The death last week of retired Clemson University
* ¥f@otball coach and athletic director Frank Howard took
from us one of the true legends of the game.
-1*Howard, who was 86, spent more than three-quar-
«térs of his life at Clemson as a coach, athletic director
and citizen. Most people and coaches today jump from -
*j6b to job. The commitment and loyalty of people
‘like Coach Howard is rare indeed.
Howard was an outstanding football coach and had
a record to prove it, but he also could have made a
-biindle of money as a comedian. Throughout his
_e¢oaching career, and for many years thereafter until his
health began to fail him, he was a much sought-after
dinner speaker all across the United States.
As a young sportswriter in the 1960s I had the privi-
lege of covering many Clemson games, and also to
‘hear Coach Howard from time to time at sports ban-
quets. He was always friendly toward everyone.
s,nHoward's daughter and son-in-law lived in Kings
Mountain, and later in Gastonia, about that time and
because of that connection he was very popular and
‘had many occasions to come into this area. Maybe
that's why it gave him such a thrill to "clean out
sFobacco Road," as he called it when his team swept
Wake Forest, North Carolina, Duke and N.C. State.
1,nCovering a Clemson football game, or hearing
Howard speak at a banquet or on his weekly TV show,
was always a thrill. You knew you were in the pres-
ence of one who had a tremendous amount of football
knowledge and would share a little of that, but would
also have some hilarious tales to tell.
+: Two of Howard's most famous quotes evolved from
his hiring and retirement.
~~ Howard went to Clemson as an assistant coach
shortly after his graduation from the University of
Alabama, and in 1940 he was named head football
coach. He always liked to tell people that the college
president told him not to make his salary public. "You
fieedn't worry about that, Doc," he said. "I'm as
GARY
STEWART
Editor
When addressing a crowd about his retirement in
1969, Howard loved to say that he retired because of
health reasons. "The alumni got sick of me." And, if
another coach who happened to have a bad year was in
the crowd he'd always turn to that coach and say,
"Coach, you're not looking too healthy either."
Like all coaches, Howard said he received his share
of hate mail. Once after losing consecutive games to
Duke, North Carolina and South Carolina, Howard
said he was "hung in effigy" and talked about it on his
TV show.
"I didn't have any friends that week," he recalled. "I
even went home and my old coon dog, Rufus, growled
and bit at me. But the next week we beat Maryland
and I went back on TV and told them that the people
were talking to me and calling me 'coach' again. But, I
said, if I go home and Rufus doesn't growl at me I'll
know he's a fair-weather friend too, and I'm gonna go
in the house and get my shotgun and come back out
and blow his brains out."
A couple of days later, Howard said he received a
letter from a woman in Travelers Rest that said, "Do
not blow Rufus's brains out. Blow your own brains out
and let Rufus coach that football team."
He was a good friend of the late Alabama coach,
Paul "Bear" Bryant and Bryant was the object of some
of Howard's greatest lines. To hear Howard tell it,
Bryant had to be the dumbest man on earth (but, of
course, the Bear and everyone else knew Howard was
@Shamed of it as you are."
just kidding).
Mountaineers fall to R-S Central
““Kings Mountain High's basket-
au teams saw second half leads
lIisappear in a doubleheader loss to
R=S Central Thursday night at the
KMHS gym.
“The Mountaineers, playing their
third game without the services of
their leading scorer Eric Tate, held
a 12-point lead in the third period
and carried.a 10-point lead into the
fourth quarter, but the
Southwestern 3-A Conference
Jeaders came storming back for a
i7- 73 win.
& Kings Mountain's girls, losers of
three straight after opening the
gwcC season with a win over South
Roint, held the upper hand for three
guarters, but the Lady Hilltoppers
autscored them 17-5 over the last
@ght minutes to post their first win
af the season, 34-29.
i Larry Sipe's Mountaineers held aj
2 33 halfme_ 1gad and were: ont
# Kings Mountain High's basket-
Ball teams broke their losing
Sfreaks Tuesday night at home with
4 doubleheader sweep of East
utherford's Cavaliers.
% Larry Sipe's Mountaineers won
38-54 for their first win in the
Southwestern 3-A Conference. The
Mountaineers dropped their first
e games, four of which they
filayed without the services of their
Igading scorer, Eric Tate.
& Tate returned Tuesday night but
yed only sparingly, scoring two
HRints.
EBut shooting guard John
Sizemore had a big night, scoring
1S points, and Cedric Smith and
Sidney Crocker added 12 and 11
ints, respectively.
&i The Mountaineers started fast
ad finished fast, and in the middle
to quarters fought off an East
Rutherford comeback bid. Kings
top 55-45 going into the fourth
quarter, but R-S outscored them
32-18 over the final eight minutes
to run their SWC record to 3-0 and
their overall mark to 7-7. :
R-S got a balanced scoring at-
tack, led by Emory Smith with 21
points, Louis McDowell with 17
and Mike Hines with 12.
Alex Burris, starting in the place
of Tate, led the Mountaineers with
17 points. Justin Champion had 10
points and 13 rebounds, and Brian
Odums and Cedric Smith scored 13
points each. John Sizemore had six
points, six assists and four steals.
