking forwdard to working the game. Underwood had this to say: Are you going to kiss me now? I know what you are going to do later."
Underwood was Southern's head coach in 1970 wen the national ranked Rebels featuring Archie Manning were shocked by the Eagles.Four of P.W.'s largest players picked him up all 300 pounds and carried him olur ton the field to exchange handshakes with Johnny Vaught. They dropped him. Vaught said P.W. should not expect two miracles the same day. The next day Vaught had chest pains and had to go to the hospital. He was finished as a coach the rest of the season. He made a dramatic comeback a couple of years later after Billy Kinard was fired after the third game of the season. Kinard lost his star quarterback Norris Weese in the first game of the season against Villanova in Jackson.
A Bowl game column will follow on my return from New York and my 47th Heisman Dinner.
--30=----
Thursday, November 12, 2009
College Football Hall of Fame Dinner
December is a golden time of the year. Not only are Bowl games set but great Banquets are held. The National Football Foundation and Hall of Flame Banquet at the Waldorf Astoria is set December 8. Another excellent group of inductees will enter the hallowed Hall currently in South Bend but slated for Atlanta in 2010.
The NFF will also award scholarships to l6 top seniors for graduate study. This program was launched with Colonel Earl (Red) Blaik providing the income from his syndicated column, with the help of Stanley Woodward, famed New York Herald Tribune columnist. Another famed NY scribe Harold Rosenthal followed Stanley and it was our pleasure to succeed Harold. The predictions were Blaik"s.
Red Blaik, famed Dartmouth and Army coach, was one of the founders of the National Football Foundation. Arthur Evans of Syracuse had the original dream. He was followed as Executive Director by George Little or Rutgers and Harvey Harman, former Scarlet Knights coach, followed Little.
I followed Harvey after working with him as the Director of Public Relations and Administrator of Chapters. I also followed Harvey as Secretary of the Honors Court which selects the Hall of Famers. I was hired by Chester J. LaRoche, the former Yale football player and very successful New York advertising executive. Chet was followed as Chairman by Vincent dePaul Draddy, president of the David Crystal company. Draddy also teamed with Rene LaCoste in launching Izod is North, South, and Central America.
When Harman died Draddy promoted me to Executive Director, and I worked for Draddy until he passed away. Before he died the Board told him that the Best of he Best Scholar Athletes would carry his name with the creation of the Draddy Award. Earlier this year the current Board changed the name of the Trophy to the William Campbell Award. Campbell was the former Columbia coach who had joined the NFFHF Board.
When Campbell left coaching Draddy told him he should pursue a career in Business which he did and has been most successful.
Draddy's nephew Bill Draddy was outraged that this happened and protested strongly to the Current Board, which includes Draddy's lawyer George Weiss, a NFHF Vice Chairman.
Bill Pearce succeeded Draddy as Chairman. I recommended that Pearce of Coca Cola join the NFF Board. I also recommended Maxwell Club President Reds Bagnell as a Board member. After Draddy died, Pearce and Bagnell invited me to lunch in Princeton. At the luncheon they told me I should retire when I became 65 and become a consultant which I did.
In my second year as Consultant Pearce told me he wanted to honor me at a Waldorf Dinner., He later called to tell me that as the awards committee meeting started Weiss told Pearce they needed him to sign some papers in the office. While Pearce was absent Awards Chairman Bob Mulcahy, who was fired as Rutgers Athletic Director a few months ago, recommended NACDA'S Mike Cleary for the Contribution to Football Award and Mike was chosen. He is a good man, most deserving and 10 years younger that Mississippi Red.
Pearce and Bagnell, as Casey Stengel would say, are deceased at the present time,
I still have my Golden Tiffany clock for 27 years old dedicated service to the NFFHF, presented at a luncheon.
After Pearce died Jon Hansen, who I also recommended to Draddy as a Hoard member told me my Consultant Agreement would not be renewed. Hansen later received the Gold Medal, the Foundation's highest honor.
Archie Manning, the Ole Miss All-American, is the current Chairman of the Naztionalk Football Foundation. When Archie was inducted in the Hall of Fame I recommended to Draddy that Archie resond for the Inductees which he did,.
After the Hall of Fame Dinner, the Heisman Dinner and the American Football Coaches Dinner follows, the Heisman and the AFCA dinners are the same night Dec. 13
This year's Army-Navy game is a week later than usual , the second Saturday in December in Philadelphia. I have attended every Army-Navy game but one since 1962. I have attended every Heisman Dinner since 1962, every Maxwell Trophy Dinner since 1963. The Maxwell returns to Atlantic City in early March.
I was succeeded as Executive Director by former Princeton Coach Bob Casciola, whose title was changed to President after I launched the All-American Football foundation in 1964, Casciola was succeeded by currne President and CEO Steve Hatchell, a former Commissioner and Bowl Executive, who was honored by the All-American Football Foundation when he was President of the Rodeo Association who we have known for many years., I thought his selection was a good one.
Like Joe Paterno, our idol is Amos Allonzo Stagg who worked until he was 90.
Hugh Hefner is also a member of our Class of 1926. So was Marilyn Monroe, who unfortunately died when she was 36.
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The NFF will also award scholarships to l6 top seniors for graduate study. This program was launched with Colonel Earl (Red) Blaik providing the income from his syndicated column, with the help of Stanley Woodward, famed New York Herald Tribune columnist. Another famed NY scribe Harold Rosenthal followed Stanley and it was our pleasure to succeed Harold. The predictions were Blaik"s.
Red Blaik, famed Dartmouth and Army coach, was one of the founders of the National Football Foundation. Arthur Evans of Syracuse had the original dream. He was followed as Executive Director by George Little or Rutgers and Harvey Harman, former Scarlet Knights coach, followed Little.
I followed Harvey after working with him as the Director of Public Relations and Administrator of Chapters. I also followed Harvey as Secretary of the Honors Court which selects the Hall of Famers. I was hired by Chester J. LaRoche, the former Yale football player and very successful New York advertising executive. Chet was followed as Chairman by Vincent dePaul Draddy, president of the David Crystal company. Draddy also teamed with Rene LaCoste in launching Izod is North, South, and Central America.
When Harman died Draddy promoted me to Executive Director, and I worked for Draddy until he passed away. Before he died the Board told him that the Best of he Best Scholar Athletes would carry his name with the creation of the Draddy Award. Earlier this year the current Board changed the name of the Trophy to the William Campbell Award. Campbell was the former Columbia coach who had joined the NFFHF Board.
When Campbell left coaching Draddy told him he should pursue a career in Business which he did and has been most successful.
Draddy's nephew Bill Draddy was outraged that this happened and protested strongly to the Current Board, which includes Draddy's lawyer George Weiss, a NFHF Vice Chairman.
Bill Pearce succeeded Draddy as Chairman. I recommended that Pearce of Coca Cola join the NFF Board. I also recommended Maxwell Club President Reds Bagnell as a Board member. After Draddy died, Pearce and Bagnell invited me to lunch in Princeton. At the luncheon they told me I should retire when I became 65 and become a consultant which I did.
In my second year as Consultant Pearce told me he wanted to honor me at a Waldorf Dinner., He later called to tell me that as the awards committee meeting started Weiss told Pearce they needed him to sign some papers in the office. While Pearce was absent Awards Chairman Bob Mulcahy, who was fired as Rutgers Athletic Director a few months ago, recommended NACDA'S Mike Cleary for the Contribution to Football Award and Mike was chosen. He is a good man, most deserving and 10 years younger that Mississippi Red.
Pearce and Bagnell, as Casey Stengel would say, are deceased at the present time,
I still have my Golden Tiffany clock for 27 years old dedicated service to the NFFHF, presented at a luncheon.
After Pearce died Jon Hansen, who I also recommended to Draddy as a Hoard member told me my Consultant Agreement would not be renewed. Hansen later received the Gold Medal, the Foundation's highest honor.
Archie Manning, the Ole Miss All-American, is the current Chairman of the Naztionalk Football Foundation. When Archie was inducted in the Hall of Fame I recommended to Draddy that Archie resond for the Inductees which he did,.
After the Hall of Fame Dinner, the Heisman Dinner and the American Football Coaches Dinner follows, the Heisman and the AFCA dinners are the same night Dec. 13
This year's Army-Navy game is a week later than usual , the second Saturday in December in Philadelphia. I have attended every Army-Navy game but one since 1962. I have attended every Heisman Dinner since 1962, every Maxwell Trophy Dinner since 1963. The Maxwell returns to Atlantic City in early March.
I was succeeded as Executive Director by former Princeton Coach Bob Casciola, whose title was changed to President after I launched the All-American Football foundation in 1964, Casciola was succeeded by currne President and CEO Steve Hatchell, a former Commissioner and Bowl Executive, who was honored by the All-American Football Foundation when he was President of the Rodeo Association who we have known for many years., I thought his selection was a good one.
Like Joe Paterno, our idol is Amos Allonzo Stagg who worked until he was 90.
Hugh Hefner is also a member of our Class of 1926. So was Marilyn Monroe, who unfortunately died when she was 36.
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Sunday, September 20, 2009
Southern Mississippi's Great Come Back
HATTIESBURG----Southern Mississippi's remarkable comeback victory over the University of Virginia in the third week of the new football season was dramatic and important to Larry Fedora's football program.
The Cavaliers led by 17 points before bowing 37-34. UVA will still shock some Atlantic Coast conference teams before this season ends. The Golden Eagles have now won eight straight games including the strong finish and New Orleans Bowl victory.
Southern now goes on the road for its next three games including the visit to the University of Kansas, one of the Big Seven powerhouses.
The weekend in the Hub City was special. A new class was inducted into the M Club Hall of Fame, including Jim Carmody, whose Nasty Bunch scored some important wins including the defeat of the University of Alabama in Bear Bryant's final home game in Tuscaloosa.
Carmody who coached at Ole Miss and should have been named Billy Brewer's successor rather than Joe Lee Dunn--a Chancellor Gerald Turner miscue---was saluted by former players at his M Club induction. It has been a big year for Jim, who was elected to the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame earlier this year.
Besides Carmody other M Club honorees include" Marchand Kenny. Lee Roberts and the late Louis MeGhee, former players, track star Pokey Faggard and Erin Doyle Parker, ace golfer. Roberts quarterbacked the Eagles to two Bowl seasons including the impressive Liberty Bowl triumph over the University of Pittsburgh. Kenney was on Southerns top defensive backs as a tackler,pass interceptor and fumble recoverer.
MeGhee was the Old timer elctee chosen by the veterans committee. He played in the late 1920's.
It is a pleasure to be in the USM Sports Hall of Fame. My tour of duty there as the Director of Public Relations for the University and Director of Athletic Publicity was a job most enjoyed. I had one assistant, a student who typed and cut stencils. I also was involved in Recruiting, landing P. W. Underwood and recommending Southern play Villanova in the Catholic City of Mobile.
