George Clegg
A 1958 Forrest City High School graduate, George Clegg was a three-year letterman in football for the Mustangs. He was the starting guard on offense and played the nose guard position on defense.
Clegg's distinguishing characteristics, his toughness, tenacity and leadership abilities, were easy to see on and off the football field.
His son, Tony Clegg, prefaced that by using just three words, saying his father was "mean, tough and smart."
If it hadn't been for high school football, according to his son, Clegg may not have even worried about attending classes.
"The game of football was the draw that brought him to attend school," the younger Clegg said. "My father came up during a time when work on a farm and the hand labor required took up almost all of his time. But sports, especially football, was the draw that made George go to school. Had it not been for the game of football, my father may not have even gone to school."
About his dad's work ethics, Tony said they were 'first class.'
"I know that when you start working in life and are not even able to rub two quarters together and end up with the prosperity that he had, I learned and still know that everyone who comes along do not not have that inside them," Clegg added.
After school, his friendship with the players from the 1957 Mustang team never ended.
"In later life, Dad always got a kick out of seeing one of his teammates come to town and looked forward to meeting with his former teammates," Clegg added.
Clegg played on the undefeated 1957 Mustang football team, coached by Jim DeVazier.
One story revolves around DeVazier's concern that season, especially when the Mustangs were scheduled to play Little Rock Hall, was that Hall had a very real chance to defeat the Mustangs.
Based on a story by Tony Clegg, about that game, DeVazier was able to get his hands on the Little Rock Hall scouting report from the
Mustangs previous playing date.
The only thing that scouting report said was for the Hall players to make number 70, Clegg's jersey number, mad, get him into a fight on the field with hopes of having him ejected from the game. And that was Hall's only chance of winning the game.
When asked if that happened, Tony said he really didn't know, but Fred Swan, a member of both the '57 and '59 teams, said it never happened.
"George got tossed from the game every now and then, so did i and so did a couple other players, but that was not one of the times it happened to George," Swan added.
Through that 1957 season, George Clegg was the total team player and coined the phrase “We Play 11 Ball” meaning each player was an important part of the team.
Clegg further distinguished himself as a two-year All-District player on three, Class 2AA District Championship Teams in 1955, 1956 & 1957.
"My dad's story, especially about his work ethics reflects my son's, my dad's grandson, work ethics, at least for me it does," Tony Clegg said.
Clegg noted that there was a select group of players from the 1957 team who were and remained close to his dad. And according to Clegg, respected his dad, who was one of the Mustang on field leaders during those particular years.
"They were good to my dad during his school days," Tony Clegg remembered. "And that being said, I would like to have a big thank you thrown out to them, and they know who they are."
However, George Clegg's love for the land overshadowed his desire to continue his football career and he remained in St. Francis County to raise a family becoming a successful farmer and landowner.
"Following graduation, when dad went to work, I always thought his philosophy in work and life was to work hard," Tony Clegg added. "Meet your obligations and know what to do with what you had left."
Clegg passed away on June 9, 2020 and is being inducted in Forrest City Athletic Hall of Fame posthumously on Friday.