G.F. "Sporty" Dabbs, Jr. (1966) - Southern Miss M-Club Hall of Fame

G.F. "Sporty" Dabbs, Jr.

Induction:
1966

G.S. (Sporty) Dabbs was an outstanding quarterback, fullback and blocking back at Southern Miss during the 1937-38 seasons and during the course of his brilliant career etched his name into the school's history books.
      Dabbs was an elusive player who excelled in many different ways. As a runner he had few peers, as a blocker he was as good and as tough as anyone and when necessary he was a talented kicker and defender.
      One of the things that people will tell you about Dabbs would be what a leader he was. It is important on any football team to have that one player, who is not afraid to stand up in a tough situation and say what needs to be said. Who with one single word or a single action can rally the troops and help them reach there goals.
      Dabbs had the ability as the leader of those Southern Miss teams to do exactly that. On and off the field he was the player his teammates looked to when things looked their bleakest.
      The 1937 season would see Dabbs playing a variety of positions, he was kind of the go to guy, whenever Green needed someone for a special assignment. At times he might be seen playing three different positions in the same game.
      Green was in his first season as head coach when the 1937 season began and with the stellar play of Dabbs in the backfield the team would finish with a 7-3 record. With Dabbs running the show the team had several outstanding games offensively, including a pair of games where they scored over 50 points, 58-0 over Alabama State Teachers and a 53-0 win over Troy State.
      On defense where Dabbs saw plenty of playing time as a linebacker and defensive back, the team shut out six of the first seven teams that they played and allowed only 24 points all season
      By 1938 Dabbs had established himself as one of the school's best players and he led the team to a 7-2 mark that year. The 1938 team quarterbacked by Dabbs was explosive as they scored over 30 points twice that year and over 40 points two other times.
      The Dabbs led defense was superb that year with six shutouts and allowing only 26 points.
      In his two years of playing football at Southern Miss, Dabbs played on teams that had a 14-5 record and allowed only 50 points in those 19 games.
      Dabbs was one of the most popular players in that era to play for Southern Miss and even away from the football field he was popular with all his fellow classmates and was even elected student body president.
            With a big heart and a desire to win, Dabbs was the true leader of the team those two seasons. He had a lot of help and couldn't have accomplished the things that he did without the help of his teammates. But ask those men that played with him and they will tell you there is no one they would rather take the field with than him.