Football season is here and it’s a good time to look back at some Bradley football pioneers. In 1963, after a hiatus of about three decades, Bradley High School revived its football program. Ironically, the football program lasted about another thirty years before, due to lack of numbers, it had to be discontinued again.
In 1963, the number of players was not a problem. There were 23 players, two coaches and 4 managers (Jimmy Burns, Donald Adams, Earl Vickers and Raymond Gildon), according to the 1964 B. H. S. yearbook.
The program for the 1963 home games was printed by George Bell of the Bradley Pioneer. The front page:
“1963–64
BEARS
Football
Bradley High School
Winston Duke, Coach
Gerald Vines, Ass’t. Coach
Bradley Arkansas”
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The back page contained the team’s schedule and two advertisements (which are transcribed with all the other ads, below).
“Bradley ‘Bears’ Football Schedule
1963–64
Sept 6. Bismark There
Sept. 12 Hope (B Team) Here
Sept. 20 Fouke There
Sept. 27 Texarkana (B Team) Here
Oct. 4 Strong There
Oct. 11 Mineral Springs There
Oct. 18 Murfreesboro Here
Oct. 25 Horatio There
Nov. 1 Lewisville Here
Nov. 15 Foreman There”
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The roster page of the 1963 home-game program listed each player’s name, number, position, and weight, and designated the “probable starting lineup.”
“Bradley High School
Bears
Colors Purple & Gold
Name No. Position Weight
Ronni [sic] Byrd*, 11, QB, 150
David Byrd, 12, QB, 150
Ken Allen, 13, QB, 145
Tommy Pauley, 17, QC, 110
Jimmy McDonald, 21, ET, 165
Gwen Lee, 22, T, 185
Mitchie Jones*, 23, HB, 160
Glenn Brackman, 24, HB, 145
John Taylor, 25
George Pickett, 26, HB, 135
Ronnie Odom*, 27, G, 160
Tommy Lindsey, 28, G, 145
Larry Jackson*, 29, E, 140
John T. Williams*, 30, C, 155
Jerry Clary*, 31, FB, 180
Dickie Bishop, 32, T, 220
Buddy Jackson*, 33, E, 155
Jimmy Gildon*, 34, T, 200
Charles McDonald, 35 E, 170
Larry Parks, 36, G, 160
Johnny Umphries*, 37, G, 155
Henry Maness*, 38, T, 170
Willard Bandy, 39, E, 175
Carl Pauley*, 40, HB, 170
Thomas Clarence [sic], __, T, 215”
*probable starting lineup
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The remainder of the 8–page program consisted of advertisements, which provide a glimpse into Bradley businesses of that era.
“Compliments of Allen Bros. C & E Co; Allis Chalmers; New Holland”
“Bradley Pioneer; Community News; Commercial Printing”
“Roberson Farm Equipment; International Harvester Dealer”
“Compliments of Coker Hardware”
“New Phone TW4–2815; We Have All Types of Cotton Defoliants; Logan Seed Co.”
“Crain & Rogers; Mobil Products”
“The Bank of Bradley; Member F. D. I C.”
“Clary Butane & Oil Co.; Cities Service”
“Let’s Go Bears; Odom Dusting Service”
“Hamner Implement Co.; Your John Deere Folks”
“Baker Bros.; Automotive & Tractor Service”
“Cochran Hardware; Building Material”
“Kennedy’s Grocery & Market”
“We Want A Touchdown; Edwards Co.; Edwards Hardware”
And there were also advertisements for “Board of Directors; Bradley
School” and “Thomas E. Tincher, City Marshal”
– – – – –
Alas, fortune was not kind to the 1963 football Bears. As might be expected with a brand new football program, the team finished with a record of one win and nine losses.
The Bradley Pioneer reported on the first game at Bismark: “The Bradley Bears played their first football game against Bismart [sic] last Friday night. One hundred and ten people from Bradley accompanied the team to Bismark and rooted for the Bears. Bismark won 28–0 but Coach Winston Duke carried 24 Bears to Bismark and let each one play. Coach Duke said that this experience was a big help to the boys and the support the people of Bradley gave them was a boost for their morale.”
If memory serves correctly, the only win of the 1963 season was the game at Fouke, which was also beginning its football program that year.
For some historical perspective, the final game of the season at Foreman would have taken place two days before the dedication of the new sanctuary of the Bradley Baptist Church (see post of 7/18/08) and one week to the day before the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
Finally, if any of the players from that team should have any good stories about their experiences that year, bradleyark.com would be most interested in hearing them.
