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Vassallo: It’s Time to Honor Jake Gibbs
Jake Gibbs at the 1960 Sugar Bowl (courtesy of Ole Miss Athletics)
Hill Drive on the Ole Miss campus or another appropriate artery should be renamed Jake Gibbs Boulevard.
What this gentleman accomplished while at Ole Miss was nothing short of sensational.
For those unfamiliar with what Jake accomplished a little more than half a century ago, only need to review the following partial list…
- First team All-American quarterback
- Led the Rebels to a share of the National Championship in 1959 and 1960
- Heisman Voting Trophy in 1960 finished third, but in front of well known names such as Mike
Ditka and Billy Kilmer. Joe Bellino, RB from Navy was the winner. - In 1959 led the SEC in Passing and Total Offense
- 1960 SEC Player of the Year
- MVP of the 1961 Sugar Bowl
- Member of College Football Hall of Fame
- Named by Sports Illustrated as the 8th best collegiate QB of the modern-day era
- Two Sport All-American leading the Rebels to SEC Baseball titles in 1959 and 1960
- All Conference 3 years in Baseball with a career .384 BA
- All time winningest coach (19 years) in Ole Miss baseball history
- Member of Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame
- Player with the New York Yankees 1962-71
This gentleman from Grenada is arguably the best athlete who ever found his way to Oxford. Yet, you can search long and far around campus with no appropriate visual reminder of his greatness until you enter Vaught-Hemingway or otherwisefinding one of the sports’ library memorabilia exhibitions.
This is unsatisfactory for such a superstar as Jake and needs to be remedied while he is still with us. In this writer’s viewpoint no other Ole Miss athlete ever accomplished so much with so little recognition as a result.
Steve Vassallo is a HottyToddy.com contributor. Steve writes on Ole Miss athletics, Oxford business, politics and other subjects. He is an Ole Miss grad and former radio announcer for the basketball team. Currently, Steve is a highly successful leader in the real estate business who lives in Oxford with his wife Rosie. You can contact Steve at sovassallo@gmail.com or call him at 985-852-7745.
| Sat, Aug 31 |  | vs Furman | W, 76-0 |
| Sat, Sep 7 |  | vs Middle Tennessee | W, 52-3 |
| Sat, Sep 14 |  | @ Wake Forest | W, 40-6 |
| Sat, Sep 21 |  | vs Georgia Southern | W, 52-13 |
| Sat, Sep 28 |  | vs Kentucky | L, 20-17 |
| Sat, Oct 5 |  | @ South Carolina | W, 27-3 |
| Sat, Oct 12 |  | vs LSU | L, 29-26 (2 OT) |
| Sat, Oct 26 |  | vs Oklahoma | W, 26-14 |
| Sat, Nov 2 |  | @ Arkansas | W, 63-35 |
| Sat, Nov 16 |  | vs Georgia | W, 28-10 |
| Sat, Nov 23 |  | @ Florida | L, 24-17 |
| Sat, Nov 30 |  | vs Mississippi State | W, 26-14 |
| Thu, Jan 2 |  | vs Duke (Gator Bowl) | 6:30 PM • ESPN |
Jim Hays
February 18, 2015 at 9:06 am
It is certainly, past time to honor “Jake” Gibbs in some way………We have had few to equal his feats and probably none to exceed them. This was in Coach Vaughts “hey-day” When he won so many national honors and Jake contributed as much as anyone to these. Just go ahead and do it now and quit “talking” about it!
Penny Bennett Frazer
February 18, 2015 at 11:56 am
You are both so correct in this long overdue honor of Jake’s achievements. He is a true gentleman and has given much to his family, home state, and the University!
Jackie Cassese
February 19, 2015 at 10:56 pm
What an amazing athlete and a true gentleman. He never brags about his accomplishments and certainly would never point it out to anyone, but yes, looking at all he has done for Ole Miss I think he deserves to be recognized! Most definitely!