About 200 former Lamar University football players from across the country – joined by more than 500 guests – will gather on campus Saturday, Oct. 2, accompanied by seven decades of memories and unbridled enthusiasm over the return of gridiron action.
They’re plenty proud of their alma mater, having invited scores of family and friends to join them at the reunion – the first for football in 21 years.
“Bringing these former players back to campus for the first time in 21 years is going to be an awesome experience,” said Athletics Director Larry Tidwell. “So many of them are cornerstones of the football tradition at Lamar. The pride and the passion of our former lettermen – and of students, alumni friends and the community – are, without question, the highest they’ve been in decades.”
The players and their guests will tour the new athletic complex and attend a luncheon in the Montagne Center. They’ll join Cardinal fans to greet Coach Ray Woodard and the team “at the bridge,” as strains of bagpipes return to herald one of many traditions being created during this landmark season for Lamar football. During pre-game festivities, they’ll walk onto the field, divided into groups according to decades.
A highlight will be the introduction of Bob Kinnear, 99, of Beaumont, Lamar’s oldest living former football player. Kinnear played running back and corner back at Lamar College on the 1932 team that posted an 8-1 record. That season marked the year in which the school switched its name from South Park Junior College to Lamar College.
“They are going to be so excited when they see everyone tailgating and when they see the sea of red in the stands at Provost Umphrey Stadium. When they see how great the video board looks and they see the Morgan Suites, I think they will realize we host a first-class, big-time football program. They will be proud,” said Laurie Ritchel, Lamar’s associate director of development and among those coordinating the reunion.
“Reservations for the reunion are at capacity. The game is sold out, which is a wonderful problem to have,” Ritchel said. “We have groups of people coming to the reunion who are bringing 10 grand kids and several neighbors. It’s not just the former players and their immediate families. They have created excitement all around them.”
The reunion will attract former players from nine states coast to coast and about 80 cities and towns in Texas. Those states are California, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma – and Texas.
Many of those who will attend are trailblazers, representing a number of records and “firsts” – Darrell Johnson, now of Montgomery, scored the first touchdown in Cardinal Stadium in 1964 and was at Provost Umphrey Stadium Sept. 11, 2010, to watch wide receiver J.J. Hayes score the first in the new facility. Anthony Guillory of Beaumont became Lamar’s first black athlete in 1962 and also was on the field when Cardinal Stadium opened in 1964, when he was part of Lamar’s first-ever class of All-Southland Conference honorees.
Rondy Colbert of Houston was a three-year, first-team All-SLC defensive back from 1972-74. Kurt Phoenix of Fayetteville, N.C., set Lamar’s still-standing record with a 98-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against Western Kentucky in 1979. Wide receiver Howard Robinson of Arlington holds Lamar records for most touchdown passes caught in a single season (12) and in a career (18). He was quarterback Larry Haynes’ go-to guy during Lamar’s 6-3-2 season in 1979.
Until Andre Bevil broke it in the first game this season, Shad Smith of China, Texas, held Lamar’s record for passing yards in a game, with 412 against Louisiana-Monroe in 1987. Burton Murchison of Lufkin set Lamar’s single-season record for rushing with 1,547 yards as a sophomore in 1985 and was a first-team Division 1-AA All-America selection that year. He holds Lamar’s career rushing record of 3,598 yards.
Mike Andrie of Lumberton finished his Lamar career in 1987 after kicking an all-time record of 70 extra points, and his 53-consecutive conversions are also a school record. Andrie’s 57-yard field goal on Nov. 14, 1987, topped the previous record set by Mike Marlow of Giddings, who is best known for his 42-yard field goal with three seconds remaining to defeat defending Southwest Conference champion Baylor 18-17 in 1981. Chris Ford of Cypress was Lamar’s leading receiver in 1989 – its final season before this year – with a school-record 73 catches for 918 yards and four touchdowns.
