August 1, 2013
PRESS RELEASE
THE DRU NETTLES SHOW
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Dru 2! The Dru Nettles (television) Show will return for its second season on Thursday night, August 1, 6pm—7pm, on Cox 4 Television. The program will, once again, be co-hosted by Denham Springs High School Athletic Director and Head Football Coach Dru Nettles and long-time Jackets radio play-by-play announcer/producer Jon Fine. The Dru Nettles Show will air Thursday nights, 6pm—7pm, with a replay on Friday mornings, 10:30am—11:30am. It will have a 15 week run, with an additional show for every Jackets playoff game. (For entire Press Release, go to next to the bottom of this newsletter.)
PRESS RELEASE
THE DRU NETTLES SHOW
The second season of The Dru Nettles Show comes to Cox 4 tonight (Thursday, August 1) from 6pm—7pm (with a replay on Friday at 10:30am—11:30am). The Dru Nettles Show is co-hosted by Denham Springs HS Athletic Director/Head Football Coach Dru Nettles and long-time Yellow Jackets radio play-by-play announcer/producer Jon Fine. The Dru Nettles Show is a Jon Fine Production.
Tasmin Mitchell, the consensus greatest basketball player in school history, highlights the guests to appear on the program. Mitchell is the only player in Denham Springs HS Basketball history to have his number retired. Last season, he played professionally in Russia. His plans for this season have not yet been determined. He will host The Tasmin Mitchell Basketball Camp this weekend.
In addition to Mitchell, 2 Hall of Famers from the 2013 Denham Springs HS Athletic Hall of Fame will also grace the show with their presence. George Meadors and Celeste (Gully) Callender will be interviewed on the show. The 2 will be part of the 2013 class—the third class of the Hall of Fame—to be inducted on Friday, August 16, at ceremonies to be held at Forrest Grove Plantation.
Denham Springs HS Football assistant coach Josh “Fight On” Neal will start the program’s weekly feature of assistant Jackets coaches appearing on the program. A former standout offensive lineman at Denham Springs HS, Neal is the running backs coach and video coordinator for the Jackets.
Ryan Serpas, Head Football Coach of Springfield HS will represent the first of Livingston Parish football coaches The Dru Nettles Show hopes to feature in the pre-season. Springfield enjoyed a 11-2 record in 2012, advancing to the Class AA state semifinals.
The sponsor of the week will be Dr. Judson Penton of North Oaks Physician Group.
For more information on The Dru Nettles Show, please visit the show page on JonFineProductions.com or Like TheDruNettlesShow on Facebook.
THE ANSWER IS?
The pride of Lake Charles (Lake Charles HS) and Tulane University: Tommy Mason, was the answer to our trivia question.
The question: He was the number 1 overall pick in the NFL draft. He was selected by the Patriots, yet never played a down for them. Can you name him?
Mason was the number 1 overall pick of the 1961 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings. He was also selected by the (Boston) Patriots (as the number 2 overall selection) of the AFL Draft that year.
We had close to 20 responses from newsletter readers. The most popular guess, and a very good one, was Jack Concannon. He was the number 1 overall pick in the 1964 Draft by the (Boston) Patriots, for whom he never played a down. Yet, this was in the AFL draft, not the NFL draft.
The 2 correct ones were from Bo from Baton Rouge and Pres from Zachary, who will each receive a $25 gift certificate from a Jon Fine Productions sponsor of their choice in the Greater Baton Rouge area.
For more on Mason, go to bottom of this newsletter for a blurb from his induction into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame.
5 WEEKS AWAY: Denham Springs HS Football radio broadcasts
Plaquemine HS Football radio broadcasts
St. John HS Football radio broadcasts
--In a schedule change due to a logistical situation at the station, we will not be carrying the Denham Springs HS—East Feliciana HS jamboree matchup. The Jackets opening game at Woodlawn HS on Friday, September 6, is slated to be our first Denham Springs HS broadcast.
