Recruiting was never more painful than now. Top high school players have academic and disciplinary problems like never before. Coaches must take a more serious look at the talent they seek to build strong football teams.
Players are breaking training in many schools, coast-to-coast. Joe Paterno made some of his players clean out the stadium the next day after a game. Do you discipline a player and hurt your team in the season's homestretch with lucrative bowl bids awaiting the victor?
Johnny Vaught at Ole Miss put one of his best players off the team, and days later addressed the team and told them that only they could reinstate the player. The player apologized to his teammates and then the players took a vote and voted him back on the team. The player helped Ole Miss crush LSU in the famous 1959 rematch in the Sugar Bowl, 21-0, holding Heisman Trophy winner Billy Cannon to practically minus yardage in the process.
The Rebels had to have the right kind of leadership to do this. They knew how much their teammate meant to the team, but at the same time knew the player was going to have to straighten up and fly right. The player realized he would have to get back on the team, play his final season and get a pro football opportunity which he did for over a dozen years.
The players helped their teammate change his life in the process by wisely giving him a another chance. This was another reason why Johnny Vaught was one of the best college football coaches of all time.
After two great years in 1947 and 1948 Vaught's Rebels slumped and the alumni began to howl. Before the Golden Egg collision with arch-rival Mississippi9 State, the Rebel captain in a pre-game talk told his squad that they needed to win one for the coach. Vaught stood up and said: "Don't win it for me, win it for yourselves." And they did.
******
Sylvester Croom will get some Coach of the Year support in his fine turnaround at Mississippi State. Beating Kentucky in Lexington was even sweeter than the win over Auburn on the Plains although beating Tommy Tuberville's Tigers was delicious for the Maroons as well. One more win will put State in the bowl picture. The SEC has eight definite bowl tie-ins. Bowl eligible teams have had to stay home uninvited. This happened to Ole Miss not too long ago.
1948 was even worse. Ole Miss went 8-1 losing only to Tulane, then whacked State in the Golden Egg tussle, 34-7, and then waited for the Cotton Bowl phone to ring. It never did. The Cotton Bowl invited the University of Oregon instead and Ole Miss stayed home. Of course, there were only a handful of bowl games then. To this day it leaves a bitter taste.
****
Southern Miss looked pretty bad losing to Central Florida in Hattiesburg,a couple of weeks after losing to Rice in the Hub City. The Golden Eagles must get back in the win column to qualify for a bowl bid. UAB will be waiting in the weeds to top USM in Birmingham this weekend.
Millsaps" loss to Trinity in Jackson was the most bizarre finish in college football with over a dozen laterals in the final seconds leading to a loss for the Majors. It overshadowed the famous California-Stanford game. The only thing missing was the Millsaps band. Whoever set off those victory for Millsaps made the finish even more unbelievable.
Let the November football warfare begin.
---30--------
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Return to Notre Dame
SOUTH BEND-----The setting was perfect for a beautiful October afternoon. Arch-rival University of Southern California was coming to town. The Irish had defeated UCLA for its first victory 0f the season. The Men of Troy were trying to move back into the national championship season after being stunned by Stanford. The National Champion 1977 Irish team was celebrating its 30th reunion. Irish Coach Charlie Weis borrowed a trick from Dan Devine and dressed the 2007 ND team in bright green jerseys.
The Irish won the toss of the coin and elected to defer giving the South Benders first possession first possession of the ball. The the bottom dropped out and Pete Carroll's warriors gave Notre Dame a 38-0 shellacking before over 80,000 fans, one of the worst losses ever for the team that used to administer shellackings.
Notre Dame Coach Charlie Weis,with a 10-year contract promised better days ahead. With an open date looming Weis chose to plan to attend a musical stage show in Chicago the following evening. Navy is the next opponent and the Sailors owe the Irish big time, dating back to the Roger Staubach days when the Midshipmen won the game.
