Losing Good Friends

First Eagle Day, then Millie Purgavie and finally Jerry Groom, all in a week. Eagle, of course, was the Ole Miss 1956 Cotton Bowl hero. Millie was the wife of my Trenton , New Jersey pal. And Groom was the Notre Dame All-American center and president of the Leahy Lads of which I am an Honorary member.
Eagle first denied he had cancer. He did not even tell his wife JoAnne when he received the bad news. Millie was looking after her husband Jimmy, who had health problems of his own when she passed away. Groom ha been battling his problems for a year before he drew his last breath in Sarasota, Florida.
I went to the Viewing of Eagle at First Baptist Church in Jackson. Also thee were many of his teammates" Buddy Alliston, Billy Kinard, Paige Cothren, all on that Cotton Bowl team, plus Kent Jr. Lovelace, Johnny Brewer, Buck Howell. Jimmy (King) Lear, Glynn Griffing, Bobby Ray Franklin. The great Navy football captain Leon Bamlett, longtime family friend , also paid his respects.
Younger Ole Miss fans think that football started with Archie Manning, who had his number retired and a street named in his honor at Ole Miss. His most famous game the 33-32 loss to Alabama, put his name on the map. Eagle once told me that games won were what really counted.
Glynn Griffing led Ole Miss to its only perfect record season. Franklin and Jake Gibbs led Ole Miss to its famous rematch triumph over LSU and Billy Cannon in the Sugar Bowl.
Lear sparked the Rebels to a shocking triumph over defending national champion University of Maryland. The late Doug Elmore was also a pennant winning field genera as was Raymond Brown, whose 92-yard touchdown sprint against the University of Texas, broke Harol Lofton's 87-yard TD , the longest run from scrimmage at that time.
Manning and Alabama's Scott Hunter crossed swords in that televised game.Years later Hunter said that he would take 33 points over 500 yards every time.
I missed Robert Khayat's talk at Eagle's funeral, having to travel to New Jersey for the All-American Football Foundation' s 91st Banquet of Champions in Princeton. I learned of Mille Purgavie's passing and attended her viewing. Millie worked for the New Jersey State Police. Troopers were there to pay their respect. So was Jack Rafferty. retired Mayor of Hamilton, Loretta Brophy, longtime family friend.ad a few hundred others.
Richie Devin sent flowers from Las Vegas as did Lou Crecco, retired legendary restaurant owner, from Miami. Too many of the Crecco crowd are long gone.
Jerry Groom was one of Notre Dame's best centers who later played for the Chicago Cardinals. He and the Connor brothers, George and Jack, helped form the Leahy Lads in tribute to their great coach. The group awards scholarships to deserving students. Johnny Lujack made a $100,000 contribution in honor and in memory of his All-Ameican halfback and teammate Creighton Miller.
Jerry told me last year that we were all in the fourth quarter of our lives.
The Leahy Lads will remember Jerry Groom. The All-American Football Foundation i dedicating its April 21st Mid-west Banquet of Champions in South Bend to Jerry Groom and the Leahy Lads.
The Foundation will also add Eagle Day's name to Bill Wade for our Unsung Hero award. It will be called the Bill Wade-Eagle Day Unsung Hero Award in the future. Both Mrs. Day and Mrs. Groom expressed happiness that we were remembering their late husbands.
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