L.E. Gafford (1975) - Southern Miss M-Club Hall of Fame

L.E. Gafford

Induction:
1975

As the Southern Miss football was just starting to get up to speed in the early 1920s there were several players who can be considered pioneers, players that helped establish the program and give it a solid foundation.
   One of those players was L.E. Gafford, a two way guard that played from 1920 to 1923. During his four seasons Gafford not only established himself as one of the school’s best players, but one of its most skillful lineman.
   Gafford was also one of the toughest players, a player that enjoyed the battles in the trenches and never shied away from a match up against a player that might be bigger or maybe even more talented.
   Although linemen never got a lot of attention or publicity that never seemed to bother Gafford, who was happy just to have had a chance to play and focused more on team accomplishments than individual ones.
   Few players in the history of Southern Miss football have been able to be a starter for four consecutive seasons, but Gafford accomplishment that feat, playing in one of the toughest spot, the line.
   What made Gafford so good? Those that remembered watching him play will tell you he had that fire in his eye, it was a commitment on his part to do whatever he could to help the team be successful.
   The 1920 team with Gafford in the starting lineup would finish the year with a 5-2-1 record. It was an explosive offensive football team that year that scored 64, 40 and 32 points in three games that year. On the defensive side they had four shutouts, held an opponent to just a safety and another opponent to just a touchdown.
   Coach B.B. O’Mara had coached the team in 1920, but O.V. Austin took over in 1921 and although he made several changes that year, Gafford remained solidly entrenched in the starting lineup.
   The 1921 team would finish the year with a 3-4 record and set a school record when they scored a 113-0 win over Smith County High School.
   In 1922, Gafford’s third straight as a starter in the line, Austin’s team would go only 2-6. Although it wasn’t the type of season Southern Miss fans had hoped for, they couldn’t be disappointed in the play of Gafford that season. He was one of the bright spots and although the team sputtered that year, Gafford was impressive despite the fact he drew double times most of the season.
   In 1923 the team would go 3-3 in the final year that Austin would serve as head coach. Gafford would go out in a fury that year, having probably his best season. He continued to do it on both sides of the ball, and without his solid play on the line, it might have been a long season.
   Gafford was a pioneer in Southern Miss football and earned his spot in the Sports Hall of Fame through hard work, a dedication to purpose and his school.
   Gafford played basketball from 1920 to 1922 and baseball in 1922 and 1923.