Two straight wins over Alabama in 1953 and 1054 and a 14-0 win over the University of Georgiain Jackson before a standing roon only crowd leading to a Stadium expansion were important to the schools football history.
Billy Jarrell, the fine Quarterback of the 1952 and 1953 Southerners is rounding up his teammates for another Reunion Oct. 23 prior to the Homecoming game with Tulane. The All-American Football Foundation will have its 102nd Banquet of Champions Oct. 22 at the Hattiesburg Convention Center and will be dedicated to the late Pat Ferlise who passed away this year.
Ferlise was one of Pie Vann's favorite players. He was one of the few players who had a car. Coach Vann asked Pat to turn in his car keys which he did. He forgot to tell his Coach he had a second set of keys.
He later contributed and made possible the beautiful Pat Ferlise Building near the Stadium. In 1951 Reed Green scheduled the Carswell Air Force Bombers, which incluided many All-Americans. Texs' king sized Bud McFadin a 240-pounder, who would face Ferlise across the line of scrimmage. Felise weighed 186. Pie Vann told Pat the last thing he would want to do was to make Bud mad.
On the game's first play from scrimmage Ferlise gave Bud his best shot. They did not have face masks then. Bud did not even blink. Pat looked at Bud and smiled and said Excuse Me with 59 minutes plus left to play. Carswell won, 41-0, and went on to win over the Armed Forces Championship, topping the Fort Jackson team which included many SEC and Independents stars.
It is always good to get back to Hattiesburg.
---30-----
The Cavaliers led by 17 points before bowing 37-34. UVA will still shock some Atlantic Coast conference teams before this season ends. The Golden Eagles have now won eight straight games including the strong finish and New Orleans Bowl victory.
Southern now goes on the road for its next three games including the visit to the University of Kansas, one of the Big Seven powerhouses.
The weekend in the Hub City was special. A new class was inducted into the M Club Hall of Fame, including Jim Carmody, whose Nasty Bunch scored some important wins including the defeat of the University of Alabama in Bear Bryant's final home game in Tuscaloosa.
Carmody who coached at Ole Miss and should have been named Billy Brewer's successor rather than Joe Lee Dunn--a Chancellor Gerald Turner miscue---was saluted by former players at his M Club induction. It has been a big year for Jim, who was elected to the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame earlier this year.
Besides Carmody other M Club honorees include" Marchand Kenny. Lee Roberts and the late Louis MeGhee, former players, track star Pokey Faggard and Erin Doyle Parker, ace golfer. Roberts quarterbacked the Eagles to two Bowl seasons including the impressive Liberty Bowl triumph over the University of Pittsburgh. Kenney was on Southerns top defensive backs as a tackler,pass interceptor and fumble recoverer.
MeGhee was the Old timer elctee chosen by the veterans committee. He played in the late 1920's.
It is a pleasure to be in the USM Sports Hall of Fame. My tour of duty there as the Director of Public Relations for the University and Director of Athletic Publicity was a job most enjoyed. I had one assistant, a student who typed and cut stencils. I also was involved in Recruiting, landing P. W. Underwood and recommending Southern play Villanova in the Catholic City of Mobile.
Two straight wins over Alabama in 1953 and 1054 and a 14-0 win over the University of Georgiain Jackson before a standing roon only crowd leading to a Stadium expansion were important to the schools football history.
Billy Jarrell, the fine Quarterback of the 1952 and 1953 Southerners is rounding up his teammates for another Reunion Oct. 23 prior to the Homecoming game with Tulane. The All-American Football Foundation will have its 102nd Banquet of Champions Oct. 22 at the Hattiesburg Convention Center and will be dedicated to the late Pat Ferlise who passed away this year.
Ferlise was one of Pie Vann's favorite players. He was one of the few players who had a car. Coach Vann asked Pat to turn in his car keys which he did. He forgot to tell his Coach he had a second set of keys.
He later contributed and made possible the beautiful Pat Ferlise Building near the Stadium. In 1951 Reed Green scheduled the Carswell Air Force Bombers, which incluided many All-Americans. Texs' king sized Bud McFadin a 240-pounder, who would face Ferlise across the line of scrimmage. Felise weighed 186. Pie Vann told Pat the last thing he would want to do was to make Bud mad.
On the game's first play from scrimmage Ferlise gave Bud his best shot. They did not have face masks then. Bud did not even blink. Pat looked at Bud and smiled and said Excuse Me with 59 minutes plus left to play. Carswell won, 41-0, and went on to win over the Armed Forces Championship, topping the Fort Jackson team which included many SEC and Independents stars.
It is always good to get back to Hattiesburg.
---30-----
Sunday, August 9, 2009
M Club Reunion
By Jimmie McDowell
Oxford---The University of Mississippi annual M Club gathering in August was well attended and former players were looking forward to the unveiling of Houston Nutt's 2009 Johnny Rebs. The general feeling seemed to be that after road games with Vanderbilt and South Carolina the Rebels could be ready for a series of home games with logical contenders. Let me say" Don't overlook the Memphis Tigers loaded with a half dozen or more red shirts who had transferred from other Institutions of Higher Learning to play for the Big Shelby Tigers.
Tall tales were told with such specialists as All-Americans Charlie Flowers, Jake Gibbs . Billy Ray Adams and Marvin Terrell recalling the good old days of Johnny Vaught's Glory Years from 1947 through 1963. I covered the Rebels in many of those games. Others chatting were Bobby Franklin, Ray (Buck) Howell, one of the Maryland game heroes, Buddy Allison, Most Valuable Lineman in the Eagle Day Cotton Bowl triumph over TCU,Vaught's alma mater, flingin:" Farley Salmon, field general of the once beaten 1948 team which should have been in the Cotton Bowl against Doak Walker, Kyle Rote, and SMU but stayed home with an 8-1 record.
Kent Jr. Lovelace was there but best pal Beaux Ball was a major absentee. Some of the Rebs attended Hap Hederman's funeral in Jackson including Flowers, Lovelace, and Possum Price, who was Vaught's favorite golf partner. In college Price had a bad habit developed when he was about 11. He was a chronic smoker. Wobble Davidson, the house Father, once asked Bruiser Kinard what should he do if he caught Possum smoking. Brusier, the All Time All-American, replied: "Don't catch him."
Retired Chancellor Rovert Khayat enjoyed being with his teammates. When he was named the top placekicker on the Ole Miss Centennial team he apologized to Paige Cothren, who was the first Reb field goal specialist, taught by Ray Poole, the master three point specialist.
Ray's widow Wanda was there with Sara Davidson, Wobble's better half. Wanda handled the sale of the Vaught house and acerage for over two million dollars and her commision was more than Ray's first 10 years salary at Ole Miss.
Ralph (Catfish Smith was there along with Ralph (Bream) Smith, who came to Ole Miss in a package deal with Buck Randall. Vaught called Bream in to his office one day and told him he would not play much at OleMiss and he should transfer to Delta State. Bream replied that the Coach had been so nice to him he could not leave Ole Miss.
It was my pleasure to present All-American Allen Brown the All-American Football Foundation's 40-year All-American Award as well the Eagle Day-Bill Wade Unsung Hero award to Red Owens at the golf tournament. Allen and Red, the master chefs for the great Golf M Club lunch, could not attend the February dinner in Jackson. Allen was
seriously hurt in a car accident, doing major damage to his arm. He still has not fully recovered.
Dr. Shed Hill Roberson was there and will return to Oxford this fall where he has been a graduate student, giving him the opportunity to meet eligible single ladies.
Tim Ellis who was the winning quarterback in Ole Miss' win over Notre Dame is the new President of the M Club. Athletic Director Pete Boone welcomed the group and played in the golf tournament with Paul Dongieux,who has moved to Oxford after many years in South Bend.
Sadly over 30 M Club membrers died during the past year since the 2008 M Club meeting including Pep Bennett, Bruce Bradley, Paul Davis, Charlie Duck, Gene Hickerson, Slick McCool, Oliver Poole, Pop Warner, Buck Buchanan, Houston Patton, Bob Travis, and Clayton Blount.
Ole Times are not forgotten. Look Away.
Oxford---The University of Mississippi annual M Club gathering in August was well attended and former players were looking forward to the unveiling of Houston Nutt's 2009 Johnny Rebs. The general feeling seemed to be that after road games with Vanderbilt and South Carolina the Rebels could be ready for a series of home games with logical contenders. Let me say" Don't overlook the Memphis Tigers loaded with a half dozen or more red shirts who had transferred from other Institutions of Higher Learning to play for the Big Shelby Tigers.
Tall tales were told with such specialists as All-Americans Charlie Flowers, Jake Gibbs . Billy Ray Adams and Marvin Terrell recalling the good old days of Johnny Vaught's Glory Years from 1947 through 1963. I covered the Rebels in many of those games. Others chatting were Bobby Franklin, Ray (Buck) Howell, one of the Maryland game heroes, Buddy Allison, Most Valuable Lineman in the Eagle Day Cotton Bowl triumph over TCU,Vaught's alma mater, flingin:" Farley Salmon, field general of the once beaten 1948 team which should have been in the Cotton Bowl against Doak Walker, Kyle Rote, and SMU but stayed home with an 8-1 record.
Kent Jr. Lovelace was there but best pal Beaux Ball was a major absentee. Some of the Rebs attended Hap Hederman's funeral in Jackson including Flowers, Lovelace, and Possum Price, who was Vaught's favorite golf partner. In college Price had a bad habit developed when he was about 11. He was a chronic smoker. Wobble Davidson, the house Father, once asked Bruiser Kinard what should he do if he caught Possum smoking. Brusier, the All Time All-American, replied: "Don't catch him."
Retired Chancellor Rovert Khayat enjoyed being with his teammates. When he was named the top placekicker on the Ole Miss Centennial team he apologized to Paige Cothren, who was the first Reb field goal specialist, taught by Ray Poole, the master three point specialist.
Ray's widow Wanda was there with Sara Davidson, Wobble's better half. Wanda handled the sale of the Vaught house and acerage for over two million dollars and her commision was more than Ray's first 10 years salary at Ole Miss.
Ralph (Catfish Smith was there along with Ralph (Bream) Smith, who came to Ole Miss in a package deal with Buck Randall. Vaught called Bream in to his office one day and told him he would not play much at OleMiss and he should transfer to Delta State. Bream replied that the Coach had been so nice to him he could not leave Ole Miss.
It was my pleasure to present All-American Allen Brown the All-American Football Foundation's 40-year All-American Award as well the Eagle Day-Bill Wade Unsung Hero award to Red Owens at the golf tournament. Allen and Red, the master chefs for the great Golf M Club lunch, could not attend the February dinner in Jackson. Allen was
seriously hurt in a car accident, doing major damage to his arm. He still has not fully recovered.