As they make their way to the athletic complex Oct. 2, the former players will have the opportunity to tour the campus and see its many enhancements They’ll also share in the energy and excitement of tailgating, which on the first home game Sept. 11 was taking place in most of the 1,300 reserved parking spaces. Activities will begin at 2 p.m. with the tour of the complex. The luncheon will begin at 3 p.m. in the Montagne Center, where they’ll hear from Woodard and enjoy camaraderie. At 4 p.m., they’ll join the “Be at the Bridge” processional, then gather at 5:15 outside the athletic complex as they prepare for the pre-game ceremony.
Several in the group contributed to the return of football. Bart Simmons of Dallas, with his wife, Martye, made a generous contribution earmarked for improvements to the practice field, now the Vernon Glass Field of Champions in honor of a coach who was an inspiration to Simmons when he was a player during the 1970s.“Bringing back football is a huge rallying point for the university and the entire Southeast Texas community,” said Simmons, now the owner of five prospering Dallas-area companies. “The way this whole thing has come together over the past couple of years is so impressive and so inspirational. It’s a great source of pride for ex-players and for ex-students.”
He added: “I thought the world of Coach Glass. Like Coach (John) Payton (who recruited Simmons), he was a standup person and truly a players’ coach. He truly related to the players, and he kept us all motivated.”
Simmons looks forward to seeing his former teammates, including Bobby Flores, who will travel from his home in Lawrenceville, Ga. Flores was Lamar’s starting quarterback in 1974 when the team posted an 8-2 record, and he led the team in passing in both 1973 and 1974.
Thanks to a gift from an anonymous donor, the Cardinals play on W.S. “Bud” Leonard Field. Leonard distinguished himself as a player, administrator and one of the university’s most ardent supporters. He and several of his teammates from the 1950s will attend the reunion, including Smitty Hill of Port Arthur and former roommate Gabby Bates of Jacksonville, the first person he met at Lamar. He has maintained close friendships with both.
“Football brings back more than football,” Leonard said. “It brings back the band, the cheerleaders and a renewed interest in the university.”
Many of those attending played professionally, and a number of them are enshrined in the Cardinal Hall of Honor. As players, and now as fans, they have claims to fame as well as Cardinal spirit.
Victor Enard of Orange became the first, and still only, Lamar offensive lineman to earn first-team All-Southland Conference recognition for three successive seasons. His dream was to play at Baylor, but he said, “My father told me it would be best to go to Lamar, which was offering me a full scholarship. It was the best advice I ever got. My Lamar experience turned out to be the best 4 ½ years of my life.” A chemical engineer for Total Petro in Port Neches, Enard served nine years on the West Orange-Cove school board, including three as president.
Although they never played on the same Lamar team, the Taylor brothers from West Orange helped give the Cardinals a strong defensive presence between 1970 and 1975. Bruce, a linebacker, now of Baytown, was voted Lamar’s most valuable player in 1971, and Paul, a tackle, now of Marshall, was a mainstay in the defensive line that helped the Cardinals carve a fine 8-2 record in 1974.
Andrie is the son of former Dallas Cowboy all-pro defensive end George Andrie and now a partner with his father in the consulting firm of George Andrie & Associates. “One of the greatest blessings and opportunities in my life was getting to go through four years of college as a scholarship kicker,” he said. “It was a great gig, and I wouldn’t have traded it for the world.”
When he kicked his record-setting field goal, Andrie said, he was oblivious to the distance – and the record. “As a kicker, you almost always know your distance, but for some reason, I did not look to see how far it was on that one. Not until I heard the public address announcer say that I had just set a school record did I realize I was 57 yards out. If I had known that, I may have juiced it and missed it. Thankfully, I didn’t.”
For Andrie, dropping football was like a bad dream. But, he said, “I never gave up hope. Right after Dr. (James) Simmons was named president (in 1999), I knew football would be back. He set the wheels in motion, and he and all of Lamar’s athletic administrators have not been going through the process halfway, in any form or fashion.
