Bell- Dowsing Plaza to be introduced at the Egg Bowl
For those who don't know the backstory, Frank Dowsing and Robert Bell were the first two African American football players in MSU football history in 1969. They joined the varsity in 1970- that was back in the days of freshman football and only sophomores and above played on the varsity. That year, MSU went 6-5 and beat an all white Ole Miss football team in Oxford 19-14 and Dowsing had a key interception late in the game to seal the victory for MSU.
This Ole Miss team was Archie's senior year- he did not play in the Egg Bowl due to an injury and it was also the year Vaught had a heart attack. They were still a pretty good team and went to the Gator Bowl and beat Alabama and Georgia.
I'm assuming the plaza is the area in front of the Leo Seal Center but I'm not 100% sure on that. There is a ceremony at 4 PM on Egg Bowl gameday.
I think it's great that we are honoring these two players and it shows how forward thinking MSU is.
Still have my, ?give em hell Robert Bell!? Button
My daddy gave it to me. Will always remember sitting in his car in the driveway of my cousins? house listening to the OM game on thanksgiving day. They were Rebels and turned the radio off when it was apparent that State might pull the upset. Jerks.
That car nearly exploded when Frank Dowsing intercepted Shug Chumbler in the end zone to seal the W! 19-14 Dogs. Hail State!