University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Ben Garry, Former Standout Southern Miss Running Back, Dies
6/27/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
June 27, 2006
Hattiesburg, Miss. - Ben Earl "Go-Go" Garry, the most prolific running back in the history of University of Southern Mississippi football, died Saturday, June 24. He was 50.
Services will be held at noon Saturday, July 1 at Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church in Moss Point, with burial at Scranton Cemetery. Visitation will be held at the church from 10 a.m. until noon.
A native of Hazlehurst, Garry played football at Pascagoula High School before coming to Southern Miss, where he rushed for more than 100 yards a game 17 times during his collegiate career with the Golden Eagles from 1975 to 1977, including a 216-yard performance against Louisiana Tech in 1976. He finished his career at Southern Miss with 3,595 yards rushing, the most by any Golden Eagle running back.
In his last football campaign with the Golden Eagles in 1977, Garry helped lead the school to upset victories over Auburn, Ole Miss and Mississippi State. At the end of that season he was named Honorable Mention All-American and was a First Team All-South Independent selection; was selected to play in the Senior Bowl; and was drafted by the National Football Leagues' Baltimore Colts.
Garry was retired from International Paper of Moss Point. He was inducted into Southern Miss' M-Club Sports Hall of Fame in 1998.
"He always said one of the greatest things he did was play football for USM," said his daughter, Angela Magee of Moss Point. "He would always share his football stories with the family. He loved it at USM, and that's why I went to school there, because my dad went to school there. He will be missed."
Garry's coach at Southern Miss, Bobby Collins, said he was saddened to learn of his former player's death. "He was one of my all-time favorites," said Collins, who was head coach of the Golden Eagles from 1975 to 1981. "You could all ways depend on him - he worked really hard and was a real team player. My thoughts and prayers are with his family."
Collins said one of his most memorable games as a head coach included Southern Miss' 1977 victory at Ole Miss, when he said Garry was instrumental in the Golden Eagles' come-from-behind victory against the Rebels. Down 19-0 and playing during what Collins described as "unreal weather," Garry keyed the rally with two touchdown runs to help secure a 27-19 win for his team.
"He had a tremendous ballgame for us that day, in weather conditions that were tough," Collins said.
Southern Miss head football coach Jeff Bower, who played alongside Garry in the 1975 season, said his late teammate was "a heck of a player." "He was very talented, no ego - I don't think he realized how good he was," Bower said. "He was just a great guy, everybody liked him. I never saw him mad. He was always fun to be around."
Garry is also survived by a son, Ben Earl Garry Jr. of Houston, Texas; two sisters, Willie Ann (Johnny) Terrell of Moss Point and Jackie (Joe) Davison of Pascagoula; three brothers, Steve Garry of Pascagoula, Michael Garry of Phoenix and Lonnie Garry of Anniston, Ala.; and a host of aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins.
