George Westerfield (1965) - Southern Miss M-Club Hall of Fame

George Westerfield

Induction:
1965

It didn't matter to George Westerfield what his role was when he played end at Southern Miss from 1936 to 1938, just so long as he had a role and a way to make a contribution to the football team.
    And in fact he didn't make more than his share of contributions to the success of Southern Miss football during his three-year career.
    Westerfield, at 5-9, 145 pounds, had the speed and quickness to elude defenders that tried to cover him on pass plays, but also the power and strength to block with the best of them. On defense he was able to use that speed and quickness to cause all sorts of problems for the other team. He was also a key player on the special teams and best known for his ability to block punts.
    Westerfield from Leakesville, Mississippi, joined the Southern Miss football program in 1936 and it wasn't long before the "rookie" had made his way into the starting lineup. He started the year as a valuable reserve behind Benton Garrett and A.D. Bell but by late in the season he had fought his way into the starting lineup a few times.. Although Westerfield wouldn't be one of the favorite targets of quarterback Leo Purvis that season, he was instrumental as a blocker that helped Southern to a 7-2-1 record that year.
    Offensively the 1936 team didn't really start rolling to the end of the year, but the defense of which Westerfield was a big part of was strong all season long. Four times that year the defense kept the other team off the board and three other times held them to just a touchdown.
    In 1937 Westerfield again opened the year in a backup role, but by mid-season he was in the starting lineup for good. He became one of the favorite targets of quarterback Sporty Dabbs and in Coach Reed Green's first year as coach helped lead the team to a 7-3 record. Westerfield played a key role both catching the ball and blocking on a Southern offense that twice scored over 50 points that year, and on a defense that shutout seven opponents.
    Westerfield would save his best for the 1938 season when he helped led the team to a 7-2 record. With him proving to be the team's most consistent pass receiver on offense and pass rusher on defense, he would go on to earn Little All-American honors that year. and was a second team All-Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association selection.
    That 1938 team would allow only 26 points all year on defense and score over 30 points four times on offense on the way to the successful season.
    He was also a three-year standout on the Southern Miss basketball team and known for his jumping ability and because of that was one of the team's leading rebounders.
    Westerfield went on to serve as the head coach at Mississippi Gulf Coast Junior College in 1942 and won the state junior college championship and was the athletic director and assistant coach there on the state championship team in 1948 that was also ranked No. 1 in the nation.
            He also played basketball from 1936 to 1939.