“They’re going about everything first class, and I firmly believe it’s going to succeed beyond expectations this time . . . We have everything it takes to be successful.”
Darren Smith of Lumberton believed he had unfinished business when Lamar discontinued football after his sophomore season in 1989; he ranked third on the team in tackles.
Smith eagerly anticipated football’s return. “I couldn’t wait to tailgate with former players,” he said. “It’s great to see those guys again. I’m just really glad Lamar students get to be involved in more athletic events and all of the groups and activities that go along with them. I think the whole environment is great for the university. “
He has fond memories – on and off the field. “Some of my favorite memories were the guys and the camaraderie you have with your fellow players,” said Smith, who now does information technology and process control work at South Hampton Resources in Silsbee. “I really enjoyed the road trips – and just a lot of the experiences that go along with playing and being a part of a college football team.”
James Bolton’s love for both sports and Lamar have him watching intently as the Cardinals return to the gridiron. “I think it’s the greatest thing that has happened since Lamar lost football,” said the 77-year-old Port Arthur retiree. “I think it’s going to make a huge difference in the school for the students and everyone.”
Bolton can relate to some of the challenges facing the 2010 Cardinals, recalling those he and his teammates faced in the early 1950s. Lamar had just moved up to four-year status in 1951, but the schedule was loaded with opponents that boasted experienced four-year programs. “We had a rough road, but we had a great time,” he said. “It was a great time to be at Lamar. I have very fond memories of it.”
When Bill Worsham of Port Arthur, played football for the Cardinals from 1961-65, it was just the beginning of his life-long run with sports. Worsham recently retired as director of athletics at Lamar State College-Port Arthur after a career as a teacher and coach in public schools and at LU.
One of Worsham’s favorite gridiron memories came during his freshman season when Lamar won the 1961 Tangerine Bowl in Orlando, Fla. He also was part of Lamar’s transition to the Southland Conference beginning in 1963. “We were previously in the Lone Star Conference, and that was very competitive with schools our size,” he said, pointing to rivalries with such schools as Sam Houston State and Stephen F. Austin. “Now that Lamar has taken the field again, those rivalries will be renewed,” Worsham said. “I think that’s fantastic. I think the return of football is great. The players just need to work hard, play fair and have fun.”
Port Neches product Mike Allman of New Braunfels was a member of LU’s first SLC championship team in 1964 and honored as a first-team All-SLC defensive back in 1965. In 1966, he signed a free-agent contract with the LA Rams and played two seasons with the team.
Matt Burnett, who spent 15 years as Port Neches-Groves’ head football coach, earned All-SLC recognition as a noseguard in 1977. Having been a Class 4A All-State defensive lineman who helped lead PN-G to a state semi-final berth, he had his choice of a college destination, but he decided to attend Lamar and live on campus.
“I had the most fun I’ve ever had in my life. ” Burnett said. “People who never lived the type of campus life I lived while I was a football player at Lamar don’t know how much fun it can be, but now we’re going to know. It’s not only good for the football players, but it’s good for all of the students. There’s a heavy influx of Southeast Texas players on this year’s team, and that’s good for both Lamar and the high schools in our area.”
At Lamar, Burnett said, “I lived for the competition but also got a degree out of it. It’s so great that Lamar is now giving the same type of opportunity to football players from high schools in our area.”
PN-G’s new school superintendent, Rodney Cavness of Beaumont, has been active in getting former lettermen re-involved with the football program in general and the university as a whole, and he’s excited about the program’s potential for success.
“Dr. Simmons has a proven track record as a leader,” he said. “From a facilities standpoint, to the hiring of Ray Woodard as head coach, to surrounding himself with a strong staff, to recruiting quality players, everything is being done first class.”
When Cavness transferred to Lamar for his junior season, he found himself in a perplexing situation, listed as No. 3 on a depth chart at quarterback to Shad Smith and John Evans. He threw only one pass during that 1987 season, and it was incomplete. He moved to strong safety the next year in addition to serving as the holder for extra points and field goals.
