James Lofton

High School Career

Brookhaven Panthers (1947-1950)

• 15 letters in football, track, baseball, and basketball
• All America, All Southern, All Big Eight (twice) and All State (twice)
• Captain of Brookhaven’s football and track teams
• Scored over 200 points during his prep career including 102 points in his senior year of 1949
• Gained 1,022 yards rushing for a 7.9 yard per carry average in 1949
• High school career rushing totals over a mile and a half of yardage
• Named as the Big Eight’s Most Valuable football player in 1949
• Played in the National All America high school football game at Crump Stadium in Memphis, TN, on August 9, 1950

College Career

Ole Miss

• Earned 3 letters (1951-1953)
• Led all Rebel rushers in 1952 with 698 net yards on 137 tries
• Played in the famed 21-14 win over nationally ranked Maryland that launched the Rebels into national prominence in 1952
• Scored the game winning touchdown against Mississippi State in 1952 when he ran 77 yards in the 20-14 Rebel win
• All SEC (1953)
• During his Ole Miss career, Lofton had 979 rushing yards, scored 12 TDs and averaged 5.15 yards per rush

Did You Know?

Oddly enough, one of Lofton’s biggest fans was fellow Brookhaven native and MSHOF member W. R. Lance Alworth, a youngster in those days. When Lance attended Brookhaven High School, he could not wear Harol’s no. 19 because it was retired, but he embraced the number when he arrived at the University of Arkansas and wore it throughout his NFL Hall of Fame career with San Diego and Dallas.