--Beginning next week, Plaquemine native Thommy Boesch will start contributing bi-weekly columns to JonFineProductions.com Newsletter. Thommy will cover/opine on Plaquemine, high school, college and pro sports. He joins weekly columnists Dennis Dearie and Scott Osborne.
THE CENTRAL RADIO SHOW
This week’s The Central Sports & Business Report will have co-host Steve Johnson discussing the Wildcats Boot Camp, which Steve attended as a Wildcats assistant Coach. Sponsor of The Week is Sport-N-Center.
Co-host Matt Price will miss this week’s program.
Monday night on The Central Story, it’s Destined to Win, with Rocky Bezet, Pastor, The Rock Church.
The Central Story airs Monday and Thursday nights, 5:30pm—6:30pm, on WPFC, 1550AM, Baton Rouge and on the Net at JonFineProductions.com.
PULITZER PRIZE WRITING
A very special thank you to Sam (Muff) Muffaleto of The Livingston Parish News for a great story in the Sunday, July 28 sports section about the second year of The Dru Nettles Show
Scheduled for this Sunday, August 4’s The Livingston Parish News is the return of Denham Springs HS Football broadcasts to the radio airwaves.
CAJUN JOKE OF THE WEEK AS HEARD ON THE 7/25 THE CENTRAL STORY
Complements of Larry Boudreaux’s website, CousinBoudreaux.com:
Boudreaux waz killin flies: Marie found Boudreaux sittin’ in de kitchen weet a fly swatter and drinkin’ a beer when she got home one day.
She axed, “Whatcha do'in”?
Boudreaux replied, “Killin’ flies.”
She said, “How many have you got”?
He Responded, “Five. Tree males and two females”
Boudreaux said, “Sure! And how do you know deir sex”?
Boudreaux, said, “Tree were on de beer can and two on de phone.”
BROADCASTING SCHEDULE:
Thursday, August 1: 5:30pm—6:30pm: The Central Sports & Business Report (on The Central Story)… with Steve Johnson & Matt Price… broadcasting live from Me’Pa’s Diner—Sullivan Road, Next to Chase Bank, in Central
WPFC, 1550AM, BR
Internet: JonFineProductions.com
Thursday, August 1: 6:00pm—7:00pm: The Dru Nettles Show… with Dru Nettles & Jon Fine
Cox 4 Television, Baton Rouge (replay on Friday, August 2, 10:30am—11:30am)
Monday, August 4: 5:30pm—6:30pm: Destined To Win (on The Central Story)
Pastor Rocky Bezet, Pastor, The Rock Church
WPFC, 1550AM, BR
Internet: JonFineProductions.com
SportsRadio—1310-KEZM-Lake Charles Programming of Interest (also heard on KEZMOnLine.com)
Monday, August 4: 3PM—5PM: Bayou Blitz with Alex Hickey and Miguel Gauthreaux
WE THANK YOU FOR DOING YOUR UTMOST TO PATRONIZE SPONSORS OF OUR PROGRAMMING. THIS HELPS US TREMENDOUSLY IN SUSTAINING OUR WEEKLY LINE-UP AND WILL ASSIST US IN ADDING MORE PROGRAMS IN THE FUTURE. KINDLY MAKE AN EFFORT TO LET SPONSORS KNOW YOU HEARD THEIR BUSINESS MENTIONED ON OUR BROADCAST(S).
THE WIZARDRY OF OS
Assistant Basketball Coach/Head Swimming Coach at Central High School
I do not want to write about Johnny Manziel. He is not handling his fame well, and there is not much else to say that has not already been said. Even those that have brushed off his off the field activities all spring are at a loss to defend his decision to attend a frat party at UT.
