Before I get started on this week&8217;s &8220;whatever happened to?&8221; I want to pass on my sincere congratulations to a pair of great football officials.

The late Butch Lambert, Sr., and his son, Butch Lambert Jr., will be inducted into the National Football Foundation College Football Hall of Fame this year. I was lucky enough to come into the SEC while Butch Sr. was still active and officiated several games with him.

Butch Jr. and I worked many games together. I am proud of both of those men, both great officials.

The 1959 Natchez High School football team, coached by Jack Davis, was led into the Big Eight Conference Championship Game against Greenville by three future National Football League players.

Ends Allen Brown and Mike Morgan spent time in the NFL after their careers at Ole Miss and LSU; and Perry Lee Dunn followed his playing days at Ole Miss with six or seven NFL seasons, beginning at Dallas.

Dunn, who started every game except the first, during his four-year Natchez High career, played not only quarterback but starred on defense, kicking teams and every other special team as well.

He was thrown into the fire as a freshman when senior quarterback Dale Gallagher was injured. Natchez sports historian and Mississippi Sports Writers Hall of Fame member Glenvall Estes once wrote Perry Lee Dunn must have gained &8220;over 15 miles&8221; during his high school career.

Dunn was recruited for football by all of the SEC schools, but Ole Miss was always the leader, and had been since Dunn&8217;s childhood. It helped that several former Natchez High players were on the squad in Oxford, among them Butch Kempinska, Holty Warren, and Jerry Brown.

Dunn went on to quarterback the Rebel freshman team and played quarterback for Coach Johnny Vaught&8217;s varsity as a sophomore. With the emergence of Glynn Griffing as a quarterback the next season, coupled with Ole Miss&8217; need for a strong fullback, Dunn played that position the junior year and helped the Rebels to a share of the national championship with Ohio State. Moving back to quarterback as a senior, Perry Lee helped lead the Rebels to the SEC title.

The Dallas Cowboys drafted Perry Lee in the third round as a defensive back. He selected to play in the old College All-Star Game in Chicago. The Chicago Bears had won the NFL title the previous season, and were led in part by the great tight end, Mike Ditka. Dunn was given the assignment of covering Ditka and told to &8220;knock him down&8221; every play. Perry Lee said he never laid a hand on Ditka who scored three times against the All-Stars.

On the plane taking the Cowboy draftees to Dallas after the game, Perry Lee was told that Coach Tom Landry wanted to see him. Landry simply told Dunn, &8220;Forget defense. You are now a running back.&8221;

My thanks to Perry Lee Dunn&8217;s brother, Natchezian Robert Dunn, for allowing me to get in touch with Perry Lee. There will be more about this athlete but room demands it wait for another column.

And that&8217;s official.

Al Graning is a former SEC official and former Natchez resident. Reach him at

AlanWard39157@aol.com

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