The 1977 Irish, defeated only by Ole Miss in Jackson, switched quarterbacks after the defeat in Jackson on a hot summer-like afternoon decided to change quarterbacks. Rusty Lisch was benched and Dan Devine called on his replacement, Joe Montana, who guided the Green to victories the rest of the way and a Cotton Bowl victory over the University of Texas.
As Executive Director of the National Football Foundation I was in attendance in Dallas that afternoon, then polled our General Douglas MacArthur Bowl Committee and reported the results to Chairman Vincent DePaul Draddy,. The Irish shaded Bear Bryant's Alabama Crimson Tide for the coveted trophy, which displeased the Bear slightly more than somewhat .
In a pre-game picnic I joined members of the Frank Leahy family for refreshments. John Leahy, the secreetary-treasurer of the Leahy Lads, was on hand as were Ryan Leahy, who was a standout Notre Dame player, and the lovely Regan Leahy, who went to North Carolina and participated in athletics.
The Leahy Lads did not have their annual meeting this fall because of President Jerry Groom;s serious illness. John reported that Jerry was recovering from successful surgery. Groom was an All-America center at Notre Dame and later a pro standdout with the football Cardinals, who left Chicago to move to St. Louis.
Digger Phelps, the retired Notre Dame basketball coach, addressed the Pep Rally on Friday night. I have known Digger since his Rider College days in Trenton, N.J. when I was the Executive Sports Editor-Columnist of the Trenton Times and longtime Secretary-Treasurer of the Football Writers Association of New York.
I took my youngest son Patrick to South Bend when he was 12. We saw Digger at the Morris Inn after breakfast. I told him that Pat had hit 91 out of 100 free throws in the backyard the previous week. I thought that Digger would say: " Nice going, Pat. Keep this up and one day perhaps you can play for me at Notre Dame." Digger did not say this. He said: "Nice going, Pat. I bet you take a lot of money off the kids in the neighborhood."
Patrick is now a longtime lawyer in Jackson. His children, Jamey and Claire, play soccer in Jackson.
Southern Cal still hopes to play in a major bowl game and play for the national title with tough opposition remaining. Notre Dame has been eliminated from the bowl picture and concludes the season with Stanford, the team that beat USC. The Irish have some solid early commitments, and some were in attendance at the USC game. February signing date is a long way away.
*****
In Mississippi, only Southern Miss of the Big Three prevailed. Ole Miss was pitiful against Arkansas in Oxford after solid but losing showings against Florida and Alabama. West Virginia's national ranked Mountaineers were too strong for Mississippi State. The Egg Bowl battle in Starkville Turkey Friday probably favors the Maroons. . Both coaches, Sylvester Croom and Ed Orgeron needs to finish the season on a winning note for morale and recruiting purposes.
November could be cruel for both programs. Southern Miss tries to finish strong and bid for the Conference USA title. Jackson State lost go Grambling and needs to get back in the win column.
===30===
The Irish won the toss of the coin and elected to defer giving the South Benders first possession first possession of the ball. The the bottom dropped out and Pete Carroll's warriors gave Notre Dame a 38-0 shellacking before over 80,000 fans, one of the worst losses ever for the team that used to administer shellackings.
Notre Dame Coach Charlie Weis,with a 10-year contract promised better days ahead. With an open date looming Weis chose to plan to attend a musical stage show in Chicago the following evening. Navy is the next opponent and the Sailors owe the Irish big time, dating back to the Roger Staubach days when the Midshipmen won the game.
The 1977 Irish, defeated only by Ole Miss in Jackson, switched quarterbacks after the defeat in Jackson on a hot summer-like afternoon decided to change quarterbacks. Rusty Lisch was benched and Dan Devine called on his replacement, Joe Montana, who guided the Green to victories the rest of the way and a Cotton Bowl victory over the University of Texas.
