NATCHEZ — Eighty-seven year old Scott Galbreath Jr. and his family had recently finished four days of food, fun and festivities celebrating Christmas on Dec. 25, Galbreath’s 87th birthday on the 26th and his grandson Lane’s birthday on the 28th. And with cake still left on the table, they were about to settle in for a couple of days of New Year’s football watching when The Dart landed at Galbreath’s home on Concord Avenue.

“We have three TV sets in (the house) and at least two of them will be on football games,” Galbreath said.

One of those games, the Chick-Fil-A Bowl in Atlanta, especially peaked Galbreath’s interest, because his alma mater, Auburn University, faced the University of Virginia in that contest.

Galbreath was a member of the 1944 Alabama Polytechnic Institute (later changed to Auburn University) football team and scored two touchdowns in his career before his career was shortened by a horrific injury.

“We were getting ready to play Mississippi State, and they had a player who had scored several touchdowns on a (trick play),” Galbreath said. “And I was running that position (in practice), and we had a center named Tex Warrington, and he hit me and knocked both my shoulders out of place.”

Galbreath said that hit ended his career. He said football was brutal in those days.

“It was tough as hell back then,” he said. “Our helmets were folded up leather things that we held tucked up in our pants.”

Galbreath said he played wide receiver at Auburn, and he wasn’t very big, but he was fast.

“Coach wouldn’t put my weight on the roster, I was so small,” he said.

Galbreath attended Natchez High School before college. He said he ended up at Auburn because he wanted to go to veterinarian school, and his two choices were Texas A&M or Auburn.

“A&M said I was too small and wouldn’t talk to me,” he said. “But I was pretty fast, so I got a track scholarship (at Auburn), and I got over there and thought I ought to try football.”

Galbreath said he was the backup for the team captain Curtis Kuykendall, whose name happened to pop up during a recent football game on TV.

“Miami was playing (on TV), and they asked a question who had the most yards (gained) against Miami, and it was Curtis Kuykendall,” Galbreath said.

Kuykendall rushed for 307 yards against Miami during the 1944 season.

Galbreath did become a veterinarian and served during World War II. He stayed in the United States taking care of animals used for the war effort.

He later started his own private practice and, along with a couple of friends, built his own veterinary clinic from scratch. The building still stands on his property just outside his front door.

Galbreath was also a farmer and in 1979 he founded the Old South Winery. Galbreath said he and his wife of 62 years, Edeen Galbreath, love animals and they currently have four dogs.

Galbreath did receive a late birthday/Christmas present New Year’s Eve when his alma mater crushed Virginia 43-24.

Scott and Edeen have 22 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren, many of who were in town celebrating the holidays.