Joe Latham (1965) - Southern Miss M-Club Hall of Fame

Joe Latham

Induction:
1965

Joe Latham is remembered as one of the best fullbacks to have ever played for Southern Mississippi's Golden Eagles. Although not the big bruising prototype fullback that we are familiar with today, he nevertheless was as hard a hitting, bruising player at that position that the school has ever seen.
        During the 1941 season, just a few months before he and his teammates would march off to war, and then again after the war when the school was trying to reestablish its football program, Latham was one of the keys to the team's success.
        As a leader both on and off the field Latham was one of the players that Coach Reed Green called on. If the team needed a tough yard, more than likely it was Latham that would get the call. If it was a key block that was needed, they again would call on Latham.
        Although not a shy player, Latham was the type that would much rather let his playing on the football field do his talking for him. Not brash, not flashy, but extremely confident, Latham believed in himself and in his team.
        Latham would be a part of the 1941 team that was the school's most successful up to that point, and arguably one of the best teams in school history. With Latham handling his share of the blocking and ball carrying, the 1941 team opened the year with a 70-0 win over Georgia State. That was just a small preview of the kind of team Southern would have that year.
        The 1941 team would go on to capture the first seven games that they would play that year, never allowing an opponent more than seven points. But that streak would end with a 0-0 tie with Southwestern Louisiana. The team would go on to win the final two games of the year and post a record of 9-0-1.
        With the outbreak of World War II, many of the school's best athletes, including Latham entered the service, and left the University.
        But after the war Southern began to put the old crew back together. Both head coach Reed Green and assistant Thad (Pie) Vann returned to their old positions, but despite the fact that many of Southern's players did not return, there was enough of a nucleus to produce another good team in 1946.
        With Latham again serving as on of the top rushers and blockers and lending his expertise to the defensive side as well, the team opened the '46 season with a 7-0 win over Louisiana Tech. Then after losing a heartbreaking 13-12 decision to Auburn, they reeled off four straight wins on their way to a 7-3 record. The defense of which Latham was a big part of had six shutouts that year, while the running attack paced by Latham helped the offense score 65 points in two games and 55 in another.
               At a time of change in the Southern Miss football program, Latham was there to help solidify things. Few men have played and run with the fearlessness and recklessness of Latham and few have ingrained themselves into the memories and traditions of Southern Miss football any more than he did.