Hugh Pepper (1966) - Southern Miss M-Club Hall of Fame

Hugh Pepper

Induction:
1966

    Hugh Laurin Pepper established himself as one of the school’s greatest running backs while playing for Coach Thad (Pie) Vann during the 1952 and 1953 football seasons.
    In 1952 Pepper had one of the best years ever by a Southern Miss running back. In 11 regular season games that year he rushed 144 times for 1,191 yards and 10 touchdowns, to lead the team in all three categories. His 8.2 yards per carry average that season is still the best in school history.
    The versatile back also caught three passes that year for 61 yards (20.3 yard average) for two touchdowns, returned three kickoffs for 198 yards (66.0 yards per return) and two touchdowns and led the team in scoring with 14 touchdowns for 84 points.
    His 84-yard touchdown run in a 52-0 win over Louisiana Tech in 1952 is still the third longest run in school history and his 80-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in a 27-20 win over Memphis is also one of the school’s longest.
    That 1952 team was also the highest scoring team Southern Miss has ever had, scoring 402 points during the regular season for an average of 40.2 points and it also rushed for more yards than any other in school history (3,651) and recorded more total offense (4,575) than any other Southern Miss team.
    Pepper again led the team in rushing during the 1953 season rushing for 677 yards on 83 carries (8.29 ypc) and again scored 10 touchdowns on the ground. He caught four passes for 96 yards (24.0 ypc), returned three kickoffs for 61 yards (20.3 average), had 10 punt returns for a 15.8 yard average and intercepted two passes, while leading the team in scoring again with 72 points.
    Pepper is currently the 12th all-time leading rusher in Southern Miss history with 1,868 yards and his rushing average of 8.2 yards is the school’s best. Only eight players have ever rushed for more touchdowns in their careers than his 20. He returned six kickoffs in his career for an incredible 43.2 average and two touchdowns.
    Eight times in his 20 game career he rushed for 100 yards or more in a game, including a career high 158 yards on October 3, 1953 against Tampa. His other 100 yard rushing games were: 150 vs. Tampa, 10/04/52; 137 vs. Tennessee-Chattanooga, 10/25/52; 136 vs. Memphis, 9/27/52; 135 vs. Louisiana Tech, 11/15/52; 117 vs. Stetson, 11/27/52; 115 vs. Southwestern Louisiana, 10/11/52; and 111 vs. Tennessee-Chattanooga, 11/26/53. Only three players have ever had more one hundred yard rushing games.
    Pepper was also a letterman in baseball in 1953 and 1954 and pitched the school’s first ever no-hitter on March 25, 1954 against Northern Illinois. His pitching record during his two-year career was 16-1, including a perfect 10-0 record in 1954, which was every game the team won that season.
    He later went on to play professional baseball with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
    Pepper was inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in 1977.