Laurin Pepper
University of Southern Mississippi Football – No. 42 | |
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Position | Running Back |
Class | 1952–53 |
Personal information | |
Born: | Vaughan, Mississippi, U.S. | January 18, 1930
Died: | February 4, 2018 Ocean Springs, Mississippi, U.S. | (aged 88)
Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
Weight | 190 lb (86 kg) |
Career highlights and awards | |
|
University of Southern Mississippi Baseball – No. 42 | |
---|---|
Position | Pitcher |
Class | 1952–53 |
Career highlights and awards | |
|
Hugh Pepper | |
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Pitcher | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
MLB debut | |
July 4, 1954, for the Pittsburgh Pirates | |
Last MLB appearance | |
June 6, 1957, for the Pittsburgh Pirates | |
MLB statistics | |
Win–loss record | 2–8 |
Earned run average | 7.06 |
Strikeouts | 40 |
Teams | |
Hugh McLaurin Pepper III (January 18, 1930 – February 4, 2018) was a collegiate All-American football player,
College career
Before turning to professional baseball, Pepper was an
Professional career
Pepper was selected sixth in the 1954 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers.[3] 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 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.
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'.[6] As Head Coach, Pepper led the Greyhounds to a 191-81-3 record over 28 seasons.[7] 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.[8][9]
Pepper died at his home in Ocean Springs, Mississippi on February 4, 2018, at the age of 88.[10]
References
- ^ "Alabama Upset By Mississippi South, 25-19 (Chicago Tribune Archives)". Chicago Tribune. September 19, 1953. p. 1, part 2. Retrieved July 9, 2016.
- ^ "100 Years of Southern Miss Athletics: 15 Greatest Games in Southern Miss Football History". southernmiss.com. Retrieved July 9, 2016.
- ^ "Pepper Talks Football". The Pittsburgh Press. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. September 26, 1956. p. 44. Retrieved July 9, 2016.
- ^ "Pepper Gets First Game". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. Daytona Beach, Florida. Associated Press (AP). August 27, 1954. p. 10. Retrieved July 9, 2016.
- ^ "Pirates Option Laurin Pepper". The New York Times. June 9, 1957. Retrieved July 9, 2016.
- ^ "Hugh Pepper Field Certifies A Legend". Biloxi, Mississippi: Sun Herald. September 18, 1998. p. B1 (Sports). Retrieved July 9, 2016.
- ^ Stephenson, Creg (October 10, 2011). "Longtime Ocean Springs coach Hugh Pepper to be inducted into USM Legends Club". gulflive.com. Retrieved July 9, 2016.
- ^ "Ocean Springs legend Hugh Pepper passes into history". 5 February 2018.
- ^ "Hugh Pepper Obituary (1930 - 2018) - Ocean Springs, MS - The Sun Herald". Legacy.com.
- ^ "Ocean Springs legend Hugh Pepper passes into history". 5 February 2018.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or Baseball Reference, or Baseball Reference (Minors)