Al Tregle (1976) - Southern Miss M-Club Hall of Fame

Al Tregle

Induction:
1976

When Al Tregle played football for the University of Southern Mississippi from 1954 to 1956 he was referred to as a “good little man”. Some players might take offense at being tagged with that title, but not Tregle.
               In fact Tregle sort of wore that title as a badge of courage. At 6-0, 195 his senior season he might not have been as big and strong as some of the players he played with and against, but no one could have ever questioned the heart and desire that he showed during his marvelous career.
   He was a quiet unassuming man, who let his football skills do the talking for him, and his style of play during his career certainly spoke volumes.
   Tregle had played fullback during his high school days in Metairie, Louisiana, where he had also been a standout in track, baseball and basketball.
   He had gone first to Tulane, where he played as a lineman as a freshman. But he got married and then moved to Southern. After sitting out as a red-shirt in 1953, Tregle emerged as an outstanding player as the 1954 season dawned. Although Southern was solid at guard with veterans L.T. Herrmann and Hamp Cook manning those positions, he still pushed for and received a great deal of playing time during that season. He even earned several starts that year until an injury limited him for several games . That 1954 team would finish the year 6-4 and recorded one of the biggest wins in school history, with a 7-2 win over Alabama to open the year.
   Tregle remained an alternate starter during the 1955 season and played a large role on the Southern team that posted a 9-1 record that season, losing only a 10-0 heartbreaker to Tennessee-Chattanooga in the third game of the season. That 1955 defense held its opponents to only 122.0 yards a game and 4.9 points per contest. Only five teams even scored on them that season. Offensively they averaged 27.7 points and 363.1 yards and with Tregle blocking up front, averaged 252.8 yards rushing a game.
   Tregle was one of the leaders of the 1956 Southern Miss team that recorded a 7-2-1 record and advanced to the Tangerine Bowl where they met West Texas State. Tregle was one of the offensive keys that year from his guard position, as the squad averaged 349.8 yards a game and 202.3 on the ground, while the Tregle and the defense allowed only 193.9 yards a game and 7.2 points. Tregle also made a tackle in the end zone that year for a safety, one of two the Southern defense had that year.
   In all the three teams that Tregle played on at Southern Miss had a record of 22-7-1 and few people that were around at the time would deny the fact that he was one of the most valuable players over those three years.
   As a person Tregle may have been a quiet unassuming type person that people enjoyed being with his wife and family than being out and in the middle of all the attention. But once he stepped on the football field Tregle left little doubt that he had a burning desire to be one of the best. And without a doubt he was one of Southern’s greatest.