As Executive Director of the National Football Foundation I was in attendance in Dallas that afternoon, then polled our General Douglas MacArthur Bowl Committee and reported the results to Chairman Vincent DePaul Draddy,. The Irish shaded Bear Bryant's Alabama Crimson Tide for the coveted trophy, which displeased the Bear slightly more than somewhat .
In a pre-game picnic I joined members of the Frank Leahy family for refreshments. John Leahy, the secreetary-treasurer of the Leahy Lads, was on hand as were Ryan Leahy, who was a standout Notre Dame player, and the lovely Regan Leahy, who went to North Carolina and participated in athletics.
The Leahy Lads did not have their annual meeting this fall because of President Jerry Groom;s serious illness. John reported that Jerry was recovering from successful surgery. Groom was an All-America center at Notre Dame and later a pro standdout with the football Cardinals, who left Chicago to move to St. Louis.
Digger Phelps, the retired Notre Dame basketball coach, addressed the Pep Rally on Friday night. I have known Digger since his Rider College days in Trenton, N.J. when I was the Executive Sports Editor-Columnist of the Trenton Times and longtime Secretary-Treasurer of the Football Writers Association of New York.
I took my youngest son Patrick to South Bend when he was 12. We saw Digger at the Morris Inn after breakfast. I told him that Pat had hit 91 out of 100 free throws in the backyard the previous week. I thought that Digger would say: " Nice going, Pat. Keep this up and one day perhaps you can play for me at Notre Dame." Digger did not say this. He said: "Nice going, Pat. I bet you take a lot of money off the kids in the neighborhood."
Patrick is now a longtime lawyer in Jackson. His children, Jamey and Claire, play soccer in Jackson.
Southern Cal still hopes to play in a major bowl game and play for the national title with tough opposition remaining. Notre Dame has been eliminated from the bowl picture and concludes the season with Stanford, the team that beat USC. The Irish have some solid early commitments, and some were in attendance at the USC game. February signing date is a long way away.
*****
In Mississippi, only Southern Miss of the Big Three prevailed. Ole Miss was pitiful against Arkansas in Oxford after solid but losing showings against Florida and Alabama. West Virginia's national ranked Mountaineers were too strong for Mississippi State. The Egg Bowl battle in Starkville Turkey Friday probably favors the Maroons. . Both coaches, Sylvester Croom and Ed Orgeron needs to finish the season on a winning note for morale and recruiting purposes.
November could be cruel for both programs. Southern Miss tries to finish strong and bid for the Conference USA title. Jackson State lost go Grambling and needs to get back in the win column.
===30===
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Great Team Enjoys Homecoming
HATTIESBURG------Fifty five years ago a group of football players joined hands in Hattiesburg to build one of the best football teams in college football history. Head Coach Pie Vann, later elected to the College Football Hall of Fame, had two full time assistant coaches, Clyde (Heifer) Sutart, the backfield coach, and H.A. (Bear) Smith, the line coach, who specialized in end coaching. Vann, an old line coach, worked with the interior linemen.
The 1952 and 1953 team gathered for another reunion the night before this year's Southern Mississippi-Southern Methodist game. Southern Mississippi was known as Mississippi Southern in the Fifties. Their great players won Little All-American and Mid-Bracket All-America honors. None have been elected to the National Football Foundation's College Football Hall of Fame as yet.
The Honors Court needs to address this issue and do it now while some of these stalwarts are still alive. The 1952 team lost only to Alabama. The 1953 team beat Alabama, 25-19, and the University of Georgia, 14-0. Bart Starr was the Crimson quarterback, Zeke Bratkowski was the Bulldogs' signal caller. Red Drew coached the Tide, Wally Butts guided the Georgians.
Bratkowswki had been averaging two and three touchdown passes a game. The Black and Gold shut him down. Alabama had been picked by Grantland Rice to win the national title in hiss pre-season predictions. The Tide had bashed Syracuse in the Orange Bowl and had most of the
players returning. They had a big tackle named Sid Youngleman, who physically was stouter than anyone he had played to date.