Dr. Shed Hill Roberson was there and will return to Oxford this fall where he has been a graduate student, giving him the opportunity to meet eligible single ladies.
Tim Ellis who was the winning quarterback in Ole Miss' win over Notre Dame is the new President of the M Club. Athletic Director Pete Boone welcomed the group and played in the golf tournament with Paul Dongieux,who has moved to Oxford after many years in South Bend.
Sadly over 30 M Club membrers died during the past year since the 2008 M Club meeting including Pep Bennett, Bruce Bradley, Paul Davis, Charlie Duck, Gene Hickerson, Slick McCool, Oliver Poole, Pop Warner, Buck Buchanan, Houston Patton, Bob Travis, and Clayton Blount.
Ole Times are not forgotten. Look Away.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
By: Jimmie McDowell
Another great college football season will soon be here and it can not come to soon for America's fans who will flock to the arenas despite the terrible economy gripping the nation.Florida is the defending national champion and will be the pre-season favorite to pick up all the marbles as once again with Tim Tebow, the king sized field general, seeking his second Heisman Trophy. Texas' Colt McCoy, one play away from an undefeated season, is back for his final season and will have the Longhorns in the national title race once again.
Last year's Heisman winner Sam Bradford of Oklahoma also returns and like Teebow will seek to be a second time Heisman winner matching Ohio State's legendary Archie Griffin's spectacular accomplishment. A dark horse will be Ole Miss' junior super star Jevan Snead, who decesioned Teebow last year, handling Florida it's only defeat.A Mississippi bumper sticker reads.
Ole Miss 31 National Champions 30.Ole Miss suffered a shocking loss in All-America defensive end candidate.
Kevin Hardy who reinjured his foot in a six a.m. car wreck which could have cost him his life Flanker Dexter McCluster was also bruised in the accident, which came when a car pulled out of a side road and banged in to the Hardy vehicle.Hardy made a nati0nali name for himself in the shocking defeat of Florida in The Swamp with his great performance against Teebow. Hardy could miss a couple of the early season games because of his injury.Everyone is pointing out that Ole Miss has to play South Carolina and Vanderbilt on the road. The game they seem to forget is the season opener with the University of Memphis, which has a half dozen or so redshirts from other schools eligible to play this year. It will also be the last game of the current contract between these old rivals and the Tigers will be sky high for the visiting Rebels.
With Teebow, Bradford and McCoy graduating Snead could be the leading contender for the Heisman in 2010 if he come back for his final year. He is eiigible for the draft because he was a transfer from Texas where he played behind McCoy. It would be ironic if Snead and McCoy crossed swords in a bowl game this year.
On another note this is the 50th anniversary of LSU's Billy Cannon winning the Heisman. I saw that Halloween night game as a Mississippi Sports Editor-Columnist in Jackson and it was the greatest run I ever saw. All-America QB Jake Gibbs punted the ball for Ole Miss and Cannon had been instructed by Coach Paul DIetzel to not try and return the kick if it was past the 15-yard line.Cannon did not call for a fair catch and Ole Miss defenders relaxed so as not to get a penalty if they belted the LSU star. The ball took an odd bounce directly into Cannon's hands and he was off to the races, 89 yards to the Red and Blue end zone. Ole Miss had a 3-0 lead on Robert Khayat's field goal and Coach Johnny Vaught sat on that score, punting several times on third down having so much confidence in his great defense.
Ole Miss nearly won the game after all, driving to the Tiger one yard line. Dietzel replaced his defensive team, the Chinese Bandits with his best players and Cannon, Johnny Robinson and Max Fugler made the game saving tackle after a reserve Ole Miss player blocked the wrong way.As it turned out LSU lost 14-13 to Tennessee in Knoxville as defending national champions and unbeaten Syracuse took over the number one spot in the ranking. Hoping Syracuse might lose its bowl galme LSU had to play the next highest ranked team in a bowl game to repeat as national champions. It turned out to be Ole Miss.
JohnnyVaught let his team loose and the Rebels routed the Tigers in the Sugar Bowl, 21-0, holding Cannon to minus yardage for the game.
Larry Grantham, who went on to play for the New York Jets for over a decade was particularly tough on Cannon as was linebacker Dewey (Quail) Partridge.
This season Ole Miss plays Alabama, LSU, and Tennessee in Oxford after testing South Carolina, Vanderbilt, Mempis , and Auburn on the road.
The Texas-Oklahoma battle featuring Bradford and McCoy should be sensational. Last year after the Heisman dinner Florida battered Oklahoma with Teebow shading Bradford for the national title.
Ole Miss, Mississippi State and Southern Mississippi had their big summer rallies in Jackson in mid-July. State fans are excited with new coach Dan Mullen taking over for Sylvester Croom refering to Ole Miss as that team up North as Woody Hayes used to do in discussing Michigan. Mullen was a big reason why Florida had such a good team as offensive coordinator.
Southern Miss Coach Larry Fedora has Golden Eagle fans dreaming of better things after the strong finish last year including a New Orleans bowl victory. Southern has added the University of Virginia to its schedule with the Cavaliers visiting Hattiesburg for the first time.This fall marks USM's 99th birthday. Even bigger things are expected in Southern's centennial year in 2010.
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Another great college football season will soon be here and it can not come to soon for America's fans who will flock to the arenas despite the terrible economy gripping the nation.Florida is the defending national champion and will be the pre-season favorite to pick up all the marbles as once again with Tim Tebow, the king sized field general, seeking his second Heisman Trophy. Texas' Colt McCoy, one play away from an undefeated season, is back for his final season and will have the Longhorns in the national title race once again.
Last year's Heisman winner Sam Bradford of Oklahoma also returns and like Teebow will seek to be a second time Heisman winner matching Ohio State's legendary Archie Griffin's spectacular accomplishment. A dark horse will be Ole Miss' junior super star Jevan Snead, who decesioned Teebow last year, handling Florida it's only defeat.A Mississippi bumper sticker reads.
Ole Miss 31 National Champions 30.Ole Miss suffered a shocking loss in All-America defensive end candidate.
Kevin Hardy who reinjured his foot in a six a.m. car wreck which could have cost him his life Flanker Dexter McCluster was also bruised in the accident, which came when a car pulled out of a side road and banged in to the Hardy vehicle.Hardy made a nati0nali name for himself in the shocking defeat of Florida in The Swamp with his great performance against Teebow. Hardy could miss a couple of the early season games because of his injury.Everyone is pointing out that Ole Miss has to play South Carolina and Vanderbilt on the road. The game they seem to forget is the season opener with the University of Memphis, which has a half dozen or so redshirts from other schools eligible to play this year. It will also be the last game of the current contract between these old rivals and the Tigers will be sky high for the visiting Rebels.
With Teebow, Bradford and McCoy graduating Snead could be the leading contender for the Heisman in 2010 if he come back for his final year. He is eiigible for the draft because he was a transfer from Texas where he played behind McCoy. It would be ironic if Snead and McCoy crossed swords in a bowl game this year.
On another note this is the 50th anniversary of LSU's Billy Cannon winning the Heisman. I saw that Halloween night game as a Mississippi Sports Editor-Columnist in Jackson and it was the greatest run I ever saw. All-America QB Jake Gibbs punted the ball for Ole Miss and Cannon had been instructed by Coach Paul DIetzel to not try and return the kick if it was past the 15-yard line.Cannon did not call for a fair catch and Ole Miss defenders relaxed so as not to get a penalty if they belted the LSU star. The ball took an odd bounce directly into Cannon's hands and he was off to the races, 89 yards to the Red and Blue end zone. Ole Miss had a 3-0 lead on Robert Khayat's field goal and Coach Johnny Vaught sat on that score, punting several times on third down having so much confidence in his great defense.
Ole Miss nearly won the game after all, driving to the Tiger one yard line. Dietzel replaced his defensive team, the Chinese Bandits with his best players and Cannon, Johnny Robinson and Max Fugler made the game saving tackle after a reserve Ole Miss player blocked the wrong way.As it turned out LSU lost 14-13 to Tennessee in Knoxville as defending national champions and unbeaten Syracuse took over the number one spot in the ranking. Hoping Syracuse might lose its bowl galme LSU had to play the next highest ranked team in a bowl game to repeat as national champions. It turned out to be Ole Miss.
JohnnyVaught let his team loose and the Rebels routed the Tigers in the Sugar Bowl, 21-0, holding Cannon to minus yardage for the game.
Larry Grantham, who went on to play for the New York Jets for over a decade was particularly tough on Cannon as was linebacker Dewey (Quail) Partridge.
This season Ole Miss plays Alabama, LSU, and Tennessee in Oxford after testing South Carolina, Vanderbilt, Mempis , and Auburn on the road.
The Texas-Oklahoma battle featuring Bradford and McCoy should be sensational. Last year after the Heisman dinner Florida battered Oklahoma with Teebow shading Bradford for the national title.
Ole Miss, Mississippi State and Southern Mississippi had their big summer rallies in Jackson in mid-July. State fans are excited with new coach Dan Mullen taking over for Sylvester Croom refering to Ole Miss as that team up North as Woody Hayes used to do in discussing Michigan. Mullen was a big reason why Florida had such a good team as offensive coordinator.
Southern Miss Coach Larry Fedora has Golden Eagle fans dreaming of better things after the strong finish last year including a New Orleans bowl victory. Southern has added the University of Virginia to its schedule with the Cavaliers visiting Hattiesburg for the first time.This fall marks USM's 99th birthday. Even bigger things are expected in Southern's centennial year in 2010.
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Thursday, June 18, 2009
Centennial Banquet of Champions
By Jimmie McDowell
DALLAS-----The All America Football Foundation's Centennial Banquet of Champions will honor and remember some of the Southwest's legendary coaches plus the fabled Colonel Felix (Doc) Blanchard,Army's Mr. Inside July 14 at the Hilton Anatole Hotel.
Blanchard, who was a fighter pilot in Korea and Viet Nam, will receive the foundation's Admiral Thomas J. Hamilton Award. His daughter Toni will accept the Award for her late Father who died earlier this year.
The Dinner is dedicated to Blanchard and Sammy Baugh TCU plus five great Southwest coaches, Dana X. Bible of the University of Texas, Matty Bell of SMU, Jess Neely of Rice, Dutch Meyer of TCU, and Homer Norton of Texas A.& M.
Two great sports writers will receive the Foundation's Fred Russell Outstanding Sports Writer Award, Blackie Sherrod of the DallasMorningNews and Times-Herald, and the late Bud Shrake of Sports Illustrated and the Dallas Times-Herald.
Tony Stigliano of the Red River Athletic Conference, will receive the Asa. S. Bushnell Outstanding Commissioner Award.
