Shelton Gandy (2004) - Southern Miss M-Club Hall of Fame

Shelton Gandy

Induction:
2004

To play the game of football, one must have a big heart. Those of you that are here tonight that played throughout the magnificent history of this school can bear witness to that. You can have all the tools and skills that you need, the speed, the quickness, the agility and strength to be a success, but if you don’t have the heart, you will never get the job done.

Tonight I am here to present to you, Shelton Gandy who had all of those skills and then some, but what set him a part from all others was his heart. His heart loved football and the game loved him back. When people said maybe he was to small or not strong enough or not fast enough, he took it to be a challenge. A challenge to prove them wrong. And what they would discover was a player whose heart was so big, it allowed him to accomplish things that few thought he could do.

When Shelton Gandy was first recruited by Coach Jim Carmody and his staff and signed in 1984, I think they if they knew the all-state running back from Waynesboro High School, who rushed for over 4,000 in his final two years, had what it took to be a Golden Eagle. You could see it in his eyes they say and they never doubted for a moment he would be a star.

Gandy made his debut at Southern Miss in 1985 and the young red-shirt freshman, played behind the veteran tailback Vincent Alexander but quietly began to draw attention to him self by rushing for nearly 400 yards and scoring three touchdowns. He rushed for over 100 yards for the first time in his career with 104 yards against Tulane But yardage aside the then 20-year old running back, showed the coaches he wasn’t afraid to block when called upon, run over a defender and do what ever it took to earn playing time.

The following year in 1986 he began sharing time at tailback with Alexander he carried the ball 78 times for 419 yards and 10 touchdowns. His role in the Golden Eagle offense had become much bigger and the team’s reliance on him became even greater. . It was during the 1986 season that he scored the winning touchdown in a 28-24 win over Mississippi State in Jackson, culminating “The Drive”, the 98-yard drive by the Golden Eagle offense in the game’s final minutes. He rushed for 115 yards that day on just 15 carries. He also rushed for 125 yards in the snow against Colorado State that season.

Gandy became the workhorse of the Golden Eagle offense in 1987, when rushed for 1,025 yards on 225 carries and scored six times. Eight times in his career he would rush for over 100-yards in a game. Quietly he was establishing himself as one of the most talented running backs in school history. He rushed for 180 yards that year against Memphis State, 171 yards against Louisville, 167 yards against Tulane, 113 yards against Mississippi State

He finished his career in 1988 rushing 170 times for 657 yards and seven touchdowns and helping lead the Golden Eagles to the Independence Bowl. During the 1988 season he rushed for a career high 188 yards against East Carolina, and 110-yards against Louisville

Gandy would finish his Southern Miss career rushing for 2,504 yards and 26 rushing touchdowns securing his spot among the most productive running backs in Southern Miss history.

Following his playing career he served as a student assistant coach 1989 and 1990, then spent a season as backs and receivers coach at Miles College, two years as a graduate assistant at Southern Miss, two stints at East Mississippi Community College and a stint back at Southern Miss as running backs coach.. And as a coach, like as a player, he did it with a lot of heart.

Tonight we induct Shelton Gandy alongside other talented Hall of Fame running backs like Ben Garry, Sammy Winder, Bucky McElroy, Hugh Lauren Pepper and Bubba Phillips. Some with more yards, but none with more heart.

Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen, I present to you for induction into the M-Club Alumni Association Sports Hall of Fame, running back Shelton Gandy.