MC football celebrated in Clintonians’ latest book
By Mike Christensen
Mississippi College has played and beaten Ole Miss in football. Did you know? MC teams have beaten Mississippi State, as well. They’ve faced off with the likes of LSU, Florida State and Baylor – and have even taken on the University of Mexico before 75,000 people in Mexico City.
MC has a former player in the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame, among the highest honors in the college game. Did you know? He played a hundred years ago and went by the nickname “Goat.”
There have been many other big games and notable heroes at MC that time has forgotten. Delvan Irwin, a Clinton resident with an affinity for football history, has shined a light on these subjects in a new book: The Old Blue and Gold: Volume 1/Mississippi College Football: 1907-71.
A book sale and signing is scheduled for April 30 at The Cupboard in Clinton from 10:30 to noon. The book ($25) is also available on Amazon.com.
Irwin credits current MC head coach John Bland as a source of inspiration for tackling this project, which encompassed about a year and involved long hours pouring over old game programs, yearbooks and newspaper articles, ferreting out accurate scores, names and other details.
“I’m proud of what I found,” Irwin said. “I knew MC had an amazing history – I just felt like nobody knew about it.
“Those guys from the old days were pretty special. People should know about them.”
Irwin wonders how many current MC fans or players know about or fully appreciate the contributions of Stanley Robinson and Edwin “Goat” Hale, after whom Robinson-Hale Stadium is named.
Robinson was the MC coach from 1928-53 and later served as athletic director.
“Goat Hale might be the best football player who ever played,” Irwin said. “When you read the articles about him, it’s just amazing. Seemed like he scored every time he got the ball.”
The book features more than one hundred and fifty pictures, supplied by a number of sources, and includes names of assistant coaches, cheerleaders and even homecoming queens, in addition to players.
Irwin has written seven football history books, including one about Clinton High School.
The books highlight the unique bond between players of different generations.
“They are a fraternity of brothers separated only by time,” Irwin said.
He said he’d love nothing more than to see a bunch of MC players come together, perhaps inspired by the book, to reconnect, share old stories and hear new ones.