Between the 1952 and 1953 seasons, two GI's had been recruited, a Marine named Don Owens, who was six-six and 260, and Jim (Coon Dog) Davis, 6-5 and 245. Davis was an eight year army veteran, Owens served four years in the Marines.
Southern also had a plucky little field general from a Junior College, Billy Jarrell of Pearl River and a senior right halfback named Tony Rouchon, who was also a champion Golden Glover. The two running backs, Fullback Bucky McElroy, and Left Halfback Hugh Laurin Pepper, had out-gained Heisman Trophy winner Billy Vessells and Fullback Buck McPhail of Oklahoma in 1952.
McElroy was a bull-dozing 200-pound senior from Monroe, La. tagged the Black Knight of the Bayous. He was not an African-American. Pepper was a jet-propelled 190-pound junior who was as swift as he was elusive.
Owens has passed on but Pepper, McElroy, Jarrell, Davis, and many of their teammates were back for the Reunion. A tribute was made to the teammates who had passed away, as well as their coaches, the one trainer Fly Oakes, who also was the equipment manager, and the athletic director Reed Green, who was the head coach before and after World War II.
Coon Dog Davis suggested the group also sing God Bless America, which they did. The Hattiesburg sports editor who covered the team, Ace Cleveland, also is deceased. So is the President Dr. R.C. Cook, who gave total support of the athletic program.
The Athletic Publicity Director was a red-head ex-sailor from Brookhaven Jimmie McDowell, who is still around after retiring as Executive Director of the National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame, residing in the East for 30 years before returning South to help launch the All-American Football Foundation in 1994 . Prior to joining the NFFHF McDowell had been a Sports Editor in Mississippi, Tennessee, and New Jersey. He also was the Administrator of the NFFHF and later Executive Director.
When he retired the NFFHF had 10,000 members, nearly 100 chapters , coast-to-coast, and $12,000,000 in the bank. McDowell traveled over 260 days a year in building the Foundation into a major national organization with two ex-wives to prove it.
In addition to McElroy, Pepper, Jarrell, Owens, Rouchon, and Davis, Southern had two stalwart ends, Stonewall Jackson Brumfield and Richard Caldwell, a great linebacker Jon T. Shepherd, who had ten flat speed, and an excellent place-kicker, McElroy. In 1953 players had to go both ways, McElroy played 60 minutes against Georgia. Pepper was a super pass defender and kick returner.
When Southern shocked the football world, much like Appalachian State upending Michigan this year, the sports world called it the biggest college upset since little Centre College went East to beat Harvard, sparked by a fellow named Bo McMillan.
There are other Little All-American who are not as yet in the College Football Hall of Fame and a special induction should be held in South Bend, Indiana, where the Hall is located and these well deserving "Small" College players should be inducted. And while they are still alive to smell the Roses.
----30--------
The 1952 and 1953 team gathered for another reunion the night before this year's Southern Mississippi-Southern Methodist game. Southern Mississippi was known as Mississippi Southern in the Fifties. Their great players won Little All-American and Mid-Bracket All-America honors. None have been elected to the National Football Foundation's College Football Hall of Fame as yet.
The Honors Court needs to address this issue and do it now while some of these stalwarts are still alive. The 1952 team lost only to Alabama. The 1953 team beat Alabama, 25-19, and the University of Georgia, 14-0. Bart Starr was the Crimson quarterback, Zeke Bratkowski was the Bulldogs' signal caller. Red Drew coached the Tide, Wally Butts guided the Georgians.
Bratkowswki had been averaging two and three touchdown passes a game. The Black and Gold shut him down. Alabama had been picked by Grantland Rice to win the national title in hiss pre-season predictions. The Tide had bashed Syracuse in the Orange Bowl and had most of the
players returning. They had a big tackle named Sid Youngleman, who physically was stouter than anyone he had played to date.