David Bailiff of Rice University and Brad Wright of Texas State University are the Johnny Vaught Head Coach Honorees. Robert Bernardi of Nicholls State University and Brad Teague of the Universcity of Centralk Arkansas are the General Robert R. Ney8land Outstanding athletic Director honorees.
Derrick Fox of the Alamo Bowl will receive the Bud Dudley Outstanding Bowl Executive honoree.
Three Associate Commissioners of the Southland Conference will be honored withOutstanding Associate Commissioner Awards. They are Bruce Ludlow, Jenny Orndoaff Mcgheeand Stephanie McDonald.
Mark Cohen of TCU and Brad Sutton of SMU are the Scoop Hudgins Outstanding Sports Information Director awardees.
The late Sammy Baugh of TCU is the Charlie Conerly Outstanding Pro Football Player honoree. Two top high school coaches Kent Scott of Prospect High and Greg Owens of Slulphur Springs High are the President Gerald R. Ford All-American High School Coach honorees.
There will be a special salute to Texas' star field general Colt McCoy, who was named to the All-American Football Foundation 2008 All-America team and will be a ranking candidate once more for the Heisman and Maxwell Trophies this fall.
McCoy and six other Big k12 players made the AAFF All-America team last season. The others were Michael Crabtree of Texas Tech, Dez Bryant of Oklahoma State, Jerry Hughes of TCU, Chase Coffman of the University of Missouri, Duke Robinson of Oklahoma and Brian Orakpo of Texas.
Jimmie McDowell , President of the All-American Football Foundation, will present Texas Tech University a $500 Col. Red Blaik Leadership Scholarship check in honor of Quarterback Graham Harrell and also salute another Blaik honoree Chase Daniel of the University of Missouri.
Reservations for the Dinner by calling McDowell at 601-206-8877 . Subscription $150 Tables of 10 are available for groups. The All-American Football Foundation is a tax exempt non-profit organization, founded in 1994.
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DALLAS-----The All America Football Foundation's Centennial Banquet of Champions will honor and remember some of the Southwest's legendary coaches plus the fabled Colonel Felix (Doc) Blanchard,Army's Mr. Inside July 14 at the Hilton Anatole Hotel.
Blanchard, who was a fighter pilot in Korea and Viet Nam, will receive the foundation's Admiral Thomas J. Hamilton Award. His daughter Toni will accept the Award for her late Father who died earlier this year.
The Dinner is dedicated to Blanchard and Sammy Baugh TCU plus five great Southwest coaches, Dana X. Bible of the University of Texas, Matty Bell of SMU, Jess Neely of Rice, Dutch Meyer of TCU, and Homer Norton of Texas A.& M.
Two great sports writers will receive the Foundation's Fred Russell Outstanding Sports Writer Award, Blackie Sherrod of the DallasMorningNews and Times-Herald, and the late Bud Shrake of Sports Illustrated and the Dallas Times-Herald.
Tony Stigliano of the Red River Athletic Conference, will receive the Asa. S. Bushnell Outstanding Commissioner Award.
David Bailiff of Rice University and Brad Wright of Texas State University are the Johnny Vaught Head Coach Honorees. Robert Bernardi of Nicholls State University and Brad Teague of the Universcity of Centralk Arkansas are the General Robert R. Ney8land Outstanding athletic Director honorees.
Derrick Fox of the Alamo Bowl will receive the Bud Dudley Outstanding Bowl Executive honoree.
Three Associate Commissioners of the Southland Conference will be honored withOutstanding Associate Commissioner Awards. They are Bruce Ludlow, Jenny Orndoaff Mcgheeand Stephanie McDonald.
Mark Cohen of TCU and Brad Sutton of SMU are the Scoop Hudgins Outstanding Sports Information Director awardees.
The late Sammy Baugh of TCU is the Charlie Conerly Outstanding Pro Football Player honoree. Two top high school coaches Kent Scott of Prospect High and Greg Owens of Slulphur Springs High are the President Gerald R. Ford All-American High School Coach honorees.
There will be a special salute to Texas' star field general Colt McCoy, who was named to the All-American Football Foundation 2008 All-America team and will be a ranking candidate once more for the Heisman and Maxwell Trophies this fall.
McCoy and six other Big k12 players made the AAFF All-America team last season. The others were Michael Crabtree of Texas Tech, Dez Bryant of Oklahoma State, Jerry Hughes of TCU, Chase Coffman of the University of Missouri, Duke Robinson of Oklahoma and Brian Orakpo of Texas.
Jimmie McDowell , President of the All-American Football Foundation, will present Texas Tech University a $500 Col. Red Blaik Leadership Scholarship check in honor of Quarterback Graham Harrell and also salute another Blaik honoree Chase Daniel of the University of Missouri.
Reservations for the Dinner by calling McDowell at 601-206-8877 . Subscription $150 Tables of 10 are available for groups. The All-American Football Foundation is a tax exempt non-profit organization, founded in 1994.
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Friday, May 22, 2009
Robert Khayat-A Job Well Done
Besides dating two Ole Miss coeds who became Miss America,Robert Khayat was an excellent football player, a gifted student, an attorney and an extraordinary Chancellor at the University of Mississippi.
Robert and his lovely sister were blonde like their wonderful Mother. Robert's older brother Eddie was dark like his great Father. Years later young Eddie was speaking at a banquet and mentioned that his sister looked like a Greek Godess and his younger brother, Robert,looked like a Greek God. Eddie added that he looked like a gol-darned Greek.
While Robert had a scholarship at Ole Miss, Eddie hitch-hiked from the Mississippi Gulf Coast and his home town of Moss Point to Starkville for a tryout at Mississippi State and was turned down. He later hitch-hiked to Oxford and got turned down by Ole Miss.
Eddie enrolled at Millsaps, his Dad's alma mater and was a Golden Glove boxing champion besides playing football for the Methodist Majors. He then transferred to a Junior College, graduated and then went to Tulane where he was a member of the Green Wave which beat both Ole Miss and Mississippi State.
Eddie went on to played for the Washington Redskins,Philadelphia Eagles and Boston. Once cut by the Eagles, Eddie returned to Tulane where he planned to be a graduate assistant when the phone rang. Eddie was told the Eagles' center had been injured and asked if he ever played center. He said he played center in high school. He was sent a plane ticket to come back to the City of Brotherly love. That afternoon he went out for practice and asked the Tulane center how did he snap the football.
Eddie stayed with the Eagles and wound up being the head coach. He later was a top gun for Arena football.
Robert was one of Ray Poole's placement specialists as well as an offensive lineman. He later kicked for the Redskins after playing in the College All Star game in Chicago against the defending NFL Champions from Baltimore. A Notre Dame lineman was supposed to start and Robert was supposed to just handle placement duties. The Irish star got hurt and Robert had to play.
Across the line of scrimmage from the blonde boyish Ole Miss player was Big Daddy Lipscomb who looked down at Khayat and said: "Boy, does your Momma know where you are?"
Robert Khayat should have been Dean of the Law School but Chancellor Gerald R. Turner selected someone else. When Turner left Ole Miss to go to SMU, Robert Khayat was named the new Chancellor. He is retiring after 14 seasons and will go down as the best Chancellor Ole Miss ever had. His sister, Edna, the former Mississippi Miss Hospitality and Eddie Jr were always proud of their little brother. So are the two Miss Ameicas, Mary Ann Mobley Collins and Lynda Lee Meade Shea.
So are his running mates in college including Kent Jr. Lovelace and Warren (Beaux) Ball. At a M Club gathering a few years ago the legendary John Vaught was asked who his favorite player was. He patted Kent Jr. on the shoulder and said " Well, Kent dated Miss America." Beax , who married Kent's sister, said he dated Lynda Lee in high school. Vaught then added that Bo was the best dancing football player he ever had.
Bo is also the same fellow when he was a senior and riding with Ed Wilburn Hooker they passed a beautiful brick building asked: That is a pretty building, what is it?" Ed Wilburn, who majored in card playing at Ole Miss, told Bo that was the Library.
Robert Khayat goes out as Chancellor after the Rebels Cotton Bowl victory. He is proud of the job Pete Boone has does as Athletic Director, particularly the hiring of Houstron Nutt as head coach. He credits Ed Orgeron for doing a fine job as recruiting some of the players who made possible the great season which included not only the Cotton Bowl victory but also handed national champion Florida its only loss.
Orgeron, a master recruiter, also landed Quarterback Jevan Snead, who will be a Heisman and Maxwell Trophy candidate as a junior and as a senior Khayat praised Coach O for his exceptional recruiting and is proud of the job Houston Nutt is doing now.
While Khayat was kicking those extra points and field goals the man who took the snap and held the ball was Billy (Dog) Brewer, who won more games as an Ole Miss football coach other than John Howard Vaught.
Bob Khayat will join his pals in the Grove at future tail gate parties.
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Robert and his lovely sister were blonde like their wonderful Mother. Robert's older brother Eddie was dark like his great Father. Years later young Eddie was speaking at a banquet and mentioned that his sister looked like a Greek Godess and his younger brother, Robert,looked like a Greek God. Eddie added that he looked like a gol-darned Greek.
While Robert had a scholarship at Ole Miss, Eddie hitch-hiked from the Mississippi Gulf Coast and his home town of Moss Point to Starkville for a tryout at Mississippi State and was turned down. He later hitch-hiked to Oxford and got turned down by Ole Miss.
Eddie enrolled at Millsaps, his Dad's alma mater and was a Golden Glove boxing champion besides playing football for the Methodist Majors. He then transferred to a Junior College, graduated and then went to Tulane where he was a member of the Green Wave which beat both Ole Miss and Mississippi State.
Eddie went on to played for the Washington Redskins,Philadelphia Eagles and Boston. Once cut by the Eagles, Eddie returned to Tulane where he planned to be a graduate assistant when the phone rang. Eddie was told the Eagles' center had been injured and asked if he ever played center. He said he played center in high school. He was sent a plane ticket to come back to the City of Brotherly love. That afternoon he went out for practice and asked the Tulane center how did he snap the football.
Eddie stayed with the Eagles and wound up being the head coach. He later was a top gun for Arena football.
Robert was one of Ray Poole's placement specialists as well as an offensive lineman. He later kicked for the Redskins after playing in the College All Star game in Chicago against the defending NFL Champions from Baltimore. A Notre Dame lineman was supposed to start and Robert was supposed to just handle placement duties. The Irish star got hurt and Robert had to play.
Across the line of scrimmage from the blonde boyish Ole Miss player was Big Daddy Lipscomb who looked down at Khayat and said: "Boy, does your Momma know where you are?"
