M Club Reunion Enjoyed

The Glory Years Boys gathered for their annul reunion during the University of Mississippi"M" Club weekend in Oxford and it was a pleasure to be included inasmsuch as I covered those great championship teams as Sports Editor-Columnist of the late Jackson State Times which was purchased from the opposition by the competing newspaper combine and closed.

The late Herman Sidney (Eagle) Day preferred to keep the 1954-57 teams separate from the l958-l962 teams so there were two separate parties. Reverend Paige Cothren, All-America kicking star, was the master of ceremonies and paid tribute to Herman Sidney. who died earlier this year along with Bobby Fisher, Lea Pasley, Ed Beatty, Gayle (Tar Baby) Bowman, and coach Ray Poole, Cothren's uncle.

Poole, a field goal star with the New York Giants (Charlie Conerly was his holder) taught his nephew how to kick extra points and field goals, creating another offensive weapon for Johnny Vaught"s Rebels.

Speaking of Vaught, the master innovator, manager Sprout Simpson confessed that the "Go To Hell" Ole Miss sign on the University stadium football carpet was not done by a Mississippi State group of students prior to the traditional Turkey Day weekend but ordered by Vaught himself.

Vaught told his charges that the Rebels should rise to the occasion and gun down their arch rivals by coming in to Hemingway Stadium in the dark of night and leave such a message on the turf.

Prior to an LSU game a plane flew over the Red and Blue field and dropped pink panties on the field, laying the blame on Pepsodent Paul Dietzel and his Bayou Bengal Tigers. Manager Simpson said that John Howard Vaught had a Red and Blue pilot perform this trick.

At this year's M Club reunion another great golf tournament was held with such links warriors as Richard (Possum) Price, Kent Jr. Lovelace, Ralph (Catfish) Smith, Billy Ray Adams, Charlie Flowers, Warner Alford, Art Doty, Dr. Mike Dennis, Dr. Louis Guy, Paul Dongieux, Archie Manning, Jack Cavan, Ed (Sloppy) Horner, Lee Garner, Otho Kortz, and Modest John Dottley among the group.

The Rebs lost another great one in Oscar (Buck) Buchanan when the Memphis Redhead passed away. Buck was a top high school coach before joining the Memphis State staff. He called everyone Coach so he did not have to worry about a fellow's name. His teammate Bobby Wilson died a few weeks earlier as noted in this column.

We missed Chancellor Robert Khayat who always enjoys the M Club Reunion. Billy Kinard, Vaughn (Buddy) Alliston, Eddie Crawford, Cotton Bowl teammates with Eagle Day, were all there and Billy Brewer, a member of the Ole Miss Centennial team as a defensive back, dropped by to say hello. It was good to see Ken Kirk, a star center, whose son passed away duiring the past year and Jimmy Lear and Farley Salmon, star field generals of the 1954 and 1948 Rebs, always enjoy seeing each other. Lear reminds Salmon to take care of himself because he does not want to be Ole Miss' oldest living quarterback.

Ray (Buck) Howell, who caught the first TD pass over Dick Nolan in the Maryland game, was there as were Bobby Franklin, who prolonged his NFL career as the holder for ace kicker Groza in Cleveland, Billy (Momma) Hitt, Tim Ellis, Bobby Crespino, retired banker Chico Taylor, All-American Marvin Terrell and ace chefs, All-American Allen Brown and Red Owens, who prepared the best barbecue I have seen in some time.

All in all, it was a weekend to remember. Let the 2008 College Football Season begin.

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