Mississippi’s Greatest Athletes: Vicksburg’s Calvin Barbour

Calvin Barbour of Vicksburg had the distinction of being one of the players for Ole Miss football when Mississippi A&M alumnus and future MSU athletic director Dudy Noble coached in Oxford. Because of Barbour’s small size, at only 5-foot-8 and 135 pounds.

Calvin Barbour
Photo courtesy of Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame

Coach Noble had to have Barbour’s football uniform custom made. It was worth the effort, as Barbour became a star for Ole Miss from 1919-22. Barbour was named as the All-State quarterback in 1921- 22. In addition, he was All-Southern Honorable Mention at quarterback. He captained the football team in 1922. Bar- bour also starred in baseball. He led the team to the SIAA Championship in 1920 and was captain of the baseball team in 1922.

Barbour coached the freshman football team at Ole Miss in 1925. This was during a time when he also played professional baseball in the years 1924-27. He was later an umpire in 1929-30. Barbour coached at Jackson Central (1923-1925), at Rolling Fork (1927-1928) and at Vicksburg (1929-1934).

He died in 1983 at age 80.

Courtesy of Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum director Rick Cleveland, author of Mississippi’s Greatest Athletes. Cleveland can be reached at rcleveland@msfame.com.