“I have the fondest memories of my days at Lamar,” he said. “Having guys like Burton Murchison and John Evans as teammates was a great experience.”
Trail-blazing guard Anthony Guillory sees the return of football as a challenge for those involved, and he’s eagerly watching the progress the Cardinals make over the next four or five seasons. “What I’m looking for is effort,” he said. “If everybody comes together and gives a good effort, everything else will fall into place eventually.”
Guillory acknowledges challenges he faced in breaking the color barrier. “It was tough, but we made it. Gradually, each year we would pick up another black player, and, when I left, there were four or five of us. On campus, it was slow, but people started accepting it. There were probably a couple of hundred blacks on campus, and I had a good feeling about it. We could sit down and talk, and we all had the same intentions – to show people that we’re not different from anyone else. I’m proud to be from Lamar.”
Also among Beaumont players planning to attend is Patrick Gibbs, an All-SLC defensive back and owner of G Team Real Estate. He credits his time on the gridiron at Lamar in helping him prepare for his current endeavors. “Had it not been for football, I probably would not have gotten a college education,” said Gibbs, who played at Lamar from 1968-71. “I think it gives a lot of children the opportunity to get their education, and you can get a lot from playing the game. There are lessons you can learn from football that will help you for many years to come. It was a real benefit to me.”
For Andrew Washington, head football coach at Beaumont Central, “Playing football was exciting. It gave us a real sense of camaraderie and taught a work ethic that can be carried throughout your life.
“It was heartbreaking when Lamar dropped football. To lose something you helped build just tears you apart. Football gave the campus life and gave the students somewhere positive to go on Saturday nights,” said Washington, who patrolled the secondary in the 1970s. “I was joyful when they brought it back. I had a good feeling when Dr. Simmons came in because he knew the importance of football to the life on campus.”
Among those at the reunion will be Paul Zeek, who spent more than 35 years serving Lamar in various capacities, including head athletic trainer, compliance director and senior associate athletics director. Now retired and living in Boerne, Zeek was a 1989 inductee into the National Athletics Trainers Association Hall of fame.
“It was a sad day in the history of Lamar when they had to give up football,” Zeek said. “I would not go back into that field house for a long time after that because I had so many fond memories, and I didn’t want to go back and see it all down the drain.”
Although it is more than 20 years in the making, Zeek is excited about the return of football. “It offers so much to the university and to the campus and the community. That’s part of campus life that’s been missing.”
Darrell Johnson will join his teammates in recalling memories as they travel through decades of Lamar football. Johnson was a sophomore when he played a monumental role in a breakthrough season that also christened a brand-new stadium. Early in the second quarter, much to the delight of the 13,352 fans, he scored the first touchdown in stadium history on a 30-yard run, propelling the Cardinals to a 21–0 victory over East Central Oklahoma.
“Big Tony (Guillory) threw the block that sprang me,” Johnson recalls. “He later played a few seasons for the Rams, so he was a good guy to be running behind. Once I skirted the right side, I had only one man to beat to get in the end zone. I side-stepped him and went in to score.”
On that day, Johnson said, “It was a very exciting experience to go down that hill from the field house for the first time and see the stadium pretty much packed. When the band cranked up the ‘Star-Spangled Banner,’ the chills were running up my spine.
“I’m so happy for this year’s coaches and players, and I’m happy for Lamar and the Southeast Texas community. College football belongs back in that part of the state,” Johnson said. “I can certainly relate to the young men on this year’s team. I can tell them from experience that being part of something special like this will remain special to them throughout their lives.”
“The return of football has over-energized people who were already energized,” Ritchel said. “The most important purpose of the reunion is to allow this group – which hasn’t had a home because there haven’t been football games – to come back and relive those college experiences. Hopefully, they will see friends and connect with people they haven’t seen in a long time and rebuild a sense of community.”
