Fred Smallwood (1989) - Southern Miss M-Club Hall of Fame

Fred Smallwood

Induction:
1989

Fred Smallwood was as tough and hard-hitting running back that played for the great Southern Miss teams of 1953-55. He was known as a determined runner, one that hit the line in a savage manner and picked up needed yardage for his team.
   He was considered to be an overachiever by the people who watched him play and as a player who always did something better than he is supposed to be capable of doing.
   Smallwood wasn’t big and wasn’t endowed with a lot of great natural ability, but he had a knack of getting the job done just about every time. He also achieved a lot everywhere— in the classrooms and around the campus. He was a winner and a leader who earned his spot among the greats at Southern Miss.
   As a freshman in 1952 Smallwood saw very little action. In fact he would carry the ball only one time on a 10-2 team that featured runners like Bucky McElroy, Hugh Laurin Pepper, Tony Rouchon and Bobby Posey.
   But as a sophomore in 1953 he started to move into his own. He carried the ball 48 times that year for 278 yards (5.8 average) and scored two touchdowns. He also caught a pass for 10 yards, returned a kickoff for 16 yards and punted five times for a 39.4-yard average. That Southern Miss team would roar to a 9-2 record and advance for a second straight year to the Sun Bowl. One of the highlights of that 1953 season was a 25-19 win over Alabama, a game in which he subbed for the injured McElroy and scored a pair of touchdowns.
   Smallwood led the team in rushing in 1954 carrying 88 times for 579 yards and six touchdowns. He also was the fourth leading receiver on the team with eight catches for 98 yards (12.3 average) and two touchdowns. The versatile Smallwood also returned a kickoff for six yards, a punt for 12 yards and punted twice for a 37.0-yard average. The 1954 team finished 6-4, but defeated Alabama for a second straight year, this time by a score of 7-2. His eight touchdowns in 1954 led the team in scoring.
   As a senior in 1955 Smallwood, now playing halfback would rank second on the team in rushing with 56 carries for 297 yards (5.3 yard average) and two touchdowns. He would once again be utilized in many different ways, catching four passes for 42 yards, punting twice for a 26.5 yard average, returning five kickoffs for a 29.0 yard average and even kicking an extra point.
   That 1955 team went 9-1 giving Smallwood a record of 34-9 during his four seasons with the Golden Eagles.
   Smallwood was elected Mr. Mississippi Southern College in 1956 and in his senior year he was also named president of the campus M-Club and elected permanent co-captain of the football team.
   His career rushing average of 6.0 is still one of the school’s best ever among backs rushing at least 100 times in their careers