So, I do not want to talk about Manziel. I feel for his coaches and parents who are at a loss as to how to get him to make better decisions, though. My guess is they feel they are in a lose-lose situation. Most people think the only thing that can get Johnny focused again is to play football. The phrase most commonly heard is, "Fall practice can't start soon enough." At the same time, his coaches and parents know in the back of their head that football season will just be masking a bigger issue.
As I already stated, I do not want to talk about Johnny Football. With fall practice beginning this week, you can be certain that many of A&M's opponents have been spending extra time preparing to slow down the Aggies. In Aggieland, I wonder how Manziel's choices will effect the team chemistry. Professional players are usually better than amateurs at accepting a player whose actions draw attention to themselves. As long as things are going well things are usually okay because of his extraordinary talent. But in sports, the success of a team is usually how they respond during adversity.
I am glad I can choose my own topics so I do not have to write about Manziel. But before I get to other topics, I want to issue a warning to all fans looking to turn a profit of their A&M tickets. Specifically, LSU fans need to be careful since that is the highest profile home game on the schedule. Cash in on those tickets now, before Manziel and/or the Aggies self destruct. At this point, I am not predicting it happens, but it is not hard to imagine a scenario where they do considering what they lost and how much they were already expected to count on Manziel.
Now that I have freed myself of writing about Manziel, I can write about all the other things going on in sports of significance. Oh wait, there isn't anything going on yet.
HEY REF
By Dennis Dearie,
Veteran Louisiana High School Referee
Well, I’ve waited long enough and have to finally relent and give into a matter that some have challenged me to comment upon. The “wait” was for some type of reaction from the general public on the wasteful spending of taxpayer dollars to install artificial turf on the football fields at some of the local high schools in the Baton Rouge area.
As I have said and written about time after time that in this part of the country and well let’s face it, just about every part of this cash starved nation there just doesn’t seem to be a place where we can truthfully say this is “wasteful spending”. No, wasteful spending of TAX dollars in the sporting world is the norm and almost sacrilegious if it’s challenged.
We can allow the finest teachers and professors to resign and/or look elsewhere for a school that will put academics before athletics. We can allow the roofs to leak, the walls to crumble down, the office machines and supplies to dwindle down to zero and on and on. But we must keep our eyes on the prize, that elusive district tittle, the cherished championship banner and even that huge gold and silver painted plastic and tin sculptured athletic looking super human standing tall as if he just destroyed the world.
I could go on about the things our kids should be focusing on but here at “Hey Ref” we try to keep it simple and above all else allow the pure simple truth to rise above all so I’ll get right to the point. No matter the pros, benefits and so called advantages it brings there is but one thing we should concentrate on and that is the overall COST.
At a minimum we’re throwing away more than a $$ MILLION $$ ($1,000,000.00) dollars of hard earned worker tax dollars per field. An average, actual cost per field is more than a cool $1.5 million. If that cost was a one-time charge you might be able to convince me it would be worth the investment. But in the real world that invoice is a renewable “hit” that future classes and the working men and women of that school district will be forced to divert needed cash/taxes to cover.
The other thing that no one seems to be concerned about is the frequency in which the surface has to be torn up, thrown away and a new carpet laid out. The better fields can go somewhere in the neighborhood six years up to maybe ten years. That’s a lot of seats these schools will have to fill just to get their primary investment back.
I’ll use some easy numbers in this example of the pure stupidity of forking over these obscene sums of cash; $1.5 million for ten years. Simply say $150,000.00 each year for bragging rights that your school has carpet and not grass. At $25.00 a seat, you’d need???? I’m not a math genius but just that simple equation should convince any school district that we should close the books on any and all debates on whether to cover our grass and weeds in favor of a pretty green fake nylon mesh…
My main comeback to those in favor of the fake stuff is; we teach our teams to overcome adversity and so on. When it rains there’s not a single puddle in which to overcome any harsh conditions of mud, water, etc. So you lose that adversity angle in which we hope to see our kids striving to better and overcome.
