Southern Miss M-Club Hall of Fame
Poochie Stringfellow
- Induction:
- 1985
Julius (Poochie) Stringfellow was one of the school’s truly great middle guards on some of the best Southern Miss defenses in history from 1964 through 1966.
One of the best testimonials to the abilities of Poochie Stringfellow came as the result of a bit of kidding about his nickname. In 1964, Southern Miss played and beat Memphis twice. The first game was in old Crump Stadium in Memphis and the second was played in Memorial Stadium in Jackson. Longtime Southern Miss sports information director Ace Cleveland did some favors for Memphis SID George Wine at the game in Memphis and called on George to do the same in Jackson. Wine was to handle the inside press box public address comments and he asked for the correct pronunciations of our guys’ names. He kind of snickered at the name Poochie and was told to call him Julius if he preferred.
When the game was over and Stringfellow had made something like 10 or 12 solo tackles and eight or nine assists, Wine walked over to Cleveland and said he had the name exactly right now...it was Mister Stringfellow.
Stringfellow came to Southern Miss out of Lucedale, Mississippi and George County High School, but after spending a year on the freshman team, it was obvious that he had the abilities to be one of the school’s best at the middle guard spot.
He was only about 5-9 and weighed about 200 pounds, but he played with a great deal of heart and courage. He also loved to hit and if you would ask anyone whoever tried to run over him they would tell you just how much he loved to hit and how hard that he would do it.
As a valuable reserve on the 1964 team Stringfellow made big contributions. The team was 6-3 that season and ranked 20th in the country against the run, allowing only 107.2 yards a game.
But by the 1965 season he was a fixture on the Golden Eagle defensive front and beginning his drive towards the Southern Miss Hall of Fame. That 1965 defense with Stringfellow one of the leaders lead the nation that year in total defense, allowing only 161.8 yards per game and also ranked No. 2 in the country in scoring defense, giving up 14.1 points per contest. It also ranked No. 3 in rushing defense (75.4) and No. 9 in passing defense (86.3). They finished 7-2 that year, shutout four opponents and of the 60 points they gave up that year, 43 came in just two games.
The Stringfellow led Southern defense was the NCAA leader again in total defense in 1966 giving up only 163.7 yards a game. They allowed few points per game in 1966 (10.3) but ranked only 16th, but ranked No. 4 in rushing defense (60.1) and No. 16 in passing defense (103.7). That team finished 6-4 and only one opponent (Alabama) scored more than 14 points against them.
He is remembered as one of the most fierce competitors in Southern Miss football history, whose heart and pride carried him into the Hall of Fame.
One of the best testimonials to the abilities of Poochie Stringfellow came as the result of a bit of kidding about his nickname. In 1964, Southern Miss played and beat Memphis twice. The first game was in old Crump Stadium in Memphis and the second was played in Memorial Stadium in Jackson. Longtime Southern Miss sports information director Ace Cleveland did some favors for Memphis SID George Wine at the game in Memphis and called on George to do the same in Jackson. Wine was to handle the inside press box public address comments and he asked for the correct pronunciations of our guys’ names. He kind of snickered at the name Poochie and was told to call him Julius if he preferred.
When the game was over and Stringfellow had made something like 10 or 12 solo tackles and eight or nine assists, Wine walked over to Cleveland and said he had the name exactly right now...it was Mister Stringfellow.
Stringfellow came to Southern Miss out of Lucedale, Mississippi and George County High School, but after spending a year on the freshman team, it was obvious that he had the abilities to be one of the school’s best at the middle guard spot.
He was only about 5-9 and weighed about 200 pounds, but he played with a great deal of heart and courage. He also loved to hit and if you would ask anyone whoever tried to run over him they would tell you just how much he loved to hit and how hard that he would do it.
As a valuable reserve on the 1964 team Stringfellow made big contributions. The team was 6-3 that season and ranked 20th in the country against the run, allowing only 107.2 yards a game.
But by the 1965 season he was a fixture on the Golden Eagle defensive front and beginning his drive towards the Southern Miss Hall of Fame. That 1965 defense with Stringfellow one of the leaders lead the nation that year in total defense, allowing only 161.8 yards per game and also ranked No. 2 in the country in scoring defense, giving up 14.1 points per contest. It also ranked No. 3 in rushing defense (75.4) and No. 9 in passing defense (86.3). They finished 7-2 that year, shutout four opponents and of the 60 points they gave up that year, 43 came in just two games.
The Stringfellow led Southern defense was the NCAA leader again in total defense in 1966 giving up only 163.7 yards a game. They allowed few points per game in 1966 (10.3) but ranked only 16th, but ranked No. 4 in rushing defense (60.1) and No. 16 in passing defense (103.7). That team finished 6-4 and only one opponent (Alabama) scored more than 14 points against them.
He is remembered as one of the most fierce competitors in Southern Miss football history, whose heart and pride carried him into the Hall of Fame.
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