Mackie Freeze, known today as a sideline icon at Richwood (La.) High, had already established his credentials during a memorable stint as a student athlete at Grambling.Freeze had previously coached at Montgomery (La.) High before his stay on the bench with the Rams. He retired to become an assistant principal at Richwood, and later worked for the city of Monroe.Freeze was a standout pitcher, helping the Tigers win 120 of 137 baseball games over his final three college seasons. That included Grambling's first-ever national NAIA championship under the late coach R.W.E. "Prez" Jones, who was also the school's second president.
Jones had first spotted Freeze trying out a curve ball in the yard. "Boy, you're a pitcher," Freeze remembers "Prez" saying. Was he ever. Freeze never lost a game on the mound at Grambling, and even subbed — though, at Jones' direction, quite sparingly — as a guard on the football team under Eddie Robinson.
That two-sport effort has helped earn Freeze induction into the Grambling Legends Hall of Fame, in ceremonies to be held at 6 p.m. Saturday, July 17, 2010, at the Monroe Civic Center in Monroe, LA. Admission is $60 per person, and $500 for a table of eight, with all proceeds going to the non-profit Legends group for distribution in support athletics at Grambling. Tickets can be purchased at the Monroe Civic Center box office. Call 329-2837.
The Dodgers baseball organization actually signed Freeze out of college, where he said he participated in training camp with Jackie Robinson, Pee Wee Reese and Roy Campanella. But the son of Sterlington's Jhonnie and Mamie Freeze always wanted to work with young people.
Coaching at Richwood for 13 seasons ending in 1967, he guided scores of youth to Grambling — among them Goldie Sellers, a two-time all-conference honoree; Charles "Tank" Smith, part of Philadelphia's 1980 Super Bowl squad; and Amos Augustine, a member of the team that earned Robinson his historical 200th career win.
"If kids knew that you loved them, they would do anything for you," Freeze said. "If they don't love you, you can't win." And win, they did.
Freeze earned victory in 116 of 139 prep football games at Richwood, including a staggering 66 in a row. His Rams claimed four consecutive state titles from 1961-64, though the last was won by forfeit — so Freeze never counted it. They were also district champions from 1960-62.
"We were pretty good, though we didn't get as much coverage back then," said Sellers, who then helped Grambling to a league title 1965 and became a Super Bowl champion with the Kansas City Chiefs four seasons later. "A lot of those guys didn't have fathers, so guys like Coach Freeze and Coach Robinson were our father figures. The things that they taught us eventually helped us so much."
That started with building out from nothing. Freeze was handed $300 in 1954 and asked to start a football program at Richwood, south of Monroe. Freeze would pull out a paddle he carried with him, this attention-grabber called "Papa." More important than the wins to Freeze now, is this: Some 65 southside youngsters found their way to college on athletic scholarships. In all, 11 of his players who were drafted or signed to pro football contracts.
He called on north Louisiana coaching legends like Neville High's Bill Ruple, who Freeze said donated football pants to the fledgling team. He got shoulder pads, he said, from West Monroe High. Despite those struggles, Freeze never coached a losing season.
"They were good country boys," Freeze said, "boys who wanted to play. The first boy I had go to college, (eventual Richwood coaching successor) Eugene Hughes, walked 5 or 6 miles to school every day. He used to pick cotton after practice." Football, then, was a respite.
As long as it was well played.
Even as Richwood won, and won and won, Freeze standards couldn't be lowered. His diamond-hard gaze toward future success never wavered. Sometimes, Freeze could sense a lack of focus, prior to kickoff — or even with a sizeable lead. That wouldn't do.
Freeze would pull out a paddle he carried with him, this attention-grabber called "Papa." "His method of coaching included hard times," said former Richwood standout Don Zimmerman, a teammate of "Tank" Smith's on that 1980 NFC champion Eagles team, chuckling.
"But as you get older, you look back and see what Coach was trying to do. He was trying to teach us that life is not a bed of roses. You have to work hard. That was one thing he instilled in everybody who played for him."
More important than the wins to Freeze now, is this: Some 65 southside youngsters found their way to college on athletic scholarships. In all, 11 of his players who were drafted or signed to pro football contracts.
Freeze had previously coached at Montgomery (La.) High before his stay on the bench with the Rams. He retired to become an assistant principal at Richwood, and later worked for the city of Monroe.
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For details on the event and the Grambling Legends Sports Hall of Fame's 14 other inductees, go to www.gramblinglegends.net.
