Oba Ladnier (1971) - Southern Miss M-Club Hall of Fame

Oba Ladnier

Induction:
1971

As an outstanding lineman for Southern Mississippi in the 1930s, Oba Ladnier helped to set the standards that the linemen of today still try to live up to. Playing in the trenches as Ladnier did throughout his career was one of the toughest things to do in that era.
   But a challenge is something that Ladnier never walked away from in his life. When someone told him that something was impossible, Ladnier looked for ways to prove them wrong. So when someone told him along the way he couldn't be successful as a lineman in college football, he couldn't wait to prove them wrong.
   If his college career was any indication then that is exactly what Ladnier did, because even today he is still considered to be one of the school's premier lineman.
   Ladnier was a versatile player up front for Southern Miss. Of course in those days you had to play both offense and defense, but he also proved valuable by the fact that he could play virtually every position in the line.
   On offense he was second to none when it came to blocking and opening up holes for the running backs and he was just as good at pass blocking and allowing the quarterback time to pass.
   On defense he had the speed, quickness and strength to wreck havoc throughout an opponent's offense and although defense statistics weren't kept in those days, it seems reasonable to assume that Ladnier would have been one of the leading tacklers on the team.
   Ladnier made his debut under Coach Pooley Hubert during the 1934 season and although the team would only finish with a 3-4-1 record that year, he was one of the bright spots. Although the offense that year wasn't quite as effective as Hubert would have hoped that it would be, the running attack found a great deal of success when they ran to his side, until opponents figured it out, and Ladnier started to be double teamed on a consistent basis.
   Defensively during that 1934 season at times Ladnier and company were superb. They allowed only 13 points or more on just two occasions and also had a shutout that year and held one opponent to just a safety.
   The 1935 team improved to a 6-4 record, but once again the line play of Ladnier was one of the highlights of the year. The team won four of its first five games that season, but some key injuries down the stretch limited what they could do.
   On offense the team struggled again except when they were able to run behind Ladnier and even though the defense had three shutouts that year, they didn't have the depth they needed to be successful.
   Following his graduation from Southern Miss, Ladnier was a teacher and a coach, a member of the Mississippi House of Representatives and a school administrator.
   A linemen who was ready to accept the challenge and who proved that he believed in himself and because of that earned a spot in the Southern Miss Sports Hall of Fame.