It would be nice if we could actually afford these carpets but we can’t afford to place a multi-million dollar field where attendance totals a mere 100 or less each game in good times. I’m a fan of football the way it was intended to be played; outdoors under the care of Mother Nature.
But I have to confess my main objection to the carpeted field is that these monies wasted for the convenience of not having to clean my shoes after a good rain should go where we’d get the biggest “bang” for our buck. Simply put, we need to invest in educators and not carpet cleaners!!
Till next week…
PRESS RELEASE
THE DRU NETTLES SHOW
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Dru 2! The Dru Nettles (television) Show will return for its second season on Thursday night, August 1, 6pm—7pm, on Cox 4 Television. The program will, once again, be co-hosted by Denham Springs High School Athletic Director and Head Football Coach Dru Nettles and long-time Jackets radio play-by-play announcer/producer Jon Fine. The Dru Nettles Show will air Thursday nights, 6pm—7pm, with a replay on Friday mornings, 10:30am—11:30am. It will have a 15 week run, with an additional show for every Jackets playoff game.
In more big news for Denham Springs HS football fans, after a one year hiatus, Yellow Jackets football returns to the radio airwaves! Jon Fine Productions had produced these broadcasts for an 18 year period— from 1984 to 2011, all on 1210AM. With a change in format from sports-talk to gospel, station policy precluded high school sports broadcasts in 2012. With another change in formats, this time to Comedy, the station now has the flexibility to carry Denham Springs HS Football games. The Jamboree, 10 regular season games and all playoff games can be heard in 2013 on Comedy-1210-Baton Rouge and on the Internet at JonFineProductions.com. The return of Jackets football to the radio airwaves will be covered extensively in a subsequent press release.
Similar to last year’s program, The Dru Nettles Show in 2013 will focus on Denham Springs HS athletics and football, with former and current Yellow Jackets coaches and athletes as guests on the show on a weekly basis. Other features the program plans to include: interviews with all members of the 2013 DSAA Hall of Fame class, with some members of the prior 2 classes as well… During the summer, the program expects to have head coaches from the 4 other Livingston Parish schools that play football—Albany, Live Oak, Springfield and Walker—as guests on the program. Coaches from the Jackets “feeder programs”—Denham Springs Jr. HS, Juban Park Jr. HS and Southside Jr. HS-- are anticipated to participate. During football season, the coach of the Jackets upcoming opponent will be interviewed on the program. Highlights from the Jacket’s prior game will be included on the program during football season. Each week, a Jackets assistant football coach will appear on the program, with a Denham player to come on weekly beginning in mid-August. The Dru Nettles Show is proud to have a bi-monthly academic segment, starting in September, featuring a Denham Springs student. Commercial sponsors of the program will appear each week as Sponsor of The Week. Plus, Coach Nettles and Fine will discuss Denham Springs HS Football and DSHS athletics on a weekly basis.
Fine also looks forward to the show’s continuing positive working relationship with The Livingston Parish News. Editor Mike Dowty and sportswriter Sam Muffoletto will make appearances on the show, to possibly be joined by other Livingston Parish News sportswriters. Every Thursday, The Livingston Parish News will have an article about the guests of that Thursday night’s The Dru Nettles Show in its sports section.
The Livingston Parish News is owned and published by Jeff David. Jeff and Nancy David were the owners of Bayou, 1210AM, which included a daily afternoon drive sports talk show hosted by Fine, SportsTalk, from 1993—1998.
Born and raised in Denham Springs, Dru Nettles was a standout 2 sport athlete—Football and Baseball—with the Jackets. As a 3 year lettermen with Denham Springs HS Football (1986-1988), Nettles played under LHSAA Hall of Fame coach Butch Wax. During Nettles’ 3 seasons lettering for the Jackets, Denham Springs HS went 21-12, winning a district championship in 1987. The Jackets also won their opening playoff game that year defeating Carencro 23-9.