Robert Khayat should have been Dean of the Law School but Chancellor Gerald R. Turner selected someone else. When Turner left Ole Miss to go to SMU, Robert Khayat was named the new Chancellor. He is retiring after 14 seasons and will go down as the best Chancellor Ole Miss ever had. His sister, Edna, the former Mississippi Miss Hospitality and Eddie Jr were always proud of their little brother. So are the two Miss Ameicas, Mary Ann Mobley Collins and Lynda Lee Meade Shea.
So are his running mates in college including Kent Jr. Lovelace and Warren (Beaux) Ball. At a M Club gathering a few years ago the legendary John Vaught was asked who his favorite player was. He patted Kent Jr. on the shoulder and said " Well, Kent dated Miss America." Beax , who married Kent's sister, said he dated Lynda Lee in high school. Vaught then added that Bo was the best dancing football player he ever had.
Bo is also the same fellow when he was a senior and riding with Ed Wilburn Hooker they passed a beautiful brick building asked: That is a pretty building, what is it?" Ed Wilburn, who majored in card playing at Ole Miss, told Bo that was the Library.
Robert Khayat goes out as Chancellor after the Rebels Cotton Bowl victory. He is proud of the job Pete Boone has does as Athletic Director, particularly the hiring of Houstron Nutt as head coach. He credits Ed Orgeron for doing a fine job as recruiting some of the players who made possible the great season which included not only the Cotton Bowl victory but also handed national champion Florida its only loss.
Orgeron, a master recruiter, also landed Quarterback Jevan Snead, who will be a Heisman and Maxwell Trophy candidate as a junior and as a senior Khayat praised Coach O for his exceptional recruiting and is proud of the job Houston Nutt is doing now.
While Khayat was kicking those extra points and field goals the man who took the snap and held the ball was Billy (Dog) Brewer, who won more games as an Ole Miss football coach other than John Howard Vaught.
Bob Khayat will join his pals in the Grove at future tail gate parties.
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Wednesday, April 22, 2009
The Passing of Doc Blanchard
By: Jimmie McDowell
It was hard to believe that the Big Doctor had passed away, a vi ctim of pneumonia.
Colonel Felix (Doc) Blanchard died at 84 years of age. I saw him as a 16 year old star running back for St. Stanislaus High on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The opponent was Hot Moore's McComb High juggernaut.
In the early 40's you could play in Mississippi high schools until you were 21-years old. Most of those Pike County Tigers were about ready to vote. McComb won this Toy Bowl game in New Orleans, but Doc Blanchard still impressed everyone at City Park Stadium in the Crescent City.
Blanchard became a college football legend in a backfield which included fellow College Football Hall of Famer Glenn Davis. Blanchard and Davis each won the Heisman as Colonel Red Blaik's famed one-two punch as the Black Knights of the Hudson went unbeaten in three seasons, l944-46.
In l946 Army and Notre Dame played to a scoreless tie. Blanchard, despite a bad knee, broke clear and was headed for the end zone before being tackled by Irish All-American Johnny Lujack. In later years Blanchard told Lujack he scared the hell out of him. Lujack was over-joyed until Blanchard added "I thought I had killed you."
Blanchard chose a Military career over Pro Football. He distinguied himself in battle as an Air Force pilot in the Korean and Viet Nam wars. In Viet Nam he flew 64 missions, a true Fighter ace pilot. After retirement he lived with his wife and children in Texas. He seldom came back for the Heisman although invited. He was asked "Why". He said he preferred not to fly. They said": Doc you were a pilot. Why don"t you want to fly to New York.? He said he was not the pilot.
I last saw Doc at the Doak Walker dinner in Dallas a couple of years ago. His running mate Glenn Davis died in 1995. Davis, semi-engaged to Elizabeth Taylor, married the actress Terry Moore, who was offered a movie role by Howard Hughes, a notorious gal chaser. Glenn came back from a business trip to learn that his wife had gone to L.A. to see Hughes. He went to her Mother's home and found Howard and Terry there. Glenn Davis walloped Hughes unntil Terry's stout mother dovebetween the pair to save Hughes from more socks. Terry's Mother knew where the real money was. They divorced soon afterward. I think Howard remembdred Terry in his will.
Glenn later married a lovely Louisiana girl, who passed away and then married Allen Ameche's widow, Yvonne. I was in on the courtship. Army captain Joe Steffy, Glenn, and I were getting a cab outside the New York Athletic Club and Yvonne came out of the club and asked if there was room for one more. She jumped in to the cab and had to sit on Glenn's lap. Considering New York City's bumpy roads by the time we got to Mid-town Glenn was semi-in-love.
Doc Blanchard and Glenn are back together in the Great Beyond with their coach, Red Blaik. Glenn does not expect to see Howard Hughes there.
I had just written Doc a letter inviting him to join Navy Captain Leon Bramlett as a Vice President of the All-American Football Foundation. We will remember the Big Doctor at our June 2 Banquet of Champions in Dallas.
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It was hard to believe that the Big Doctor had passed away, a vi ctim of pneumonia.
Colonel Felix (Doc) Blanchard died at 84 years of age. I saw him as a 16 year old star running back for St. Stanislaus High on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The opponent was Hot Moore's McComb High juggernaut.
In the early 40's you could play in Mississippi high schools until you were 21-years old. Most of those Pike County Tigers were about ready to vote. McComb won this Toy Bowl game in New Orleans, but Doc Blanchard still impressed everyone at City Park Stadium in the Crescent City.
Blanchard became a college football legend in a backfield which included fellow College Football Hall of Famer Glenn Davis. Blanchard and Davis each won the Heisman as Colonel Red Blaik's famed one-two punch as the Black Knights of the Hudson went unbeaten in three seasons, l944-46.
In l946 Army and Notre Dame played to a scoreless tie. Blanchard, despite a bad knee, broke clear and was headed for the end zone before being tackled by Irish All-American Johnny Lujack. In later years Blanchard told Lujack he scared the hell out of him. Lujack was over-joyed until Blanchard added "I thought I had killed you."
Blanchard chose a Military career over Pro Football. He distinguied himself in battle as an Air Force pilot in the Korean and Viet Nam wars. In Viet Nam he flew 64 missions, a true Fighter ace pilot. After retirement he lived with his wife and children in Texas. He seldom came back for the Heisman although invited. He was asked "Why". He said he preferred not to fly. They said": Doc you were a pilot. Why don"t you want to fly to New York.? He said he was not the pilot.
I last saw Doc at the Doak Walker dinner in Dallas a couple of years ago. His running mate Glenn Davis died in 1995. Davis, semi-engaged to Elizabeth Taylor, married the actress Terry Moore, who was offered a movie role by Howard Hughes, a notorious gal chaser. Glenn came back from a business trip to learn that his wife had gone to L.A. to see Hughes. He went to her Mother's home and found Howard and Terry there. Glenn Davis walloped Hughes unntil Terry's stout mother dovebetween the pair to save Hughes from more socks. Terry's Mother knew where the real money was. They divorced soon afterward. I think Howard remembdred Terry in his will.
Glenn later married a lovely Louisiana girl, who passed away and then married Allen Ameche's widow, Yvonne. I was in on the courtship. Army captain Joe Steffy, Glenn, and I were getting a cab outside the New York Athletic Club and Yvonne came out of the club and asked if there was room for one more. She jumped in to the cab and had to sit on Glenn's lap. Considering New York City's bumpy roads by the time we got to Mid-town Glenn was semi-in-love.
Doc Blanchard and Glenn are back together in the Great Beyond with their coach, Red Blaik. Glenn does not expect to see Howard Hughes there.
I had just written Doc a letter inviting him to join Navy Captain Leon Bramlett as a Vice President of the All-American Football Foundation. We will remember the Big Doctor at our June 2 Banquet of Champions in Dallas.
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Sunday, March 22, 2009
Up to Date in Atlantic City
ATLANTIC CITY-----The 2009 Maxwell Club dinner in Atlantic City was outstanding,the best I have attended and I have attended every Maxwell Club Dinner but one since 1963 when I was the Executive Sports Editor-Columnist of the Trenton N.J> Times.
Held at Harrah's Casino Hotel, the Maxwell Club drew a full room of 800, selling most of the tickets before Bad Times struck America. Attendance at other sports dinners will not suffer, but already sponsors are pulling out of sports events. The National Football League has cut its staff, reduced even the Commissioner's salary. Ticket prices have been frozen, and could even be reduced.
The Maxwell Club selects its honorees before the Bowl games and national championship game as does the Heisman, which has its dinner after the regular season ends. In 2009 the Heisman will make its announcement on the second Saturday in December, and will compete with the Army-Navy game for headlines. Army-Navy is a week later because of television.
Tim Teebow of Florida won the Maxwell for the second time and this fall will be shooting for his third Maxwell and his second Heisman.
At 6this year's dinner I sat on the Dais next to Bert Bell, Jr., the former NFL Commissioner's son. Because of our age we have many of the same pals. Ron Jaworski continues to do a fine job as President of the Maxwell Club which has a year round of recognition programs, including high school standouts. Bob Clark is the veteran Executive Director of the Maxwell and does an out-standing job in this capacity.
Jaworski's Arena League national champions from Philadelphia will not have a chance to try and defend their crown this year because Arena League football has been suspended this year.
The All-American Football Foundation, after a successful February Dinner in Jackson, has scheduled Banquets of Champions in Dallas June 2, Chicago July 28, Cape Cod Oct. 7 and Princeton Dec. 7.
Houston Nutt has a Memphis speaking engagement the same date as the Jackson Dinner and will receive his Johnny Vaught AAFF Head Coach Award at the Red and Blue game April l8. Nutt will go abroad with other coaches in June to visit the Troops as will Mack Brown, who once coached at Southern Mississippi. We wrote Mack and told him that General Larry Harrington Jr., son of the veteran trainer Larry Harrington, Sr., had just left with over 1300 Mississippi troops for overseas duty and might be reachable in Iraq.
Mack Brown was named the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year.His Texas team was one play away from being unbeaten, the pass play against Texas Tech when Michael Crabtree made his sensational snare to beat the Longhorns.
Spring practice begins across the country and unfortunately State,Southern and Ole Miss all have their spring games on the same day, April 18.
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Held at Harrah's Casino Hotel, the Maxwell Club drew a full room of 800, selling most of the tickets before Bad Times struck America. Attendance at other sports dinners will not suffer, but already sponsors are pulling out of sports events. The National Football League has cut its staff, reduced even the Commissioner's salary. Ticket prices have been frozen, and could even be reduced.
The Maxwell Club selects its honorees before the Bowl games and national championship game as does the Heisman, which has its dinner after the regular season ends. In 2009 the Heisman will make its announcement on the second Saturday in December, and will compete with the Army-Navy game for headlines. Army-Navy is a week later because of television.
Tim Teebow of Florida won the Maxwell for the second time and this fall will be shooting for his third Maxwell and his second Heisman.
