M.G. Clements, Jr. (1973) - Southern Miss M-Club Hall of Fame

M.G. Clements, Jr.

Induction:
1973

As the country and Southern Miss awaited the approach of World War II, there were several teams and several players who earned their spots in the football history of the school. One of those players was two-way guard M.G. (Foots) Clements, whose solid line play was responsible for some outstanding wins by the team.
The teams that Clements played on in 1940 and 1941 possessed some of the finest backs that the school has ever seen and with the blocking of Hall of Famers like Clements and others Southern Miss owned a devastating running attack that led them to 16 victories in 21 games over those two seasons.
Clements was a talented player for several different reasons. He possessed a competitive spirit that didn’t allow him to back down from any confrontation. He enjoyed the combat in the trenches and the tougher the matchup the better for Clements. Many times in his career he would matchup against players that were big and stronger and supposedly more talented, but more times than not Clements would win those battles.
Another of his greatest assets was his speed and quickness. He especially was able to use this on the defensive side of the ball. His cat quick reflexes enabled him to shed a blocker and be into the backfield long before a play developed. Had statistics been kept like they are today, Clements would have most certainly been one of the leaders in tackles for losses and quarterback sacks.
Like a lot of the Southern Miss Hall of Famers and in particular the linemen, Clements had a love for the game. That’s one of the reason he was so successful and the teams he played on were so successful. Whether it was practice or a game, whether it was the last play of a game or the first, Clements was the type of player that would give you the same effort.
   The 1940 team with Coach Reed Green in charge and Clements playing in the line, would go on to finish 7-4 that year. The four losses that year were by a total of 19 points. The offense that season was one of the most productive in recent years for Southern Miss and the season included a 38-6 win over Spring Hill College and a 41-0 win over Delta State.
   On defense with Clements helping to anchor the line, the team had two shutouts and allowed four other teams just a single touchdown.
   The 1941 team had a magical year, finishing 9-0-1. The only blemish on an otherwise perfect season was a 0-0 tie with Southwestern Louisiana in the eighth game of the season.
   That 1941 team with Clements as one of its stars opened the year with a 70-0 win over Georgia State and five other times that year scored over 20 points.
   On defense Clements and his teammates had four shutouts and allowed only 40 points, with no opponent scoring more than a touchdown on them in a game.
   Another unsung hero in Southern Miss football history, who earned his way into the Sports Hall of Fame is Clements.