We lost the ineffable Willie Richardson last week, dead at age 76, a football legend surely beloved by all who knew him, no matter their allegiances. Richardson was a Jackson State man whose playing career takes us back to a different time in Mississippi and America when historically black colleges in the Deep South were […]
Willie Richardson and Roy Curry were first opponents, then teammates and forever friends. Curry, a Clarksdale native who has lived in Chicago for half a century, loaded up a car Thursday to drive to Jackson to help celebrate the life of Richardson, who died Monday at age 76. “When the Lord wants you, he’s going […]
Willie Richardson, a former All-Pro and Pro Bowl wide receiver for the Baltimore Colts and a 1979 inductee into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame, has died from natural causes, according to the Hinds County Coroner’s office. He was 76. Richardson, a Greenville native and one of Jackson State’s all-time football greats, caught passes from […]
So now we’ve got an Ole Miss alum coaching football at Southern Miss. And we’ve got a Southern Miss alum coaching football at Ole Miss. This, I think, begs the question: Can’t we all get along? First things first: Good for USM on hiring Ole Miss alum Jay Hopson to lead the black and gold. […]
Hall of Famer Willie Richardson, as Blue as a Jackson State Bengal can be, was not the first guy I expected to see at an Alcorn State press conference to announce Fred McNair as the school’s new football coach. But there Willie Richardson was waiting in line to shake McNair’s hand. “Why am I here?” […]
HATTIESBURG— Clearly, Jeff Bower approved. Bower, seated on the second row at a packed-house press conference-turned-pep rally, became emotional as Jay Hopson was introduced as the new head football coach at Southern Miss. Bower stood and applauded and smiled through tearing eyes as Hopson approached the podium. A few seconds into his opening remarks Hopson […]
Southern Miss had just been defeated by North Carolina State in the first round of an NCAA Tournament game at College Park, Md. It was the last game of Clarence Weatherpoon’s college basketball career. I don’t remember how many points he scored, but it was a bunch. I don’t remember how many rebounds he got, […]
Back in 2012 we wanted to make a film tribute in honor of the late Michael Rubenstein. I wrote the script. And there was only one voice I wanted to do the narration. There was never a doubt. It had to be Bert Case. I called Bert. He said he would be honored. He did […]