At 6this year's dinner I sat on the Dais next to Bert Bell, Jr., the former NFL Commissioner's son. Because of our age we have many of the same pals. Ron Jaworski continues to do a fine job as President of the Maxwell Club which has a year round of recognition programs, including high school standouts. Bob Clark is the veteran Executive Director of the Maxwell and does an out-standing job in this capacity.
Jaworski's Arena League national champions from Philadelphia will not have a chance to try and defend their crown this year because Arena League football has been suspended this year.
The All-American Football Foundation, after a successful February Dinner in Jackson, has scheduled Banquets of Champions in Dallas June 2, Chicago July 28, Cape Cod Oct. 7 and Princeton Dec. 7.
Houston Nutt has a Memphis speaking engagement the same date as the Jackson Dinner and will receive his Johnny Vaught AAFF Head Coach Award at the Red and Blue game April l8. Nutt will go abroad with other coaches in June to visit the Troops as will Mack Brown, who once coached at Southern Mississippi. We wrote Mack and told him that General Larry Harrington Jr., son of the veteran trainer Larry Harrington, Sr., had just left with over 1300 Mississippi troops for overseas duty and might be reachable in Iraq.
Mack Brown was named the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year.His Texas team was one play away from being unbeaten, the pass play against Texas Tech when Michael Crabtree made his sensational snare to beat the Longhorns.
Spring practice begins across the country and unfortunately State,Southern and Ole Miss all have their spring games on the same day, April 18.
------30------
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Remembering Vault's Glory Years
By: Jimmie McDowell
Willie Richardson, the legendary Jackson State football player, called to say that of all the All-American Football foundation Banquets he had attended the 99th Banquet of Champions was the best.
Willie received the Foundation's Charlie Conerly Outstanding Pro Football player award. The Foundation honored Johnny Vaught's field generas of the Glory Years when Ole Miss competed for national and sectional honors between 1947 and 1963, starting with Conerly and ending with Glynn Griffing.
In between were fearless Faley Salmon, Herman Sidney (Eagle) Day, Raymond Brown, Bobby Ray Franklin, Jake Gibbs, and Doug Elmore, who is deceased as are Conerly, Day, and Elmore.
Conerly,who is in the College Football Hall of Fame, is a glaring ommission in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The Old Timers Committee meets in August to review the Pioneer category. One problem is that some of the younger members have no idea of how great Conerly was for 14 seasons with the New York Giants.
When the Ole Miss Centennial plans were announced Conerly was listed as a quarterback which he wasn't in College Football. He was a triple threat tailback and superb safety man. Against LSU in1946 I saw Conerly make tackles near the line of scrimmage. He was a superb diagnoser of plays.
His college career as interrupted by World War II where he served in the South Pacific for three years and participated in invasions. He has his rifle shot out of his hand. He was a superb athlete and if he had not gone into Pro Football he Football he would have played Pro Baseball as a center fielder. The Giants gave Conerly a $100,000 contract to get him. This was spread over four years, which was big money in 1948.
When I volunteered for the Navy at 17 in 1944 I made $21 a month and sent five dollars home to my Momma. I wanted to send her an allotment which was turned down,. She wrote President Roosevelt and voiced her objection. The allotment was approved and Blanche Leroy Byrd McDowell sent FDR my stamp collection.
Conerly, Eagle Day and Elmore are deceased. Jimmy Lear wants Farley Salmon to take care of himself. He does not want to be Ole Miss' oldest living field general. When the Centennial team was announced by Ole Miss Archie Manning was picked as the quarterback. Eagle Day expressed the thought that how was this decision reached and wondered if winning back to back SEC championships, which he did, should have something to do with it. Archie , who made the Football News All-America team twice,never made as many All-America teams as Jake Gibbs or Griffing.
The Foundation also honored several truly great running backs for its Creighton Miller Award, including three from Mississippi Southern, Bucky McElroy, Hugh Laurin Pepper, and Sammy Winder. None ever fired a pistol on the campus as the current USM running back did recently. The end of Athletic Dormitories is one reason why there is a lack of discipline on all campuses today.
If house Father Wobble Davidson ever caught an Ole Miss player with a gun he would have stuffed the gun where the sun does not shine of that lad.
Archie, who never led Ole Miss to a SEC title, saw most of his records broken by his son, Eli.
John Vaught was not pleased when Peyton Manning chose to go to arch-rival Tennessee rather than Ole Miss.
The AAFF wanted to honor Charlie Flowers and Billy Ray Adams, a couple of All-Americans at the Jackson dinner, but Flowers was in Colorado and Adams' dear wife's Mother was on her death bed and has since passed away.
The All-American Football Foundation members have voted and selected its All-America teams and Michael Oher and Peria Jerry were included. Oher was also one of the ll Colonel Red Blaik Leadership Scholarships honorees. Ole Miss will receive S$500 from the Blaik fund to help another deserving youngster, which the University selects.
At the Ole Miss spring game April l8 Houston Nutt will receive the Foundation's Johnny Vayght Outstanding Head Coach Award. Nutt was in Jackson to address the M Club at a special luncuheon at the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame. He explained that he signed over 35 high school seniors, knowing that perhaps eight can not qualify academically and will attend Junior College and hopefully come to Oxford in two years.
And now Spring Football practice begins. Both State and Southern will also have their spring game on April l8.
---30---
Willie Richardson, the legendary Jackson State football player, called to say that of all the All-American Football foundation Banquets he had attended the 99th Banquet of Champions was the best.
Willie received the Foundation's Charlie Conerly Outstanding Pro Football player award. The Foundation honored Johnny Vaught's field generas of the Glory Years when Ole Miss competed for national and sectional honors between 1947 and 1963, starting with Conerly and ending with Glynn Griffing.
In between were fearless Faley Salmon, Herman Sidney (Eagle) Day, Raymond Brown, Bobby Ray Franklin, Jake Gibbs, and Doug Elmore, who is deceased as are Conerly, Day, and Elmore.
Conerly,who is in the College Football Hall of Fame, is a glaring ommission in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The Old Timers Committee meets in August to review the Pioneer category. One problem is that some of the younger members have no idea of how great Conerly was for 14 seasons with the New York Giants.
When the Ole Miss Centennial plans were announced Conerly was listed as a quarterback which he wasn't in College Football. He was a triple threat tailback and superb safety man. Against LSU in1946 I saw Conerly make tackles near the line of scrimmage. He was a superb diagnoser of plays.
His college career as interrupted by World War II where he served in the South Pacific for three years and participated in invasions. He has his rifle shot out of his hand. He was a superb athlete and if he had not gone into Pro Football he Football he would have played Pro Baseball as a center fielder. The Giants gave Conerly a $100,000 contract to get him. This was spread over four years, which was big money in 1948.
When I volunteered for the Navy at 17 in 1944 I made $21 a month and sent five dollars home to my Momma. I wanted to send her an allotment which was turned down,. She wrote President Roosevelt and voiced her objection. The allotment was approved and Blanche Leroy Byrd McDowell sent FDR my stamp collection.
Conerly, Eagle Day and Elmore are deceased. Jimmy Lear wants Farley Salmon to take care of himself. He does not want to be Ole Miss' oldest living field general. When the Centennial team was announced by Ole Miss Archie Manning was picked as the quarterback. Eagle Day expressed the thought that how was this decision reached and wondered if winning back to back SEC championships, which he did, should have something to do with it. Archie , who made the Football News All-America team twice,never made as many All-America teams as Jake Gibbs or Griffing.
The Foundation also honored several truly great running backs for its Creighton Miller Award, including three from Mississippi Southern, Bucky McElroy, Hugh Laurin Pepper, and Sammy Winder. None ever fired a pistol on the campus as the current USM running back did recently. The end of Athletic Dormitories is one reason why there is a lack of discipline on all campuses today.
If house Father Wobble Davidson ever caught an Ole Miss player with a gun he would have stuffed the gun where the sun does not shine of that lad.
Archie, who never led Ole Miss to a SEC title, saw most of his records broken by his son, Eli.
John Vaught was not pleased when Peyton Manning chose to go to arch-rival Tennessee rather than Ole Miss.
The AAFF wanted to honor Charlie Flowers and Billy Ray Adams, a couple of All-Americans at the Jackson dinner, but Flowers was in Colorado and Adams' dear wife's Mother was on her death bed and has since passed away.
The All-American Football Foundation members have voted and selected its All-America teams and Michael Oher and Peria Jerry were included. Oher was also one of the ll Colonel Red Blaik Leadership Scholarships honorees. Ole Miss will receive S$500 from the Blaik fund to help another deserving youngster, which the University selects.
At the Ole Miss spring game April l8 Houston Nutt will receive the Foundation's Johnny Vayght Outstanding Head Coach Award. Nutt was in Jackson to address the M Club at a special luncuheon at the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame. He explained that he signed over 35 high school seniors, knowing that perhaps eight can not qualify academically and will attend Junior College and hopefully come to Oxford in two years.
And now Spring Football practice begins. Both State and Southern will also have their spring game on April l8.
---30---
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Return to Mobile
MOBILE----In 1951 I covered the first Senior Bowl played in Mobile. The inaugural Senior Bowl was staged in Jacksonville and a semi-disaster forcing Founder Jimmy Pearee to look for another site. He called his good friend Fred Russell, the great Nashville Banner Sports Editor and asked for his help. Freddie called ole pal Pat Moulton who had left the newspaper business to go to work for the Waterman Steam Ship Lines in Mobile.
Moutlon discussed this with his boss and a meeting was scheduled with Jimmy Pearee, who quickly accepted Waterman's invitation to relocate in Mobile. The game was scheduled putting another group of North and South seniors, with the players on the winning team getting $200 and the losers $100. It was a close game, a key penalty was called against the North by a group of South stripe shirts in the waning moments and Dixie prevailed.
I covered this game for the Jackson Daily News as the assistant sports editor. I did not have this title but since there were only two men in the sports department and I was the Number Two man I guess I can claim that title over a half century later.
I have attended practically all of the SeniorBowl practice sessions all of these years. It is always a pleasure to be there for the contest, managed superbly now by Steve Hale and his dedicated staff. A group of Jackson Touchdown Clubbers attend practice sessions now for a look at the stars of tomorrow and also lining up speakers for the Club meetings which begin after Labor Day. Good ole Bill Lee, who has had two knees replaced, still walks with his Senior Bowl limp once he gets there to hopefully convince the legion of scouts that he was an old football player. Billy Beard, who warms up for the meetings by talking to a wooden Indian, also has two new knees.Beard, Lee, Mack Cameron, Leonard Van Slyke, Bob Harrison and I were the Jackson T D Club reps at the 2009 session.
Pro scouts were there by the hundreds, including Bill Parsells, who could have been an assistant coach at Ole Miss when Steve Sloan came on board, was offered another job instead.
