Professional Football Player. He spent two seasons in the National Football League (NFL) as a punter with the Washington Redskins and 12 seasons in the Canadian Football League (CFL) with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Calgary Stampeders and Toronto Argonauts. A star quarterback at the University of Mississippi, he lead the Rebels to a record of 26 wins, five losses and one tie over three seasons, including two Southeastern Conference championships in 1954 and 1955. In 1956 he led Ole Miss to their first ever bowl victory, defeating Texas Christian University 14 to 13 in the Cotton Bowl. Selected in the 17th round of the 1956 NFL Draft, he elected to spend his first two seasons in the CFL before joining the Redskins for the 1959 and 1960 seasons. Returning to the CFL following the 1960 season, he earned All-Pro honors in 1961 and 1962. In 1962 he was named as the recipient of the Jeff Nicklin Memorial Trophy, as the CFL's Western Division Most Valuable Player, and also finished as runner-up as Canada's outstanding player that same year. He was inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in 1981, the University Mississippi Hall of Fame in 1988 and the Cotton Bowl Hall of Fame in 2003.
Professional Football Player. He spent two seasons in the National Football League (NFL) as a punter with the Washington Redskins and 12 seasons in the Canadian Football League (CFL) with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Calgary Stampeders and Toronto Argonauts. A star quarterback at the University of Mississippi, he lead the Rebels to a record of 26 wins, five losses and one tie over three seasons, including two Southeastern Conference championships in 1954 and 1955. In 1956 he led Ole Miss to their first ever bowl victory, defeating Texas Christian University 14 to 13 in the Cotton Bowl. Selected in the 17th round of the 1956 NFL Draft, he elected to spend his first two seasons in the CFL before joining the Redskins for the 1959 and 1960 seasons. Returning to the CFL following the 1960 season, he earned All-Pro honors in 1961 and 1962. In 1962 he was named as the recipient of the Jeff Nicklin Memorial Trophy, as the CFL's Western Division Most Valuable Player, and also finished as runner-up as Canada's outstanding player that same year. He was inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in 1981, the University Mississippi Hall of Fame in 1988 and the Cotton Bowl Hall of Fame in 2003.
Bio by: Nils M. Solsvik Jr.
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