After fifty years, we've heard it all. From the horrors of war to the struggle for civil rights, Mississippians have shared their stories with us. The writers, the soldiers, the activists, the musicians, the politicians, the comedians, the teachers, the farmers, the sharecroppers, the survivors, the winners, the losers, the haves, and the have-nots. They've all entrusted us with their memories, by the thousands. You like stories? We've got stories. After fifty years, we've heard it all.
Jimmy Havard played football for Southern Miss from 1958 to 1962. He recalls making the freshman cut in the summer of ’58.
In 1961, Havard set a record for the longest punt return in Southern Miss history. He remembers that play and Roman Gabriel, the famous North Carolina State quarterback who tried to stop him.
Years later as the coach for Petal High School, Havard kept a pre-game superstition he got from Coach Vann.