Maxie Lambright (1974) - Southern Miss M-Club Hall of Fame

Maxie Lambright

Induction:
1974

   Maxie Lambright was a talented quarterback for Southern Miss in the early years of the post World War II era and his knowledge and instincts would later serve him well in a successful career as an assistant coach and later as a head coach on the college level.
   Lambright was a very intelligent football player and was truly a "coach" on the field for Coach Reed Green during the 1946, 1947 and 1948 seasons. With Lambright at the controls Green knew he had a player that was outstanding at reading the defenses and knowing what play to call.
   As a defensive back Lambright displayed the same skills he showed at quarterback, and while playing in the secondary made numerous contributions to the Southern Miss defense.
   In 1946, Southern Miss was trying to restart its football program after World War II, and Lambright would be one of the important cogs in the rebuilding program. While seeing time at quarterback and defensive back that season he helped the team to a 7-3 record. The team won five of its first six games that year, losing only a heartbreaking 13-12 decision to Auburn in Montgomery, Alabama.
   Three times that year Lambright and his teammates rolled up over 50 points, a pair of 65-0 wins over Jacksonville State and Louisiana College and a 55-0 win over the University of Havana in Cuba in the Cigar Bowl.
   The 1947 team would post a second straight 7-3 record, but with Vernon (Zipper) Wells and John LeGros handling the duties at quarterback, lambright didn't see much action. Still when he did get a chance to play the offense still continued to perform well. Defensively they recorded three shutouts that year and allowed only four opponents to score more than a touchdown against them. Among the big wins that year was a 19-13 victory over Auburn.
   The 1948 squad would have a third straight 7-3 mark in a season that would include a 55-20 win over Oklahoma City, a 41-0 win over Stephen F. Austin and a 47-8 victory over Union.
   Lambright would see the most playing time of his career and turn in a dazzling performance that included three interceptions as a defensive back and 204 yards passing from his quarterback position.
   Following his career at Southern Miss, Lambright coached on the high school level and then served as an assistant coach at his alma mater from 1959 to 1966, coaching the backfield.
   He eventually became the head coach at Louisiana Tech, where he became one of the most successful coaches in school history. He produced numerous players that went on to play professional football, including Terry Bradshaw, who went on to play for the Pittsburgh Steelers and lead that team to Super Bowl championships.