The city of Mobile supports the Senior Bowl with gusto with another full house attending the game. Jackson with over 60,000 seats could be a Bowl game site if the State and City Fathers got off their rear ends. Mobile has two bowl games as does New Orleans.
Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Jackson State, and Southern Miss were represented at this year's Senior Bowl and the players got a chance to show case themselves, which they did in splendid fashion.
College signing day this week is of great interest to all football fans. Major changes in SEC coaching staffs could result in early commitments shifting to other campuses in the next few days. Once Ole Miss kidnapped Perry Lee Dunn, staked him out at a hunting camp to the dismay of LSU Coach Pepsodent Paul Dietzel. I personally hid out Hugh Laurin Pepper while working for Southern Mississippi in early 1953 to the distress of Tulsa Coach Hillary Horne and Spook Murphy of Memphis State.
The All-American Football Foundation's 99th Banquet of Champions will be held at the Jackson Hilton Feb. l6. The Banquet is dedicated to Johnny Vaught's Glory Years Field Generals from 194 7-l963, saluting Charlie Conerly, Farley Salmon, Jimmy Lear, Eagle Day, Raymond Brown, Bobby Franklin, Jake Gibbs, and Glynhn Griffing and the Creighton Miller Outstanding Running Back awardees Bucky McElroy, Hugh Laurin Pepper, Sammy Winder of Southern Miss and David McIntosh of Millsaps, all of whom should be in the College Football Hall of Fame.
And speaking of Football Hall of Fames Charlie Conerly is still the most glaring ommission in the NFL Pro Football Hall of Fame. In the so-called Greatest Game Conerly led the New York Giants to an early lead. The sports writers choose the MVP in the fourth quarter and selected Conerly. Baltimore rallied to tie the score on a field goal, then win in over time on Alan Ameche's famous four yard run. The writers voted again and picked Johnny Unitas, who is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Beside calling the signals, passing to Frank Gifford and Kyle Rote and holding the ball for Pat Summerall's conversions and field goals, Conerly also provided rich leadership for the Giants for 14 seasons. Conerly also was a WW II Marine in the South Pacific dodging Nipponese bullets.
Members of the NFL Veterans Committee are picking younger Veterans. Some of those scribes probably never saw Number 42 play.
In his prime Conerly was to Football in New York what Joe DiMaggio was to Baseball.
--30-----
Moutlon discussed this with his boss and a meeting was scheduled with Jimmy Pearee, who quickly accepted Waterman's invitation to relocate in Mobile. The game was scheduled putting another group of North and South seniors, with the players on the winning team getting $200 and the losers $100. It was a close game, a key penalty was called against the North by a group of South stripe shirts in the waning moments and Dixie prevailed.
I covered this game for the Jackson Daily News as the assistant sports editor. I did not have this title but since there were only two men in the sports department and I was the Number Two man I guess I can claim that title over a half century later.
I have attended practically all of the SeniorBowl practice sessions all of these years. It is always a pleasure to be there for the contest, managed superbly now by Steve Hale and his dedicated staff. A group of Jackson Touchdown Clubbers attend practice sessions now for a look at the stars of tomorrow and also lining up speakers for the Club meetings which begin after Labor Day. Good ole Bill Lee, who has had two knees replaced, still walks with his Senior Bowl limp once he gets there to hopefully convince the legion of scouts that he was an old football player. Billy Beard, who warms up for the meetings by talking to a wooden Indian, also has two new knees.Beard, Lee, Mack Cameron, Leonard Van Slyke, Bob Harrison and I were the Jackson T D Club reps at the 2009 session.
Pro scouts were there by the hundreds, including Bill Parsells, who could have been an assistant coach at Ole Miss when Steve Sloan came on board, was offered another job instead.
The city of Mobile supports the Senior Bowl with gusto with another full house attending the game. Jackson with over 60,000 seats could be a Bowl game site if the State and City Fathers got off their rear ends. Mobile has two bowl games as does New Orleans.
Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Jackson State, and Southern Miss were represented at this year's Senior Bowl and the players got a chance to show case themselves, which they did in splendid fashion.
College signing day this week is of great interest to all football fans. Major changes in SEC coaching staffs could result in early commitments shifting to other campuses in the next few days. Once Ole Miss kidnapped Perry Lee Dunn, staked him out at a hunting camp to the dismay of LSU Coach Pepsodent Paul Dietzel. I personally hid out Hugh Laurin Pepper while working for Southern Mississippi in early 1953 to the distress of Tulsa Coach Hillary Horne and Spook Murphy of Memphis State.
The All-American Football Foundation's 99th Banquet of Champions will be held at the Jackson Hilton Feb. l6. The Banquet is dedicated to Johnny Vaught's Glory Years Field Generals from 194 7-l963, saluting Charlie Conerly, Farley Salmon, Jimmy Lear, Eagle Day, Raymond Brown, Bobby Franklin, Jake Gibbs, and Glynhn Griffing and the Creighton Miller Outstanding Running Back awardees Bucky McElroy, Hugh Laurin Pepper, Sammy Winder of Southern Miss and David McIntosh of Millsaps, all of whom should be in the College Football Hall of Fame.
And speaking of Football Hall of Fames Charlie Conerly is still the most glaring ommission in the NFL Pro Football Hall of Fame. In the so-called Greatest Game Conerly led the New York Giants to an early lead. The sports writers choose the MVP in the fourth quarter and selected Conerly. Baltimore rallied to tie the score on a field goal, then win in over time on Alan Ameche's famous four yard run. The writers voted again and picked Johnny Unitas, who is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Beside calling the signals, passing to Frank Gifford and Kyle Rote and holding the ball for Pat Summerall's conversions and field goals, Conerly also provided rich leadership for the Giants for 14 seasons. Conerly also was a WW II Marine in the South Pacific dodging Nipponese bullets.
Members of the NFL Veterans Committee are picking younger Veterans. Some of those scribes probably never saw Number 42 play.
In his prime Conerly was to Football in New York what Joe DiMaggio was to Baseball.
--30-----
Monday, January 19, 2009
Nashville Coaches Convention
BY: Jimmie McDowell
NASHVILLE---I attended my first American Football Coaches Convention in 1952 in Cincinnati and have attended every one but one since. I am proud to be an Honorary Member of the AFCA for 17 years,chosen after a quarter of a century with the National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame.
This year's convention was held at the spacious Opryland Hotel in this wonderful Southern city which I have visited quite a few times over the years. My Father was born in Tullahaoma and when Granny Mac was l6 a 40-plus old single gentleman, attracted by her beauty, came by her house and told her he would like to call on her. She politely declined and said she was betroved to Hiram McDowell.
She married Hirman McDowell and the single gentleman never got married. He died a short time later as a result of kicking the iron safe in his office. His treasurer Lem Motlow was in church and had the only key to the safe. The 40-year plus old gentleman suffered a blood clot and died. His name was Jack Daniel. He was in the whisky business.
Now if Granny Mac had married Ole Man Jack instead she could have still married Hiram McDowell after Jack had passed away and I could be running the Jack Daniel Distillery today.
Even so I became a fairly good customer before deciding a few years ago to cut out partaking of the hard spirits which hopefully will add about 20 more years to my life.
So being in Nashville always brings back good memories. It was also the home of my great pal Fred Russell, who was Chairman of the NFFHF Honors Court for over a quarter of a century. I was the Secretary of the Honors Court for over 20 years, succeeding the late Coach Harvey Harman, one of four Executive Directors of the NFFHF. Today's Foundation leadership does not list these men who all contributed to the growth of the NFF, starting with Arthur Evans, George Little, Harman, and McDowell.
My successor was the old Princeton coach Bob Casciola, whose title was changed to President after the All-American Football Foundation was launched in 1994. Every one and his brother is listed in the NFFHF' s splendid 2008 Dinner program except the Executive Directors.
The All-American Football Foundation incidentally will have its 99th Banquet of Champions in Jackson, Ms. Feb 16 followed by the Centennial Banquet in Princeton March 9.
This year's AFDA banquet celebrated the 15th anniversary of Executive Director Grant Teaff,the Hall of Fame Baylor coach taking over the reins from Charlie McClendon, the gifted LSU grid boss. Ty Willingham of Washington, Stanford, and Notre Dame, was the outgoing coach of the AFCA. He did a fine job in this capacity and hopefully will get another shot at a head coach after being terminated by Washington. Dick Tomey of San Jose State succeeded Willingham as AFCA president for 2009.
Joe Paterno and Tom Osborne, the Hall of Fame coaches from Penn State and Nebraska, highlighted the Masters' program. Paterno, 82, has just been awarded a new three year contract and is looking fine, thank you. Osborne returned to Nebraska as Athletic Director. Paterno confessed that as an assistant coach he proposed to the 21 year old head cheerleader. He told her he was 33. When they applied for a marriage license he had to put his true age 35, on the document. No wonder he has been such a successful head coach. He and Sue have now been married 47 years.
Utah's Coch Kyle Willingham was chosen the AFCA's Division One Coach of the Year following his perfect record season, winning the honor over Florida's Urban Meyer, Oklahoma's Bob Stoops, Texas' Mack Brown and USC's Pete Carroll. Meyer, Brown, and Carroll lost one game. Stoops lost a pair, including the showdown with Florida.
Texas Tech's Mike Leach had lost only one game before bowing to Ole Miss in the Cotton Bowl. The Ole Miss Coach Houston Nutt was chosen the South Regional Coach of the Year. Besides beating Leach he also decisioned Urban Meyer. He is a future National Coach of the Year in my opinion.
Had a good visit with Houston in Nashville. He was pleased that his star end Greg Hardy was coming back for his senior year and like all coaches hopes that the youngsters who have early committed to Ole Miss will stay on board.
You never know until signing date. When I was working at Southern Mississippi we thought we had Eagle Day, but something happened between midnight and daylight and Day switched to Ole Miss. Until the day he died the Eagle never told me what happened.
--30---
NASHVILLE---I attended my first American Football Coaches Convention in 1952 in Cincinnati and have attended every one but one since. I am proud to be an Honorary Member of the AFCA for 17 years,chosen after a quarter of a century with the National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame.
This year's convention was held at the spacious Opryland Hotel in this wonderful Southern city which I have visited quite a few times over the years. My Father was born in Tullahaoma and when Granny Mac was l6 a 40-plus old single gentleman, attracted by her beauty, came by her house and told her he would like to call on her. She politely declined and said she was betroved to Hiram McDowell.
She married Hirman McDowell and the single gentleman never got married. He died a short time later as a result of kicking the iron safe in his office. His treasurer Lem Motlow was in church and had the only key to the safe. The 40-year plus old gentleman suffered a blood clot and died. His name was Jack Daniel. He was in the whisky business.