Nettles was a 1st team all-District defensive back in 1987, his junior year. He holds several school records, including most career pass interceptions (12), most career pass interceptions in a game (3, in 1987, shared with Dr. Michael Sceroler, Dr. Hunter Bond, Troy Fontenot and Kelvin Robinson), most pass interceptions in a regular season (8 in 10 games in 1987, tied with Fontenot, who had 8 in 9 games in 1982), and most pass interceptions in all games of a season (10 in 12 games in 1987). In his junior and senior years, Nettles played some tailback and scored 5 touchdowns in that capacity for the Jackets. On special teams, Nettles returned a blocked extra-point attempt 88 yards for 2 points (against Hammond High in 1988) and returned a kickoff 86 yards for a touchdown (against Covington HS in 1988). Had his senior season of 1988 not been cut short by a knee injury which limited him to 5 games that year, Nettles would have excelled even further for the Jackets.
As a baseball player, Nettles was a 4 year letterman (1986-1989) for Denham Springs HS under Steve Long, including being the starting catcher, as a Freshman, on a team that featured Louisiana Hall of Fame pitcher Ben McDonald, and won the 1986 4-A state championship.
A 1989 graduate of Denham Springs HS, Nettles went on to play catcher for 4 years with the Southeastern Louisiana Baseball team and is a 1994 graduate of SLU.
Nettles returned to his Alma Matter in 1994, as an assistant coach under Wax before spending 7 years (1998-2004) at Woodlawn HS. His first 4 years, Nettles was the Head Baseball Coach and assistant football coach for the Panthers. In 2002, he started a 3-year stint as head Football Coach at Woodlawn HS. As the Baseball coach at WHS, his teams won 4 District Championships in 5 seasons. In 3 seasons as football coach at WHS, his teams were 20-12 and made 2 playoff appearances.
Nettles came home, again, in 2005, but this time to become Athletic Director and head Football Coach at Denham Springs HS. He inherited a program that had not had a winning season or made the playoffs since 1995, that had a combined 23-67 record in the 9 years (1996-2004) prior to Nettles being named head coach. In his first year, 2005, the Jackets went 1-8. In the 7 ensuing years, the Jackets have gone 42-32, including a combined 34-20 in the last 5 playoff seasons. Nettles’ 2008 team provided Denham Springs High School with its first winning season and playoff team in 13 years. The 2008 Jackets secured their first victory over state power Catholic High School since 1978. In 2009, Nettles’ Jackets had their second straight winning season and playoff team, the first time a Denham Springs HS team had accomplished these feats since 1991 and 1989 respectively. The Jackets present 5 year run of making the playoffs (2008—2012 seasons), has set the record for the most consecutive seasons making the playoffs in the illustrious history of Denham Springs HS Football. The prior record was 3 straight seasons—accomplished once—in 1983—1985, under legendary Jackets Coach Butch Wax.
Coach Nettles is the proud father of 2 daughters, Claire (age 15) and Faith (age 12).
As a youngster, Nettles was a big fan of the late 70’s New York Yankees. His favorite player? Naturally, it was Yankees 3rd Baseman Graig “Puff” Nettles (no relation). Dru Nettles never got to play with his favorite childhood team, but, now he will, once again, be co-hosting a weekly show with a Yankee!
Co-host Jon Fine is a native of Valley Stream, New York. Fine came down south to work in radio in Tallulah, LA in September 1982, 2 months after graduating from Penn. He has never left the state. The following year, he went to Lake Charles, where he served 2 stints as the radio play-by-play announcer for McNeese State Football and Basketball. In 1991, Fine moved to Baton Rouge, where he has resided since. Fine hosted drive-time radio sports talk shows in Louisiana from 1983—2010. His programs have aired mostly in Baton Rouge, New Orleans and Lake Charles. At its apex, the 2 hour morning drive daily sports-talk show he produced and co-hosted (with Tommy Krysan), SportsGumbo, originated from Baton Rouge and was carried by stations in New Orleans, Lake Charles, Monroe and Alexandria.