Between the 1952 and 1953 seasons, two GI's had been recruited, a Marine named Don Owens, who was six-six and 260, and Jim (Coon Dog) Davis, 6-5 and 245. Davis was an eight year army veteran, Owens served four years in the Marines.
Southern also had a plucky little field general from a Junior College, Billy Jarrell of Pearl River and a senior right halfback named Tony Rouchon, who was also a champion Golden Glover. The two running backs, Fullback Bucky McElroy, and Left Halfback Hugh Laurin Pepper, had out-gained Heisman Trophy winner Billy Vessells and Fullback Buck McPhail of Oklahoma in 1952.
McElroy was a bull-dozing 200-pound senior from Monroe, La. tagged the Black Knight of the Bayous. He was not an African-American. Pepper was a jet-propelled 190-pound junior who was as swift as he was elusive.
Owens has passed on but Pepper, McElroy, Jarrell, Davis, and many of their teammates were back for the Reunion. A tribute was made to the teammates who had passed away, as well as their coaches, the one trainer Fly Oakes, who also was the equipment manager, and the athletic director Reed Green, who was the head coach before and after World War II.
Coon Dog Davis suggested the group also sing God Bless America, which they did. The Hattiesburg sports editor who covered the team, Ace Cleveland, also is deceased. So is the President Dr. R.C. Cook, who gave total support of the athletic program.
The Athletic Publicity Director was a red-head ex-sailor from Brookhaven Jimmie McDowell, who is still around after retiring as Executive Director of the National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame, residing in the East for 30 years before returning South to help launch the All-American Football Foundation in 1994 . Prior to joining the NFFHF McDowell had been a Sports Editor in Mississippi, Tennessee, and New Jersey. He also was the Administrator of the NFFHF and later Executive Director.
When he retired the NFFHF had 10,000 members, nearly 100 chapters , coast-to-coast, and $12,000,000 in the bank. McDowell traveled over 260 days a year in building the Foundation into a major national organization with two ex-wives to prove it.
In addition to McElroy, Pepper, Jarrell, Owens, Rouchon, and Davis, Southern had two stalwart ends, Stonewall Jackson Brumfield and Richard Caldwell, a great linebacker Jon T. Shepherd, who had ten flat speed, and an excellent place-kicker, McElroy. In 1953 players had to go both ways, McElroy played 60 minutes against Georgia. Pepper was a super pass defender and kick returner.
When Southern shocked the football world, much like Appalachian State upending Michigan this year, the sports world called it the biggest college upset since little Centre College went East to beat Harvard, sparked by a fellow named Bo McMillan.
There are other Little All-American who are not as yet in the College Football Hall of Fame and a special induction should be held in South Bend, Indiana, where the Hall is located and these well deserving "Small" College players should be inducted. And while they are still alive to smell the Roses.
----30--------
Sunday, October 7, 2007
Homecoming at Ole Miss
OXFORD-----The Ole Miss Homecoming weekend was outstanding. Coupled with an Ole Miss shutout victory over Louisiana Tech, another fine group of alumns were inducted into the University's Alumni Hall of Fame: Dr. Wallace Conerly, General Augustus L. Collins, JamesMcClure, Jr., Nancy Van de Vate, and William F. Galtney, Jr.
Harold (Hardwood) Kelly, longtime Yazoo City educator and coach, and former Johnny Reb basketball star, received the Alumni Service Award.
Bill Galtney's tennis coach was Mack Cameron, a Jackson Touchdown Clubber, and author of a new book involving Al Capone and his Mississippi Gulf Coast days. One of Hardwood Kelly's students was an ambitious youngster,who ran for President of the Student Body as a high school junior and won, a lad named Haley Barbour.
Gus Collins was promoted to General while serving in Iraq. Jim McClure, like his Dad, has been prominent in alumni and athletic affairs during most of his life. Dr. Conerly was the Chief Executive Officer of the University Medical School in Jackson.
