The great Bruiser was born 100 years ago
Posted on: October 23,2014
Before Manning and Payton, Rice and Alworth, before McNair and Hull, Slater and Conerly, Favre and Guy, and all the other stars in Mississippi’s incredible football constellation, there was Bruiser.
He was Frank Kinard, born Oct. 23, 1914, 100 years ago today. We’ll honor the great Bruiser tonight (4:30-7 p.m.) when we
Cleveland
launch our new Hall of Fame book, Mississippi’s Greatest Athletes.
Here’s what you need to know about Bruiser: He just might have been the best of all.
A tackle, he was usually fastest, biggest and strongest player on the field.
Listen: He was a charter inductee into the College Football Hall of Fame, the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame, and the Ole Miss Hall of Fame.
Playing for Ole Miss in 1936, Bruiser played 708 of a possible 720 minutes. He was also an Iron Man.
On his 23rd birthday, during his senior season in 1937, Kinard performed a feat that now seems impossible.
Again, listen: Against Ouachita, he kicked off, raced down the field, and recovered the football in the end zone for a touchdown.
He did it. You could look it up. I did.
You will find facts like that about throughout Mississippi’s Greatest Athletes.
We’ll have 16 Hall of Famers here to sign their pages in the book. We’ll have a birthday cake for Bruiser.
And we’ll have Jon Wiener of ESPNHomeCookin (105.9 FM) broadcasting live from 4 to 6 p.m.
Come join the fun, celebrate Bruiser and Mississippi’s remarkable sports history.
my wife’s Dad was Spec Wilson also born in 1914. As a rabid Ole Miss fan I do appreciate your tribute to Bruiser Kinard. Spec was probably the best amateur golfer in Miss history. I’m told he helped Mary Mills. Also Sam Snead, Byron Nelson, and Babe Diedrickson Zaharison came to play with him in Laurel. I strongly suggest you contact his son Chris Wilson in Laurel for more info. Spec was a great athlete. Held Miss pole vault record for years. Went to LSU on football scholly but was injured. Served in WW11 in Europe and Italy. Would be a great story! You may contact Chris at 601 649 1030 or 601-649-1004. Tell him Uncle Bill referred you!