Leo Purvis (1971) - Southern Miss M-Club Hall of Fame

Leo Purvis

Induction:
1971

   Down through the years Southern Miss has had more than its share of wonderful running backs. Players who through their great skills and talents set themselves a part from everybody else. Leo Purvis was that type of player during the 1935 and 1936 seasons at the school, but he was that type of player on both sides of the ball.
   The key to being a great halfback has a lot to do with confidence. Even though sometimes you are going up against guys that are bigger than you, you have to believe that you have the tools and the smarts to beat them every time you have the ball. Purvis had that confidence, plus the ability to bounce right up, like nothing was wrong, on those rare occasions when he took a pretty good shot from a defender
   Purvis was a leader on those Southern Miss teams of 1935 and 1936, a player who had the admiration and respect of both his fellow teammates and the coaches. They counted on Purvis to deliver the big play whenever he was carrying or catching the ball.
   Likewise on defense, he was the go to guy. The player the team knew would come up with the big play, just when it looked like the opposition was threatening. Whether it was an interception or just a key tackle, Purvis just seemed to have a knack for being in the right place at the right time.
   When Purvis made his debut during the 1935 season, he quickly impressed Coach Pooley Hubert, with his running skills, and although the team had several more experienced players, it didn't take him long to start giving Purvis some playing time.
   That 1935 team opened the year winning four of its first five games and would go on to produce a 6-4 record that season. Purvis was an intregal part of the Southern Miss offense that year, but he also played on a defense that was really solid.
   The defense that Purvis was a part of allowed only 112 points in 1935 (11.2 per game), but the majority of those points came against two opponents that each scored 27 against them. So in the other eight games the defense allowed only 58 points. Three times that year the Purvis led defense recorded shutouts and two other times the opposition managed only a single touchdown.
   In 1936 Purvis helped lead the team to one of its best seasons up to that point as they recorded a 7-2-1 mark. After a slow start in which they were 1-1-1, they reeled off victories in six of the last seven games. The offense, with Purvis getting lots of chances to carry the ball, got stronger as the season went along, while the defense was even stronger than the year before, allowing just 54 points (5.4 average).
   Purvis was a bright spot on that 1936 team for Coach Hubert, which would turn out to be his final season as head coach at Southern Miss.
   As an offensive and defensive halfback, Purvis excelled during his two seasons with Southern Miss. His solid running and stingy defense would help set the standards for the successful teams of the next few years and his confidence and work ethic would also inspire numerous players that would follow him.
   Purvis also played basketball during the 1936-37