Markeeva Morgan was the recipient of the Outstanding Young Alumni Award, who served America well after 9/11 in New York. Morgan is destined for even greather things. Nancy Van de Vate, who lives now in Vienna, was delighted to be back on campus. A major author of marvelous musicals, she once taught Music Appreciation at Ole Miss, a course many athletes took at that time including a young kicker from the Gulf Coast , Robert Khayat.
Nancy admitted she told the football players the questions that might appear on exams. She said times were different then and some students had to drive to Memphis to buy whisky, which might have caused Chancellor Khayat some concern.
In the Grove the morning of the game Charlie Flowers and Billy Ray Adams, who won All-America acclaim expressed hope that the four game losing streak be broken. Squire Ed Wilburn Hooker and Dr. Shed Hill Roberson agreed. The fact that Kent Jr. Lovelace and Warren (Beaux) Ball were absent made their pals wonder whether they could have been the jinx.
When Beaux was President of the New Orleans Alumni Chapter R. Gerald Turner was Chancellor. Dr. Turner preferred to be introduced as R. Gerald. In his remarks he informed the group of the progress had made since he became Chancellor, also citing the beauty of the campus and the trees and shrubbery he had ordered planted. Beaux thanked Turner for being in New Orleans and said: "Jerry, we had no idea when we hired you as Chancellor we were getting a Johnny Appleseed."
Now the Ole Miss football team plays the Three A's in a row, Alabama and Arkansas in Oxford and Auburn in their backyard. Florida came close to beating LSU just as Ole Miss did a year ago. The Rebels' defense is much improved. They lost in overtime to the Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa a year ago and will be piously pointing for an upset win at Vaught Hemingway Stadium.
Sylvester Croom hopes that the Bulldogs can shock Tennessee , while Southern Miss hosts
Southern Methodist in their Homecoming game Saturday.
Let the second half of the 2007 campaign begin.
---30-------
Harold (Hardwood) Kelly, longtime Yazoo City educator and coach, and former Johnny Reb basketball star, received the Alumni Service Award.
Bill Galtney's tennis coach was Mack Cameron, a Jackson Touchdown Clubber, and author of a new book involving Al Capone and his Mississippi Gulf Coast days. One of Hardwood Kelly's students was an ambitious youngster,who ran for President of the Student Body as a high school junior and won, a lad named Haley Barbour.
Gus Collins was promoted to General while serving in Iraq. Jim McClure, like his Dad, has been prominent in alumni and athletic affairs during most of his life. Dr. Conerly was the Chief Executive Officer of the University Medical School in Jackson.
Markeeva Morgan was the recipient of the Outstanding Young Alumni Award, who served America well after 9/11 in New York. Morgan is destined for even greather things. Nancy Van de Vate, who lives now in Vienna, was delighted to be back on campus. A major author of marvelous musicals, she once taught Music Appreciation at Ole Miss, a course many athletes took at that time including a young kicker from the Gulf Coast , Robert Khayat.
Nancy admitted she told the football players the questions that might appear on exams. She said times were different then and some students had to drive to Memphis to buy whisky, which might have caused Chancellor Khayat some concern.
In the Grove the morning of the game Charlie Flowers and Billy Ray Adams, who won All-America acclaim expressed hope that the four game losing streak be broken. Squire Ed Wilburn Hooker and Dr. Shed Hill Roberson agreed. The fact that Kent Jr. Lovelace and Warren (Beaux) Ball were absent made their pals wonder whether they could have been the jinx.
When Beaux was President of the New Orleans Alumni Chapter R. Gerald Turner was Chancellor. Dr. Turner preferred to be introduced as R. Gerald. In his remarks he informed the group of the progress had made since he became Chancellor, also citing the beauty of the campus and the trees and shrubbery he had ordered planted. Beaux thanked Turner for being in New Orleans and said: "Jerry, we had no idea when we hired you as Chancellor we were getting a Johnny Appleseed."
