For You Old Timers: A Story About Clarkie Mayfield
- Thread starter Chuckinden
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In HS, I was on an "unofficial" visit to Jacksonville State for their Spring game. Charlie Pell was the head coach, but Clarkie was his number one assistant. JSU in the past would let two assistants coach the spring game, but that year that was not the case. My HS coach ask Coach Pell why Clarkie wasn't coaching one of the teams that year and Pell said, "because he wins every year. It doesn't matter what players we give him".
On Saturday, we were hanging out with players in the the lobby of their dorm and JSU had a good little running back named Callahan (iirc) and Clarkie came in and was goading Callahan in front of everybody. He was telling Callahan that no way he was going to get 100 yds rushing that night. It made Callahan mad and he told Clarkie that he "guaranteed" him that he would go over 100 yds. He did. I don't remember his final totals, but Clarkie had such charisma he knew exactly what buttons to push with the players.
It was such a great weekend for a 17 yr old like me. Coach Pell ended the weekend telling me what I needed to work on for my upcoming senior year. I didn't end up at JSU, but I'll never forget that visit as long as I live.
It was just a few years later that Clarkie died in the fire. I was devastated, as many were, when I heard it. He had aspirations of coming back and being the head coach at UK. It is still so sad to me after all these years when I think of "what could have been".
On Saturday, we were hanging out with players in the the lobby of their dorm and JSU had a good little running back named Callahan (iirc) and Clarkie came in and was goading Callahan in front of everybody. He was telling Callahan that no way he was going to get 100 yds rushing that night. It made Callahan mad and he told Clarkie that he "guaranteed" him that he would go over 100 yds. He did. I don't remember his final totals, but Clarkie had such charisma he knew exactly what buttons to push with the players.
It was such a great weekend for a 17 yr old like me. Coach Pell ended the weekend telling me what I needed to work on for my upcoming senior year. I didn't end up at JSU, but I'll never forget that visit as long as I live.
It was just a few years later that Clarkie died in the fire. I was devastated, as many were, when I heard it. He had aspirations of coming back and being the head coach at UK. It is still so sad to me after all these years when I think of "what could have been".
Thanks for the story OP.
I attended the '62 UK-UT game. A big thrill for UK to win a game on a last second FG. Hasn't happened many times since. Neither team were very good, indeed UK lost to Xavier the week before. Neyland was just the lower level horseshoe in those days. UK drove toward the closed end and Mayfield's kick was true. What a horrible tragedy the fire and loss of life was. Never know, he could've ended up as the UK coach and maybe had great success. I always felt that was destined to happen.
I attended the '62 UK-UT game. A big thrill for UK to win a game on a last second FG. Hasn't happened many times since. Neither team were very good, indeed UK lost to Xavier the week before. Neyland was just the lower level horseshoe in those days. UK drove toward the closed end and Mayfield's kick was true. What a horrible tragedy the fire and loss of life was. Never know, he could've ended up as the UK coach and maybe had great success. I always felt that was destined to happen.
Very inspiring story. You have to wonder what might have happened if he had in fact become the coach at KY. Thanks for posting.
The game winning drive had 2 plays that stood out to me. Tom Hutchinson was a great UK WR(at that time he was just called an End) who played a few years in the NFL with the Browns. But Dave Gash was the "other" end and while Hutchinson frequently drew double teams, Gash generally had single coverage. Gash had good hands as I recall. Anyway, UK QB Jerry Woolum hit Gash for a nice gain then hit Darrell Cox, a tiny RB, DB, Punter out of Miami, for another big play. Mayfield went on to boot his game winner.
Gash and Cox played both ways, as did others. Cox was a DB as I said, while Gash was a DE.
Gash and Cox played both ways, as did others. Cox was a DB as I said, while Gash was a DE.
Chuckinden, I too knew and was recruited by Coach Mayfield to JSU. Truly a tragic circumstance for he and his family, but just an incredible story of heroism and sense of calling to help others. I too have always wondered w hat the future would have held for him. Oddly enough the barber shop where I get my haircut has a picture on the wall showing a group of the players as they arrived back in Lexington with the beer barrel and Clarkie was in the middle of the bunch.
Thanks Chuck, thanks for the memories. I was miffed at UK for terminating Blanton Collier and hiring Charlie Bradshaw. I had graduated in May of 1961, and I didn't understand or know the "behind the scenes" politics & may I say "the fool hardy policy" of the state legislature regarding "out of state recruiting"
This policy destroyed any chance of success for the FB Program, not only then but for years to come. It led to Coach Collier's demise at UK and made it possible for Bradshaw to become coach. Clarkie was a true hero in my opinion along with the other 29 athletes that constituted the "Thin Thirty".
This policy destroyed any chance of success for the FB Program, not only then but for years to come. It led to Coach Collier's demise at UK and made it possible for Bradshaw to become coach. Clarkie was a true hero in my opinion along with the other 29 athletes that constituted the "Thin Thirty".