Fine served as the play-by-play announcer of Denham Springs HS from 2003 to 2011 and had a prior 3 year stint manning the microphone for the Jackets. The Dru Nettles (radio) Show aired for an 18 month period from July 2010—November 2011. In addition to The Dru Nettles (television) Show and Denham Springs HS Football radio broadcasts, Jon Fine Productions presently produces football radio broadcasts for St. John (Plaquemine) HS and Plaquemine HS, baseball radio broadcasts for Walker HS and Live Oak HS and a 2 night a week radio show in the city of Central, The Central Story. For more information on Jon Fine Productions, one may visit JonFineProductions.com. Also, Jackets fans are encouraged to Like TheDruNettlesShow on Facebook to receive regular updates on the program.
Fine said that The Dru Nettles (television) Show was part of the revitalization of his company. “As stated on our website, JonFineProductions.com, the operative word is reinvention. It was just a scant 16 months ago that because of circumstances in the Baton Rouge market, we went from 7 different programs (including Denham Springs Football, Basketball and Baseball/softball radio broadcasts and The Dru Nettles (radio) Show) to only one program, a Central show. Now, with a change of formats at 1210AM lending itself to high school sports programming, we have been fortunate enough to get back to 7 different (radio and television) programs… although the lineup of programs we produce, at present, is completely different from before, other than Denham Springs Football radio broadcasts.”
The Dru Nettles Show follows 3 radio shows that largely involved Denham Springs High School sports for close to a 7 year period. Livingston Sports Weekly originated in September 2006, airing on (what was then) The Score, 1210AM. Hosted by Josh Ward, with Robbie Harrison and Chris Ledoux, Livingston Sports Weekly concentrated on the athletic programs of Denham Springs HS, Live Oak HS and Walker HS. In January 2008, the program joined forces with Central HS and became THE High School Sports Show. Steve Johnson became the Central correspondent. Fine succeeded Ward as host of the program in January 2009. In July 2010, THE High School Sports Show branched off into The Dru Nettles Show and a coach’s show in Central, The Sid Edwards Show, co-hosted by Steve Johnson. The Dru Nettles (radio) Show was broadcast live from Big Mike’s Sports Bar & Grill and was popularly received until the The Score, 1210AM pulled the plug on the show in November 2011, as a prelude to an impending format change in January 2012.
Fine had high praise for the people he worked with in setting up the program last year and will work with on a weekly basis on the program this season at Cox 4, including Jason Furrate, Eric Coleman, Lori Finta, Doug Hill, Nils Brekoff, Francis Hillyard and Sean Constantine. “They are as good and professional a group as I’ve ever worked with in broadcasting.” He also looked forward to having the program return to this station. “Cox 4 continues to develop a local sports presence in Louisiana. From Lee Feinswog’s popular weekly programming to high school football broadcasts to expansive coverage of LSU sports, and a lot more, Cox 4 continues to build upon an impressive sports presence in Louisiana. We’re looking, in our own small way, to help contribute to this station, which already has a growing lineup and following.”
Fine did note that although a large percentage of people will be able to view the program on Cox 4 in Denham Springs, not everyone in Livingston Parish receives Cox 4. “We encourage you to switch to Cox cable if you are not presently a subscriber. That way you can pick up our show and several other quality local programs that air on both Cox 4 and Cox Sports Television (CST).”
Fine said Coach Nettles and he looked forward to working with and was grateful to be assisted by Denham Springs HS principal Kelly Jones, Video Coordinator Josh Neal and DSAA Hall of Fame Coordinator (and former Jackets star football player) Jim Spring, all of the coaches in a variety of sports and others. Chris Ledoux returns for his second year assisting the program during show nights. And, WBRZ Productions was cited by Fine for its work with several sponsors’ commercials and the show’s closing, which Fine thinks can be “almost as enjoyable as the program.” Most important, Fine mentioned Big Mike’s Sports Bar & Grill for providing food to the set for the “pre-game meal” each Thursday night. Fine says for the second straight year he asked Big Mike’s to give him a free meal before all replays on Friday morning. Big Mike’s owners, Mike O’Neal Jr. and Jocelyn O’Neal, for a second straight year, declined this offer.
