Remember When: stories from the gridiron from Canton, MS

By Guest Columnist Mary Jane Boutwell

This is a true story. One of the grammar school boys playing football was much larger and tougher than the rest of the team, so the coach moved him up to the junior high team. After practice, the coach told the boys to strip, shower, and get dressed. When the younger new boy started stripping, the boys saw his underwear was homemade, with the gold medal logo running across his backside. The others started picking on him. It got loud with fighting and tears. 
The coach came back into the locker room soon to check on the noise. He got them quieted down and talked to the boys. Then, he got a short stool, told the boys to gather around and be quiet. He then stepped up on the stool, dropped his pants to his knees and let them see the Martha White logo across his homemade underwear. 

Pulling his pants up, he said, “We are a team. We do not pick on one another. If I catch you doing that, you are off the team.” 

My two older brothers went out for football. The second quit because he did not want his friends to know Mama made his underwear out of a feed sack. The oldest brother, two years ahead in school, continued to play. As many times as I have heard the story, I have never figured out how the second brother did not know his friends knew about his homemade underwear, also. 

Clyde Muse was the football coach at that time. He coached at Canton and Starkville. My understanding is that he was a good coach. He left coaching and became head of Hinds Community College. From all reports, no matter how good a coach he was, he was a better dean of the college. He said when someone came to the college and asked his secretary to speak with “Coach Muse,” he knew they were from either Canton or Starkville. Everyone else called him Dr. Muse. Under his administration, Hinds became known nationwide for the excellence of its students and the quality of of their education. 

Back then, the 1940s through the 1960s, Canton belonged to the Choctaw Conference. Canton won the Choctaw Conference Title several times. So many say Friday the 13th is a bad luck day. 

One year, under the direction of Bob Jordan, the high school band won all superiors at the State band contest in Jackson on Friday 13th. Ever since, I look forward to any Friday 13th good luck (and hard work). Louis Cook was the student band director. He got his superior rating, also.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Mary Jane Boutwell is a passionate historian and is thrilled to share stories about “way back when.”