Don Meredith: Classmate with Impact

EDITOR'S NOTE. The following remembrance originally appeared in Memories of Don Meredith and Hometown Mount Vernon, compiled by Jean Pamplin with Ray Loyd Johnson. It is presented here as part of MVNow's effort to preserve and share the stories, photographs, and memories of Mount Vernon and Franklin County history. Historical photographs from the period have been substituted for some images in the original booklet, with captions adapted from information preserved there.

Those of us who went to school in Mount Vernon in the 1940's and 1950's knew we were at a unique point in the history of our school and our town. We had a keen sense of unity and loyalty. Most of our teachers had deep roots in Franklin County.

Young Wayne Pierce, a hometown boy, became basketball coach after legendary Catfish Smith left Mount Vernon. We were in the sixth grade, and Coach Pierce was not only a coach but also our teacher... and all the girls had a huge crush on him! He readily became a favorite, and he made us think that our class would always be his favorite as well.

For the school year 1952-53, a talented freshman joined the basketball team and made All-District. That freshman was Don Meredith.

Don's classmates recognized during the primary school years that he would become Mount Vernon High School's all-time greatest athlete. Whether participating in sports events, one-act play contests, persuading a teacher to postpone a test until another day, or just chatting with friends, Don had a "special something," an aura that is hard to describe. Girls saw him as a real charmer, and boys followed his leadership faithfully, both on and off the athletic fields of battle. Don's impact was felt in school and church. His magnetic personality touched the community.

The school spirit and unity of the student body were strong. Our class was especially close-knit, and almost everyone seemed like family. Many happy hours were spent at Miller's Cafe where everyone congregated after school events. Pep rallies were held in the gym on Friday mornings and would sometimes last well over an hour. They were attended not only by students, but also by many parents and community members. Speeches were made by coaches, administrators, and team members. "Yea purple! Yea white! Yea Tigers, fight, fight, fight!" Spirit yells raised the roof on more than one occasion. The athletes marched into the gym with the crowd screaming, purple and white pom-poms flying, and the band playing the fight song.

THE TIGERS OF 1954

By the fall of 1954, Don Meredith's junior year, the Mount Vernon Tigers were dreaded opponents. The football team, with Don making All-State as quarterback, lost just one game - 27-21 to Sulphur Springs for the district championship. However, it would be the basketball team that would accomplish a feat that is still talked about by long-time Dallas fans.

During Coach Pierce's tenure, there was a four-year period when Mount Vernon did not lose a basketball game in the home gym, which was structured inside the school building with high stands on one side and a stage on the other side. The stage band was quite loud during ball games. The jazz number "Sugar Blues" echoed through the confined area and accelerated the tempo and excitement. During the era when Mount Vernon was led by a ball-handling magician who could whistle, the pre-game warm-ups resembled a circus act. Tiger basketball was at its zenith.

Going into the 1954-55 season, Coach Pierce had taken the team to the Regional Tournament at Denton the previous two years. Basketball fever was at a high level in Mount Vernon. Many times the gym was completely packed with fans standing all the way around the court, out in the hall, and even on the roof peering in the windows. This was especially true when the Tigers played archrival Mount Pleasant. Fans were cheering, the jazz band playing, and the team was all fired up. GO TIGERS!

THE DR PEPPER-COTTON BOWL TOURNAMENT

A major tournament in Texas basketball was sponsored by Dr Pepper and was held during the Cotton Bowl festivities in Dallas. Played the week between Christmas and New Year's Day, the best teams from all classifications in North and East Texas were invited to participate. In 1954, this included two unbeaten Dallas schools, Crozier Tech and Woodrow Wilson.

Even though the Tigers had won the Longview Invitational, they were not heralded as one of the elite teams in the prestigious Dr Pepper Tournament. That would change in their second game. Against Dallas Adamson, a large school, Don scored 52 points as Mount Vernon rolled on to a 90-36. The next morning, the Dallas Morning News featured a banner headline about Don and the Tigers. Fans eagerly awaited the big game as Mount Vernon and Crozier Tech came together in the bracket draw.

The game matched probably the two best teams in the state at that point in the season. But what a contrast! Crozier Tech's huge school building was located in downtown Dallas. Mount Vernon High had about 200 students. Crozier Tech had 6-foot-8 High School All-American A.C. Black and 6-foot-5 All-Stater Albert Brown. But Mount Vernon had center Don Meredith! The Tigers jumped to a 10-0 lead and won 56-51. It would be the only loss of the year for Crozier Tech, the eventual big state champion.

Some of the players had not taken enough clothes as they had not expected to stay in Dallas all week. It soon became evident that they would be there until the last ball bounced. Before one game, Don and teammate Jerrell Bryant had gone off by themselves and then got lost in Dallas. They could not find the gym - country boys in the big city. They arrived just before game tipoff.

In the championship game, Mount Vernon breezed past undefeated Woodrow Wilson (17-0) with a score of 72-58. Don's total of 164 points not only set the Dr Pepper Tournament scoring record, but that record still stood when the original story was published in 1999.

An account preserved in Footprints on Franklin County reported that Don Meredith led the Tigers to the Cotton Bowl crown. Jerrell Bryant scored 16 points in the championship game, Charles Yates 15 and Dean Sinclair 12. Bobby Rich, John Stinson, Jack Jaggers, Jerry Jumper, Doug McNelly and Larry Lawrence also contributed as the Tigers brought the huge Dr Pepper trophy home to Mount Vernon.

AN IMPACT FAR BEYOND SPORTS

Don Meredith's impact went far beyond sports. Those of us who had the privilege of growing up with him know that being around him all those years affected us. His talent, dedication, humor, and personality motivated us to strive to become the best we could be in our chosen professions and in our relationships.

Don himself went on to achieve much success. He became an All-American quarterback at Southern Methodist University. The first player selected to play for the new Dallas Cowboys professional team, he played nine seasons (1960-68) and was All-Pro. Near the end of his playing career, Don quarterbacked the Cowboys against Green Bay in the famous "Ice Bowl" game. He played more football games in the Cotton Bowl Stadium than any other person.

Teaming with Frank Gifford and Howard Cosell, Don became a weekly happening on Monday Night Football. He also had an acting career.

But for those of us who knew Don during his growing-up days, we remember most vividly that little gym packed with people, the band playing "Sugar Blues," and a wizard with a basketball. When the Class of 1956 had a reunion, Don returned to Mount Vernon - not as a celebrity but as a classmate and friend.

On several occasions, in interviews and various forums, Don made a statement that is fully understood by everyone who holds dear memories of the old hometown.

"I'm from Mount Vernon, and nothing will ever change that."

SOURCE AND ACKNOWLEDGMENT

This article originally appeared in Memories of Don Meredith and Hometown Mount Vernon, compiled by Jean Pamplin with Ray Loyd Johnson. "Don Meredith - Classmate With Impact" was written by Ray Loyd Johnson and Elceone Black Roberts, with input by Coach Wayne Pierce. Mount Vernon Now gratefully acknowledges those who preserved these memories of Don Meredith's Mount Vernon years.