Fine is especially appreciative of the loyal sponsors his company has had on Jon Fine Sports Productions’ Denham Springs HS play-by-play broadcasts, and its preceding high school shows, who have continued to participate in the Dru Nettles Show. Plus, a number of new sponsors have joined in, for which Fine was very thankful. “Without our sponsors, there is no The Dru Nettles (television) Show, nor would we have had our prior programming over the last 18 years. Nor, could we come back with our Denham Springs Football broadcasts in 2013. Our sponsors have been largely responsible for whatever small success we’ve achieved. We hope that viewers to The Dru Nettles Show will do their best to patronize our sponsors when possible, and thank them for making The Dru Nettles (television) Show possible.”
What has Fine most excited is the unique opportunity that The Dru Nettles Show has afforded Denham Springs sports fans. “Other than West Monroe Coach (Don) Shows’ (television) program (in the Monroe market), I don’t believe there is another coach in the state that has his own television show (besides Coach Nettles). And, throughout the country, you will not find more than a handful of high school coaches to have their own weekly hour show… let alone in prime-time, on a prominent station like Cox 4, in a top 80 market in the country. This puts Coach Nettles and the Denham Springs Football program in rarefied air. As we head into our second (broadcasting) season (of the show), this is what I think is real special for Coach (Nettles), the Jackets football team and athletic program, the loyal viewers of the program and our nonpareil sponsors.”
An All-American running back for Tulane University in 1960 and a participant in several post-season all-star games, Tommy Mason became one of the first stars of the Minnesota Vikings expansion team in the NFL. The 6-foot-1, 195-pounder led the Vikings in rushing for two years and played in three Pro Bowls in 1962, 1963 and 1964. In his 11-year professional career with Minnesota, Los Angeles and Washington, Mason rushed for 4,203 yards, caught 214 passes for 2,324 additional yards and scored 45 touchdowns.
As a sophomore at Lake Charles High, Tommy Mason helped Coach Jimmy Austin's Wildcats win the 1954 Class AA state football championship as they rolled past Baton Rouge High 35-12 in the title game.
His older brother, Claude “Boo” Mason, and tackle Allen Stough represented Lake Charles on the Associated Press Sports Writers' All-State team that year.
Although Tommy Mason had more than 1,000 yards rushing in his senior season and led the state in scoring with 121 points, All-State recognition eluded him throughout his prep career. In his last two years, five of the eight backfield berths went to Baton Rouge players (including future LSU stars Billy Cannon, Warren Rabb and Wendell Harris) and the other three spots were split among Shreveport, New Orleans and Monroe.
Despite that snub, Mason was one of the state's blue-chip prospects in 1956—and Paul Dietzel of LSU gave it his best shot. But the Lake Charles star decided to follow his older brother to Tulane.
He excelled in three sports in high school, playing basketball and running the 100-yard dash in 10 seconds flat for the track team. But that wasn't good enough for All-State recognition against such talented sprinters as Cannon and Ruston's Pat Garret.
In his senior season at Tulane, Mason was the Green Wave captain and led the Southeastern Conference in both rushing (663 yards) and scoring (78 points, on 13 touchdowns). But Tulane teams coached by Andy Pilney won only three games in each of Mason's three varsity seasons.
In 1960, Mason averaged 58 minutes a game—playing halfback on offense and safety on defense. He gained 107 yards rushing in a season-opening 7-3 victory at California and helped Tulane hold Paul “Bear” Bryant's Alabama Crimson Tide to a 6-6 tie the following week. Alabama lost only one game that year, to Tennessee.