Kings Mountain fell to 0-4 in the
conference and 3-8 overall.
The Mountaineer ladies held
narrow leads of 8-5 at the first
quarter break, 18-12 at intermis-
sion and 24-17 going into the
«fourth-quarter.
i ‘Amanda: Hutchins! ho finished
Mountain led 16-11 after the first
period but the visitors came back
to lead 36-28 at intermission. East
Rutherford still led 44-36 going in-
to the fourth period but the
Mountaineers outscored them 22-
11 over the final eight minutes to
win.
The victory improved the
Mountaineers’ record to 1-5 in the
conference and 4-9 overall, while
East fell to 2-3 and 5-10.
Kings Mountain's girls also had
a fast finish to post a 47-45 victory
and end a four-game losing streak.
The Lady Mountaineers hadn't won
since a narrow win over South
Point in their conference opener.
East Rutherford led 24-17 at the
half and 36-28 going into the
fourth quarter, but the
Mountaineers outscored the Lady
Cavaliers 19-9 in the fourth quar-
SCOREBOARD
(Kings Mountain Boys and Girls
Glub Basketball League results. All
games played at Central School gym).
= 12-UNDER
= Magic 40, Hornets 26
Magic - Orlando Curry 14, Brandon
Réberts 11, Chris Ashe 10. Hornets -
Maurice Hunt 12, Micah Burris 10.
= Suns 45, Bullets 40
uns - Cahari Poole 18, Antonio
Grocker 12. Bullets - DaShawn Young
15, Dennis Moore 10.
Sonics 42, Bulls 36
onics - Tae Roebuck 16, J-Rod
ennett 14. Bulls - Steven McCleave
14; Jermaine Smith 12.
Rockets 52, Heat 41
ockets - Pierre Owens 16, Tyler
Adams 14. Heat - A.J. Link 14, Jeffery
Currence 10.
8 Bullets 42, Bulls 40
ullets - Dashawn Young 12, Vince
Young 11, Sedrick Young 10. Bulls -
Jamaal Byers 12, Jermaine Smith 11.
Magic 34, Rockets 32
agic - Ross Ellis 10, Jason
Nichols 10. Hornets - Troy Link 12,
Rifhard Williams 10.
6-UNDER
KM 24, Erwin Center 12
M - Chavis Poole 7, Kelsy Adams
Giarcus Poole 6.
9-UNDER
KM 21, Erwin Center 15
KM - AJ. Link 10, Orlando Curry
17-UNDER
Kansas 86, Arkansas 82
EKansas - Jeremiah Johnson 23,
Sarbarac Bell 14, Tarbarac Bell 12.
2 52
ts
0
GLIA INETRIEIPE NY
S40 EE SN 4 000 (LY EY
ASIA
es
2
%
Arkansas - Alex Burris 40, Anthony
PettyJohn 21.
Players of the week - Kelsy Adams
(7-under), A.J. Link (9-under),
Dashawn Young (10-under), Ross Ellis
(11-under), Ronald Goode (12-under).
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with 13 points, led the way in the
fourth quarter as R-S outscored the
Mountaineers 17-5 and won their
first game after 13 consecutive de-
feats.
Tina Welch scored 16 points for
KM, which fell to 1-3 in the con-
ference and 6-8 overall.
GIRLS GAME
KM (29) - Tina Welch 16,
Hamrick 5, Tammie Welch 4,
Ingram 2, Ash 2.
RS (34) - Hutchins 13, Blanton
8, Ledbetter 6, Miller 3, Jones 2,
Wright 2.
BOYS GAME
KM (73) - Burris 17, C. Smith
13, Odums 13, Champion 10,
Jones 7, Sizemore 6, M. Smith 3,
Turner 2, Crocker 2,
RS (77) -' E.. Smith 21,
McDowell 17, M. Hines 12, K.
Hines 9, Whiteside 7, Reilly 5, g
i ad Charles Grigg added’a 261 set
Simmons 4, Matin ”
a B
Mountaineers sweep East Rutherford |
ter.
Tammie Welch led the
Mountaineers with 17 points and
Kisha Hamrick added eight. Lacy
Bates scored 16 for East.
Kings Mountain improved to 2-4
in the SWC and 7-9 overall while
East fell to 1-4 and 1-14.
GIRLS GAME
ER (45) - Fowler. 12, Bates 16,
McEntire 9, Ford 4, Melton 4.
KM (47) - Tammie Welch 17,
Hamrick 8, Tina Welch 4, Ingram
4, Hunter 7, Cole 4, Adams 3.
BOYS GAME
ER (54) -
Watkins 3, Logan 15, Gettys 12,
Church 5.
KM (58) - M. Smith 2, Sizemore
16, Turner 4, Tate 2, Burris 4,
Crocker: 11, 'C.7 Smith: 12,
Champion 7.
Academic player of the week -
Shane Worcester.
Rookie of the week - James Biggers.
