Hugh McLaurin Pepper III (January 18, 1930 – February 4, 2018) was a collegiate All-American football player,
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
player, and high school football coach. Born in
Vaughan, Mississippi
Vaughan (also Vaughans or Vaughn) is an unincorporated area, unincorporated community in Yazoo County, Mississippi.
The settlement is east of Yazoo City, Mississippi, Yazoo City.
History
Vaughan was founded in 1830 and named for Henry Vaughan, ...
, he is a member of the
University of Southern Mississippi
The University of Southern Mississippi (Southern Miss or USM) is a public research university with its main campus located in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award bachelor's, ma ...
Hall of Fame and was a charter member of the school's Legends Club, as well as the
Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame. He was twice honored by the
Mississippi State Legislature
The Mississippi Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Mississippi. The bicameral Legislature is composed of the lower Mississippi House of Representatives, with 122 members, and the upper Mississippi State Senate, with 52 ...
—once for his playing career at USM and once for his achievements as a high school football coach in
Ocean Springs
Ocean Springs is a city in Jackson County, Mississippi, United States, approximately east of Biloxi and west of Gautier. It is part of the Pascagoula, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 17,225 at the 2000 U.S. Census ...
.
College career
Before turning to professional baseball, Pepper was an
All-American halfback at
Mississippi Southern. He starred in a 1953 Mississippi Southern win over 5th-ranked
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama (informally known as Alabama, UA, or Bama) is a public research university in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Established in 1820 and opened to students in 1831, the University of Alabama is the oldest and largest of the publi ...
led by
Bart Starr
Bryan Bartlett Starr (January 9, 1934 – May 26, 2019) was an American professional football quarterback and head coach for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at the University of ...
. Pepper had a 66-yard touchdown run combined with a 45-yard touchdown reception in the upset. He complimented his offensive performance with an interception on defense to help lift then Mississippi Southern to its first win against Alabama. Pepper was an explosive threat on the football field with an 8.2 career yards per carry average, still the school record. He also has two touchdowns on kick returns in only 6 attempts.
Professional career
Pepper was selected sixth in the 1954 NFL Draft by the
Pittsburgh Steelers. He instead signed a
bonus contract with the
Pittsburgh Pirates. Under the rules in place at that time, the Pirates were required to keep Pepper on their
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
roster.
From 1954 to 1957, Pepper pitched in 44 games for the Pirates. His first win was in a game played on August 26, 1954. He only won one other major league game. Pepper played in his last major league game on June 6, 1957. Three days later he was optioned to the
Hollywood Stars
The Hollywood Stars were a Minor League Baseball team that played in the Pacific Coast League during the early- and mid-20th century. They were the arch-rivals of the other Los Angeles-based PCL team, the Los Angeles Angels.
Hollywood Stars (192 ...
of the
Pacific Coast League in order to make room for
Dick Hall. Pepper continued to play professional baseball in the
minor leagues
Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities/markets. This term is used in No ...
until 1963.
Coaching career
After his playing days were over, Pepper spent nearly three decades as a high school football coach and athletic director at
Ocean Springs High School, where he had 25 winning seasons, won 12 Gulf Coast Conference championships and had 6 undefeated teams. At a ceremony in 1998, the high school honored Pepper by naming the Greyhound Stadium field 'Hugh Pepper Field'. As Head Coach, Pepper led the Greyhounds to a 191-81-3 record over 28 seasons. In 1991, the year he retired, Pepper was honored by the National Football Foundation as its "Distinguished American."
Personal life
Pepper and his wife, Janice, had four children and were married for 63 years.
Pepper died at his home in Ocean Springs, Mississippi on February 4, 2018, at the age of 88.
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pepper, Hugh McLaurin
1930 births
2018 deaths
Baseball players from Mississippi
Columbus Jets players
Dallas Rangers players
Hawaii Islanders players
Hollywood Stars players
Greenville Spinners players
Major League Baseball pitchers
People from Ocean Springs, Mississippi
People from Yazoo County, Mississippi
Pittsburgh Pirates players
Players of American football from Mississippi
Rochester Red Wings players
Salt Lake City Bees players
Southern Miss Golden Eagles baseball players
Southern Miss Golden Eagles football players