I remember the Thin Thirty well. I was in premed with a high school class mate Elmer Jackson and I would take notes for him when he was on road trips.Each night there was a " study hall " at the football house from 7-10 PM. An assistant coach would take roll at 7, leave and return at 10 to take roll again. After the coach left the " study hall " became so chaotic Elmer and I went into the women's restroom to study. Because of this Elmer missed the 10 PM roll call. As punishment he had to run the goal post at 6 AM for a week. He was probably the only one studying ! I could go on, but I think this is typical of the Charlie Bradshaw era.
Thanks for posting this, it brought back some memories during that time. My wife and I were there two weeks earlier in the main show room and I had drank way too much, went to the restroom and the place was so cut up they had to come and find me. It was funny until the place burned and I realized that I would have probably died if it had happened when I was there. Living in northern Ky at the time I read about Chuckie but didn't know his story, it was a pleasure to read about a true hero.
Thanks for posting this. I read it when it was first published in the Lexington Herald Leader. However, stories like this are worthy of reading again and again. I was 12 years old when Bradshaw took over from Blanton Collier. The players who played for UK were my first Kentucky heroes. I certainly remember Clarkie Mayfield. I also remember Tommy Simpson who played on that team because he and I shared the same name. I wrote him a letter asking if I could have his chin strap after the last game. He wrote me back and graciously agreed to meet me after the game and give me his chin strap. Wow! Fifty three years have passed since that game.
After reading this article, I thought there is no way Bradshaw would have been able to survive as head coach were he to have been coaching today. The media would rightfully have ripped him to shreds for his brutal tactics. He would have become a national villain. Alas, times were different back then. What was acceptable back then, to some extent, would not be acceptable today. There was no cable TV, no ESPN, no internet, no cell phone videos, etc. Still, the fact that he lasted 6 more years is somewhat amazing.
Again. Thank you for sharing this link. It brought back a lot of memories some good some not so good. Clarkie died a tragic but heroic death when he was much too young.
This post was edited on 2/23 9:54 AM by Kampus Korner
After reading this article, I thought there is no way Bradshaw would have been able to survive as head coach were he to have been coaching today. The media would rightfully have ripped him to shreds for his brutal tactics. He would have become a national villain. Alas, times were different back then. What was acceptable back then, to some extent, would not be acceptable today. There was no cable TV, no ESPN, no internet, no cell phone videos, etc. Still, the fact that he lasted 6 more years is somewhat amazing.
Again. Thank you for sharing this link. It brought back a lot of memories some good some not so good. Clarkie died a tragic but heroic death when he was much too young.
This post was edited on 2/23 9:54 AM by Kampus Korner
I played high school football with one guy a couple of years behind me that died in the fire, which was several years later. I always wondered how such a tragedy could have happened, and I didn't realize there were that many people in the showroom, let alone the whole place. I guess at the time it was a wide open town, a little Las Vegas.
I was at UK during the Bradshaw years, the lack of depth really hurt that team, some great All Americans on the team but when Norton went down the starting DB went to QB IIRC. A lot was going on then that no one ever heard about, no internet, I was going with a girl that her mother told me about Rock Hudson, but I don't think I really believed it at the time.
It sounds like Clarkie was the real hero out of the whole bunch, really sad that he didn't get to pursue his dream, sounds like he was on his way.
I also attended UK when Clarkie Mayfield played. Several of my friends were on the football team including Rick Kestner. Some of the things that went on in practice would not be believed. I think Billy Gillespie must have been a huge Charlie Bradshaw fan.
Clarkie Mayfield died much too young
Clarkie Mayfield died much too young
I was a freshman in 1962 and remember the Thin Thirty well. I knew Ken Bocard and always admired the stamina and will to endure the infamous training camp Coach Bradshaw held mimicing Bear Bryant's practices. I was also at Shields-Watkins Field to see the Cats fight to the finish with the Vols and watched Clarkie Mayfield nail the winning field goal. That was also the last time I saw a Tennessee game in Knoxville. By the way, Neyland Stadium had a capacity 60,000 to match Tiger Stadium.
Thanks for the great comments about the 60s and UK football in the era. One can think back to when Blanton Collier was "forced" out and Bernie Shively had a choice between A young up and coming Jerry Claiborne and Charlie Bradshaw to be the next coach. Can you imagine how well UK football could compete in the SEC with Jerry Claiborne? We would have been good, if not at times great well into the 80s. Oh well.....
Thanks for the great comments about the 60s and UK football in the era. One can think back to when Blanton Collier was "forced" out and Bernie Shively had a choice between A young up and coming Jerry Claiborne and Charlie Bradshaw to be the next coach. Can you imagine how well UK football could compete in the SEC with Jerry Claiborne? We would have been good, if not at times great well into the 80s. Oh well.....
So true San Antonio Cat. UK fires Collier who then becomes head coach of the Cleveland Brows. His team won the National Football League Championship two years later. UK football, with rare exceptions has been generally a loser ever since. It's the curse of Bear Bryant and/or the curse of Blanton Collier. Claiborne would have been great.
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