12-under standings - Magic 5-0,
Rockets 4-1, Sonics 3-1, Jazz 3-2, Suns
2-1, Lakers 2-2, Bulls 2-2, Heat 1-2,
Bullets 1-4, Hornets 0-5.
Please Call
487-4357 (HELP)
Cox 4, Williams 15,
Subscribe To The Herald
helpful information.
Southern
NEW IN TOWN?
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welcome to you as newcomers in Cleveland County. Call us
for free “Welcome Kit”, including many significant free gifts
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Hospitality
Shirley Lail
P.O. Box 362
Shelby, NC 28150
Tel: 434-6017
‘Thursday, February 1. 1996 - THE KINGS MOUNTAIN HERALD - Page 11A
Wins and wit kept Howard 'healthy’' at Clemson
"In 1941 Bear called me and wanted a job as my as-
sistant," Howard loved to tell. "I didn't hire him and
that's the best decision I ever made. In six months he
would have cut my throat, drank my blood, had my job
and had us on probation for life."
Howard said Alabama had to tutor Bryant for two
years just to get him in school, and to this day he is the
only person in the history of the University of
Alabama to serve as freshman class president for six
years in a row.
Howard always said the secret to recruiting a foot-
ball player was to sell his mother on the school, but he
said late in his career that he hated recruiting because
he not only had to recruit the player but also his par-
ents, the school guidance counselor, the mayor, the
senator and the player's girl friend and agent.
"My last year in coaching I was recruiting a boy," he
once noted. "I sold his momma and his daddy. I talked
so well to the family that the momma came to
Clemson and the boy went to South Carolina."
Howard always said his best player ever was Fred
Cone, who was an All-American back in the late
1940s. He said Cone was from "Pineapple, Alabama,
which is three wagon greasings from Montgomery."
Actually, Howard often told, Cone was recommend-
ed to him by his sister, who lived next door to Cone's
sister in Biloxi, Ms. Cone was coming out of the ser-
vice at the conclusion of World War Two. Howard said
all colleges were crowded at that time but he had told
the Clemson registrar to reserve 40 spaces for him for
football players. He said he had to turn in his list to the
registrar the next day and had only 39 names and no
time to recruit another player, so out of respect for his
sister he penciled in Fred Cone's name.
After retiring from coaching, Howard stayed on at
Clemson as athletic director for several years. "An ath-
letic director is a football coach that can't win," he
said. "An athletic director is just a high-priced secre-
tary in my book. I could do that athletic directing in
five minutes. In high school if a coach can't win they
make a superintendent out of him."
As popular a speaker as he was, Howard said he
never would have thought that he could get up in front
of a crowd and give a speech.
In fact, he said he never gave pep talks to his play-
ers.
"One time North Carolina was hunting a new foot-
ball coach and said they wanted a coach who could in-
spire boys," he said. "They had a coach over at N.C.
State named Hunk Anderson. He had so many players
with crazy names that he called the team over for a
meeting one day and sneezed, and 20 people answered
‘present. But he said if you'd give North Carolina a
coach that could inspire boys and give him four big
tackles, that in five minutes he'd have all that inspira-
Family Affair wins
in duckpin bowling
Family Affair defeated
Bullwinkle 'N Friends 6-2 and the
Dream Team and the Antiques split
4-4 in Duckpin Bowling League
action Tuesday night at Dilling
Heating.
Debbie Hullender bowled a 109
line and 306 set to lead the Family
Affair. Robbie Hullender had a 98
line and 290 set for Bullwinkle.
John Dilling had a 121 line and
344 set to lead the Antiques. Chris
Hullender led the Dream Team
with a 96 line and 277 set.
>’
Moose Heads whip
The CRABB Family
True Gospel Holiness Church
1608 Shelby Road ¢ Kings Mountain, NC
For Morning & Night Service
Morning Service 11:00 am
tion knocked out of them."
will be at
February 4th, 1996
Night Service 6:00 pm
Everyone Welcome
Pastor Rev. Jerry Morrow
leaders in duckpins
The Moose Heads defeated first
place Lightning 6-2 and Thunder
edged the Alley Rats 5-3 in Mixed
Duckpin Bowling League action
Thursday night at Dilling Heating.
Lightning now has a 20-12
record and a two-game lead over
the Moose Heads (18-14). Thunder
and the Alley Rats are tied for third
with 13-19 records.
John Dilling's 126 line and 330
set and Kenny Maney's 120 line
and 317 set led the Moose Heads
over Lightning. Tommy Barrett led
Lightning with a 135 line and 334
set.
Irene Ruley bowled 'a 90:line
-
ceceececetceccecs
0' lead Thunder over the Alley
i Allen Myers led the pd
with a 124 line and 324 set.
JV Mountaineers
edge East 75-71
Kings Mountain High's JV bas-
ketball team defeated East
Rutherford 75-71 Tuesday at the
KMHS gym.
Aubrey Hollifield's
Mountaineers improved their
record to 5-1 in the Southwest
Conference and 10-3 overall.
Joe Bell and Marlon Byers led
the scoring with 20 points each,
and Landon Benton added 11.
A, For infor. call 484-2652 or 739-1625 «©
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