Now if Granny Mac had married Ole Man Jack instead she could have still married Hiram McDowell after Jack had passed away and I could be running the Jack Daniel Distillery today.
Even so I became a fairly good customer before deciding a few years ago to cut out partaking of the hard spirits which hopefully will add about 20 more years to my life.
So being in Nashville always brings back good memories. It was also the home of my great pal Fred Russell, who was Chairman of the NFFHF Honors Court for over a quarter of a century. I was the Secretary of the Honors Court for over 20 years, succeeding the late Coach Harvey Harman, one of four Executive Directors of the NFFHF. Today's Foundation leadership does not list these men who all contributed to the growth of the NFF, starting with Arthur Evans, George Little, Harman, and McDowell.
My successor was the old Princeton coach Bob Casciola, whose title was changed to President after the All-American Football Foundation was launched in 1994. Every one and his brother is listed in the NFFHF' s splendid 2008 Dinner program except the Executive Directors.
The All-American Football Foundation incidentally will have its 99th Banquet of Champions in Jackson, Ms. Feb 16 followed by the Centennial Banquet in Princeton March 9.
This year's AFDA banquet celebrated the 15th anniversary of Executive Director Grant Teaff,the Hall of Fame Baylor coach taking over the reins from Charlie McClendon, the gifted LSU grid boss. Ty Willingham of Washington, Stanford, and Notre Dame, was the outgoing coach of the AFCA. He did a fine job in this capacity and hopefully will get another shot at a head coach after being terminated by Washington. Dick Tomey of San Jose State succeeded Willingham as AFCA president for 2009.
Joe Paterno and Tom Osborne, the Hall of Fame coaches from Penn State and Nebraska, highlighted the Masters' program. Paterno, 82, has just been awarded a new three year contract and is looking fine, thank you. Osborne returned to Nebraska as Athletic Director. Paterno confessed that as an assistant coach he proposed to the 21 year old head cheerleader. He told her he was 33. When they applied for a marriage license he had to put his true age 35, on the document. No wonder he has been such a successful head coach. He and Sue have now been married 47 years.
Utah's Coch Kyle Willingham was chosen the AFCA's Division One Coach of the Year following his perfect record season, winning the honor over Florida's Urban Meyer, Oklahoma's Bob Stoops, Texas' Mack Brown and USC's Pete Carroll. Meyer, Brown, and Carroll lost one game. Stoops lost a pair, including the showdown with Florida.
Texas Tech's Mike Leach had lost only one game before bowing to Ole Miss in the Cotton Bowl. The Ole Miss Coach Houston Nutt was chosen the South Regional Coach of the Year. Besides beating Leach he also decisioned Urban Meyer. He is a future National Coach of the Year in my opinion.
Had a good visit with Houston in Nashville. He was pleased that his star end Greg Hardy was coming back for his senior year and like all coaches hopes that the youngsters who have early committed to Ole Miss will stay on board.
You never know until signing date. When I was working at Southern Mississippi we thought we had Eagle Day, but something happened between midnight and daylight and Day switched to Ole Miss. Until the day he died the Eagle never told me what happened.
--30---
Sunday, January 4, 2009
By: Jimmie McDowell
DALLAS---It was a pleasure to be back in Dallas for the last Cotton Bowl game to be played in the famed Cotton Bowl Stadium and watch Houston Nutt's Ole Miss Rebels come from behind and gun down the favored Texas Tech Red Raiders,47-34, in the highest scoring Cotton Bowl game ever.
I have seen OleMiss play now in their four Cotton Bowl games, dating back to Eagle Day,. the Mississippi Gambler, Paige Cothren, Buddy Alliston and Company shade favored TCU and All-American Jim Swink, 14-13, in 1956. I also saw The University of Texas hand Ole Miss its only Cotton Bowl defeat, 12-7 with the Red and Blue playing without All-America Fullback Billy Ray Adams, who had suffered a crippling accident on the way back to the Campus after being honored by the Jackson Touchdown Club.
Adams, a back with power and breakaway speed, went to sleep driving on the Natchez Trace and his car collided with a tree. Never again did an Ole Miss senior come to the Touchdown Club season ending meeting without an assistant coach. Adams' injury cost him a lucrative pro football career as well.
Eli Manning led Ole Miss to a Cotton Bowl victory as a senior. Cotton Bowl officials, remembering how many fans came to Dallas for that game, were elated that Ole Miss became bowl eligible again in 2008. Ole Miss fans, over 30,000, were on hand to watch Jevan Snead spark the Rebels to the sensational win over once-defeated Texas Tech,the only team to beat the University of Texas in regular season play.
Ole Miss lost a fourth opportunity to play in the Cotton Bowl after the 1948 season when there were not many Bowl games. The Rebels were 8-1, losing only to Tulane and the great Eddie Price. On that day a Tulane lineman broke All-American Barney Poole's jaw with a forearm and no penalty was called.
Spitting teeth and blood the Barnabus was on his back when his brother Buster, the assistant coach, came out on the field and asked " Barney, are you OK?" Barney spitting out more blood and a couple of teeth said he was all right. Buster said: Well, get up, it doesn't look good and Momma is in the stands." Barney got up and played the final games wearing a protective face guard.
Coach Johnny Vaught thought the Cotton Bowl would invite Ole Miss to play SMU, led by All-American Doak Walker and killer Kyle Rote. Out of the blue the Cotton Bowl invited the University of Oregon, sparked by the great Norm Van Brocklin, and Ole Miss stayed home.
Years later I learned that the Rose Bowl, fearing that the Ducks would not bring many people too Pasadena asked the Cotton Bowl to do them a favor and invite Oregon which they did.
Jevan Snead, the native Texan, rose to the occasion this time around, and led the Rebels to another great win, after the Florida conquest. Snead has now bested two of the four Heisman finalists,m Tim Tebow of Florida and Graham Harrell of Texas Tech. Snead,who has two years of eligibility remaining, now moves as a dark horse in next year's Heisman Trophy picture.
On the same play which got Ed Oregeron fired at Ole Miss, Texas Tech chose to run on fourth and four and All-America defender Peria Jerry stopped Harrell to give Ole Miss possession of the ball. Texas Tech Coach Mike Leach said miscommunication was the problem, and he hoped to draw Ole Miss off sides but that did not happen.
Ole Miss is in the Cotton Bowl history book now with the final victory at Cotton Bowl stadium. plus the biggest score ever in the 73 year history of the game. The Cotton Bowl moves to the new Dallas Cowboys Stadium in 2010.
With Snead and Dexter McCluster, voted Offensive MVP, heading a fine group of returnees the Rebels will be in the SEC title pursuit this fall. The win has to help Ole Miss recruiting as well.
On another note, Ed Orgeron is joining the University of Tennessee staff as Assistant Head Coach rather than accept the invitation to take the same job at LSU, which would have made the battle for the new Magnolia Bowl Trophy even more meaningful.
2008 goes down in the Ole Miss grid records as one of the best ever. Hotty Totty, gosh a mighty.
---30------
DALLAS---It was a pleasure to be back in Dallas for the last Cotton Bowl game to be played in the famed Cotton Bowl Stadium and watch Houston Nutt's Ole Miss Rebels come from behind and gun down the favored Texas Tech Red Raiders,47-34, in the highest scoring Cotton Bowl game ever.
I have seen OleMiss play now in their four Cotton Bowl games, dating back to Eagle Day,. the Mississippi Gambler, Paige Cothren, Buddy Alliston and Company shade favored TCU and All-American Jim Swink, 14-13, in 1956. I also saw The University of Texas hand Ole Miss its only Cotton Bowl defeat, 12-7 with the Red and Blue playing without All-America Fullback Billy Ray Adams, who had suffered a crippling accident on the way back to the Campus after being honored by the Jackson Touchdown Club.
Adams, a back with power and breakaway speed, went to sleep driving on the Natchez Trace and his car collided with a tree. Never again did an Ole Miss senior come to the Touchdown Club season ending meeting without an assistant coach. Adams' injury cost him a lucrative pro football career as well.
Eli Manning led Ole Miss to a Cotton Bowl victory as a senior. Cotton Bowl officials, remembering how many fans came to Dallas for that game, were elated that Ole Miss became bowl eligible again in 2008. Ole Miss fans, over 30,000, were on hand to watch Jevan Snead spark the Rebels to the sensational win over once-defeated Texas Tech,the only team to beat the University of Texas in regular season play.
Ole Miss lost a fourth opportunity to play in the Cotton Bowl after the 1948 season when there were not many Bowl games. The Rebels were 8-1, losing only to Tulane and the great Eddie Price. On that day a Tulane lineman broke All-American Barney Poole's jaw with a forearm and no penalty was called.
Spitting teeth and blood the Barnabus was on his back when his brother Buster, the assistant coach, came out on the field and asked " Barney, are you OK?" Barney spitting out more blood and a couple of teeth said he was all right. Buster said: Well, get up, it doesn't look good and Momma is in the stands." Barney got up and played the final games wearing a protective face guard.
Coach Johnny Vaught thought the Cotton Bowl would invite Ole Miss to play SMU, led by All-American Doak Walker and killer Kyle Rote. Out of the blue the Cotton Bowl invited the University of Oregon, sparked by the great Norm Van Brocklin, and Ole Miss stayed home.
Years later I learned that the Rose Bowl, fearing that the Ducks would not bring many people too Pasadena asked the Cotton Bowl to do them a favor and invite Oregon which they did.
Jevan Snead, the native Texan, rose to the occasion this time around, and led the Rebels to another great win, after the Florida conquest. Snead has now bested two of the four Heisman finalists,m Tim Tebow of Florida and Graham Harrell of Texas Tech. Snead,who has two years of eligibility remaining, now moves as a dark horse in next year's Heisman Trophy picture.
On the same play which got Ed Oregeron fired at Ole Miss, Texas Tech chose to run on fourth and four and All-America defender Peria Jerry stopped Harrell to give Ole Miss possession of the ball. Texas Tech Coach Mike Leach said miscommunication was the problem, and he hoped to draw Ole Miss off sides but that did not happen.
Ole Miss is in the Cotton Bowl history book now with the final victory at Cotton Bowl stadium. plus the biggest score ever in the 73 year history of the game. The Cotton Bowl moves to the new Dallas Cowboys Stadium in 2010.
With Snead and Dexter McCluster, voted Offensive MVP, heading a fine group of returnees the Rebels will be in the SEC title pursuit this fall. The win has to help Ole Miss recruiting as well.
On another note, Ed Orgeron is joining the University of Tennessee staff as Assistant Head Coach rather than accept the invitation to take the same job at LSU, which would have made the battle for the new Magnolia Bowl Trophy even more meaningful.
2008 goes down in the Ole Miss grid records as one of the best ever. Hotty Totty, gosh a mighty.
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