In its third game, Tulane fell to a strong Rice team, 10-7. but mounting injuries took their toll as the season progressed and the Wave won only two more games. Mason had 110 yards rushing in 40-8 rout of William and Mary, and led the Wave past Vanderbilt 20-0 for its only victory in Southeastern Conference play.
Despite the team's poor record, he was named to the All-SEC team—and Time magazine placed him on its All-America team.
The Minnesota Vikings, an expansion team in the National Football League, made mason the first choice in the NFL draft and later picked another member of the All-SEC backfield—Georgia quarterback Fran Tarkenton.
Cannon (who later opted for the Houston Oilers of the American Football League was the first player picked in the 1960 NFL draft and Mason was No. 1 in 1961, giving Louisiana a two-year run at the top. The Rams selected Cannon, but lost a court battle with the Oilers.
“I remember sitting in Lake Charles signing the contract and thinking how great it was to get paid that much to do something I enjoy doing,” Mason said.
His contract called for $12,500 the first year and $15,000 each of the next two seasons.
Mason's first NFL coach was Norm Van Brocklin, who quarterbacked the Philadelphia Eagles to the NFL championship the previous year and went directly to a head coaching position with the expansion Vikings.
Tarkenton passed for 1,997 yards in his rookie season and Mason ranked among the team leaders in four other categories. He was first in kickoff returns with 25 for 605 yards, second in punt returns with 14 for 146 yards, fourth in receiving with 20 catches for 122 yards and fifth in rushing with 60 carries for 226 yards and three touchdowns.
That added up to 1,097 all-purpose yards for a team that stunned the NFL by thrashing the Chicago Bears 37-13 in their first game. The first-year Vikings later beat the Baltimore Colts and the Los Angeles Rams.
The following year, Mason led the team in rushing with 740 yards and was second in receiving with 36 receptions for 603 yards. He also had 3533 yards on kick returns for a total of 1,696.
Mason became Minnesota's first All-Pro selection in 1963 with 763 yards rushing and 365 receiving, scoring nine touchdowns.
Fullback Bill Brown led the Vikings in rushing in 1964, but Mason had another solid year with 691 rushing and 239 on 128 receptions as Minnesota tied Vince Lombardi's Green Bay Packers for second place in the Western Conference. The Vikings won their last three games to wrap up their first winning season—8 wins, 5 losses and 1 tie.
Unable to develop a defense that could complement his offensive unit, Van Brocklin resigned in the middle of the 1965 season—but was talked out of it a couple of days later. The Vikings were 7-7 as Mason had 597 yards rushing and a career high 10 touchdowns and 341 yards receiving.
Throughout those first five NFL seasons, running behind a makeshift offensive line took its toll on Mason. He spent nearly as much time in Dr. Don O'Donahue's office as he did on the football field.
He later played as a spot player for George Allen's Los Angeles Rams and Wahsington Redskins. He was a member of the “Over The Hill” Gang (including Jack Pardee, Richie Petitbon, Diron Talbert and former Packer Boyd Dowler) that Allen assembled with the Redskins. But five knee operations and two shoulder surgeries took their toll. Mason was limited to spot duty in 1971 and was sidelined by injures in 1972, when the Redskins beat the Cowboys in the National Football Conference championship game and dropped a 14-7 decision to unbeaten Miami in the Super Bowl.
In 1973, after 4,203 yards rushing and 2,324 yards receiving in his pro career, Mason decided to do something else. He entered law school.
JON IS PROUD TO WORK AS A MARKETING REPRESENTATIVE FOR SPORTSRADIO-1310-KEZM-LAKE CHARLES, IN ESTABLSHING THE “DOLLAR A HOLLER” MARKETING PROGRAM AND HELPING SELL SULPHUR HS FOOTBALL BROADCASTS AND BARBE HS BASEBALL PLAYOFF BROADCASTS.