There was a time, in the early-to-mid 1960s when Archie Manning thought he would probably play football, basketball and/or baseball at Sunflower Junior College (now Mississippi Delta Community College). Or, Manning dreamed, if he really improved and put on some weight, he might even play at Delta State.

Those were the college teams Manning knew well. Those were the schools closest to his hometown of Drew. Those were the places his daddy and uncles took him to watch college teams play.

Ole Miss and Mississippi State? For a skinny, 155-pound, red-headed kid from the tiny town of Drew, those places were pipe dreams.

You know the rest of the story. Manning did add some muscle to his lanky frame. He did improve and went on to become one of Mississippi’s most beloved football players with Ole Miss and then in the NFL.

Manning never attended Delta State, but he never lost his admiration for the school and its rich athletic history. That’s why he will join his longtime friend (and Delta State graduate) Langston Rogers for fundraising conversation and sports auction at DSU’s Sillers Coliseum on Thursday night. The program, billed as “Night of Champions,” will begin at 7 p.m.

Rogers played baseball for DSU legend Boo Ferriss and later become the school’s sports information director before going to Ole Miss in the same capacity. That’s where Manning and Rogers became good friends.

“Delta State and Cleveland are 15 miles from Drew,” Manning said. “That’s where we went to the picture show after the one in Drew closed down. That’s where we went to eat after the two restaurants in Drew had closed for the day. I have great memories from growing up and going to Delta State games. My sister, Pam, went to Delta State. I practically grew up there.”

Horace McCool, the longtime DSU football coach, recruited Manning when other colleges did not.

“No big colleges knocking my doors down in recruiting,” Manning said. “I was a skinny quarterback and I suffered a broken arm my junior football season and only played in three games.”

There was a time when Maning thought he might play basketball in college. He was the leading scorer and best player on Drew teams that sometimes played preliminary games before Delta State varsity games at Sillers Coliseum, opened in 1960.

“Oh man, that was a big deal for us back then,” Manning said. “For us, Sillers Coliseum, when it was brand new, was like Madison Square Garden.”

Manning, a Major League prospect as a shortstop, played summer league baseball games at what is now Harvey Stadium at Boo Ferriss Field. Manning’s Babe Ruth League baseball team was coached by future Delta State football coach Don Skelton.

“Everybody in the Delta knew who Boo Ferriss was,” Manning said. “He spoke to my summer league team when I was 13. I remember it well not only because Coach Ferriss was so impressive, but because my daddy was so disappointed that it was my mother and not him who took me to practice that day. My daddy loved Boo Ferriss and so did I.”

Manning was also a huge Mississippi State basketball fan back in the early and mid-60s when Babe McCarthy-coached Bulldogs teams were among the best in the nation and battled Kentucky almost annually for the Southeastern Conference championship. Manning remembers December of 1963 when McCarthy brought his Bulldogs to Sillers to play Delta State. Manning couldn’t wait to see his basketball hero, State’s Red Stroud, in person.

“Red Stroud’s hair wasn’t just red, it was flaming orange,” Manning said. “I remember that and I remember he could ever more shoot the basketball.”

Manning had told his father, Buddy Manning, he wanted to go to the big game. His father came home with one ticket. “How am I supposed to get there?” Archie asked.

“Better start calling around,” his mother answered. And he did.

Delta State’s financial woes have been well publicized in recent months. Academic programs have been cut. Budgets have been slashed.

Delta State athletic director Mike Kinnison, who played for Ferriss and later coached Delta State to a national baseball championship, is tasked with trying to keep Delta State nationally relevant in NCAA Division II with limited resources. Delta State has won national championships in football, baseball and women’s basketball and has been to the Final Four in men’s basketball.

“We’re staying optimistic and focused on increasing revenue to offset our budget cuts,” Kinnison said. “It will require utilizing every asset we have to maintain nationally competitive programs and positive experiences for our student athletes. …It is a challenge we will work through.”

Money raised from Thursday night’s program dubbed “Night of Champions” will help, Kinnison said. The program also includes a silent and live auction of sports memorabilia.

“We are honored to have Archie and Langston engage our community,” Kinnison said. “Their long-time support of college athletics and student-athletes are evident and appreciated.”

Click here for details of the “Night of Champions” auction.

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

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