Now the Ole Miss football team plays the Three A's in a row, Alabama and Arkansas in Oxford and Auburn in their backyard. Florida came close to beating LSU just as Ole Miss did a year ago. The Rebels' defense is much improved. They lost in overtime to the Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa a year ago and will be piously pointing for an upset win at Vaught Hemingway Stadium.
Sylvester Croom hopes that the Bulldogs can shock Tennessee , while Southern Miss hosts
Southern Methodist in their Homecoming game Saturday.
Let the second half of the 2007 campaign begin.
---30-------
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Mid-Year Football Exams
Potential collegiate Champions went down in flames as the 2007 campaign approached the half-way mark. Alabama's balloon was busted with two straight losses. Oklahoma was drilled by Colorado. Rutgers was shocked by Maryland in their Raritan Valley backyard. Texas bowed to Kansas State with its field general injured. Washington scared Southern Cal. Florida again lost to Auburn.
Home grown Ole Miss, Southern Miss, and Mississippi State came out on the short end of the count once again. Southern's loss to a winless Rice University in Hattiesburg with two quarterbacks injured was one of the biggest upsets of the new season, particularly with the Golden Eagles a 20-point favorite. State and Ole Miss played South Carolina and Georgia well for a while then wilted in the second half.
Southern's next test is a Homecoming clash with Southern Methodist. On this second Saturday in October Southern's famed 1952 and 1953 Giant Killers will have a Reunion as will the 1982 USM team which beat Bear Bryant's Alabama Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa. Jim Carmody,who should be in Southern's M Club Hall of Fame was the winning coach that day. His star was Quarterback Reggie Collier.
Hall of Fame Coach Pie Vann coached the 1952 and 1953 Black and Gold brigade, featuring one of College Football's famed one-two punch, Halfback Hugh Laurin Pepper and Bucky McElroy, the Black Knight of the Bayous. Both Pepper and McElroy should be elected to the National Football Foundation's College Football Hall of Fame. Both were Little All-America selections.
Pepper did not come back for his senior year, accepting the Pittsburgh Pirates' $40,000 baseball bonus offer.Bonus Babies had to stay with the big club for two years in those days which hurt their development. It would have been better for Pepper to pitch every fourth day in the Minors than sit on the bench with the Pirates.
Ole Miss made a big mistake when Jim Carmody was not named Billy Brewer's successor. the job going to Joe Lee Dunn, who lasted just one season. Carmody went on to scout for Arizona for 10 years before retiring. His players called him the "Big Ugly" and his Southern Miss defense carried the tag of " Ugly Boys."
Southern's third straight loss was unusual for Coach Jeff Bower, who has fielded winning teams throughout his career. Sylvester Croom's Mississippi State team still dreams of a winning season and a bowl invitation. Ed Orgeron's Johnny Rebs hope to regroup with home games with Louisiana Tech, Alabama, Arkansas, Northwestern Louisiana State and LSU. Ole Miss has LSU on the ropes in Baton Rouge last year, then could not cash in on the opportunity.
******
I enjoyed again attending the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference annual meeting on Cape Cod. Rudy Keeling of Emerson College is the new Commissioner. Retired ECAC Commissioners Scotty Whitelaw and Clayt Chapman were there to welcome the new Commissioner. Jack Daly, the famous New England teller of tales provided entertainment at the Clambake. The All American Football Foundation's next Banquet of Champions will be Dec. 6 in Newton, Mass. between the College Football Hall of Fame Dinner and the Heisman Trophy Banquet. I attended my first Hall of Fame Dinner and Heisman Dinner in 1962 as Executive Sports Editor of the Trenton (N. J. ) Times
I always enjoy seeing Paddock restauranteur John Zartarian at the Cape. John and Emeril LeGasse are longtime friends. Emeril hails from nearby Falls River. He worked in Hyannis in his early cooking days. The final night of the ECAC meeting took place at the Tug Boat Restaurant featuring shrimp, clams, and oysters.
****
Back in Jackson my daughter, Joanna, grand daughter Jessica Leroy, and I enjoyed seeing Andrew Lloyd Webber's Classic Evita, starring Cameron Wade, Omar Lopez -Cepero, and Phillip Peterson at Thalia Mara Hall. All were outstanding and are ready for Broadway, truly stars of tomorrow.
----30------
Home grown Ole Miss, Southern Miss, and Mississippi State came out on the short end of the count once again. Southern's loss to a winless Rice University in Hattiesburg with two quarterbacks injured was one of the biggest upsets of the new season, particularly with the Golden Eagles a 20-point favorite. State and Ole Miss played South Carolina and Georgia well for a while then wilted in the second half.
Southern's next test is a Homecoming clash with Southern Methodist. On this second Saturday in October Southern's famed 1952 and 1953 Giant Killers will have a Reunion as will the 1982 USM team which beat Bear Bryant's Alabama Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa. Jim Carmody,who should be in Southern's M Club Hall of Fame was the winning coach that day. His star was Quarterback Reggie Collier.
Hall of Fame Coach Pie Vann coached the 1952 and 1953 Black and Gold brigade, featuring one of College Football's famed one-two punch, Halfback Hugh Laurin Pepper and Bucky McElroy, the Black Knight of the Bayous. Both Pepper and McElroy should be elected to the National Football Foundation's College Football Hall of Fame. Both were Little All-America selections.
Pepper did not come back for his senior year, accepting the Pittsburgh Pirates' $40,000 baseball bonus offer.Bonus Babies had to stay with the big club for two years in those days which hurt their development. It would have been better for Pepper to pitch every fourth day in the Minors than sit on the bench with the Pirates.
Ole Miss made a big mistake when Jim Carmody was not named Billy Brewer's successor. the job going to Joe Lee Dunn, who lasted just one season. Carmody went on to scout for Arizona for 10 years before retiring. His players called him the "Big Ugly" and his Southern Miss defense carried the tag of " Ugly Boys."
Southern's third straight loss was unusual for Coach Jeff Bower, who has fielded winning teams throughout his career. Sylvester Croom's Mississippi State team still dreams of a winning season and a bowl invitation. Ed Orgeron's Johnny Rebs hope to regroup with home games with Louisiana Tech, Alabama, Arkansas, Northwestern Louisiana State and LSU. Ole Miss has LSU on the ropes in Baton Rouge last year, then could not cash in on the opportunity.
******
I enjoyed again attending the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference annual meeting on Cape Cod. Rudy Keeling of Emerson College is the new Commissioner. Retired ECAC Commissioners Scotty Whitelaw and Clayt Chapman were there to welcome the new Commissioner. Jack Daly, the famous New England teller of tales provided entertainment at the Clambake. The All American Football Foundation's next Banquet of Champions will be Dec. 6 in Newton, Mass. between the College Football Hall of Fame Dinner and the Heisman Trophy Banquet. I attended my first Hall of Fame Dinner and Heisman Dinner in 1962 as Executive Sports Editor of the Trenton (N. J. ) Times
I always enjoy seeing Paddock restauranteur John Zartarian at the Cape. John and Emeril LeGasse are longtime friends. Emeril hails from nearby Falls River. He worked in Hyannis in his early cooking days. The final night of the ECAC meeting took place at the Tug Boat Restaurant featuring shrimp, clams, and oysters.
****
Back in Jackson my daughter, Joanna, grand daughter Jessica Leroy, and I enjoyed seeing Andrew Lloyd Webber's Classic Evita, starring Cameron Wade, Omar Lopez -Cepero, and Phillip Peterson at Thalia Mara Hall. All were outstanding and are ready for Broadway, truly stars of tomorrow.
----30------
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