Morehead State will honor the achievements of former football standout Howard Murphy by retiring his jersey and hosting a dinner in his honor on the weekend of Sept. 9-10.
The dinner, which is free, will be held on Friday, Sept. 9 at the Morehead Conference Center from 5-7 p.m. All former football athletes and their families, especially those from the 1959-62 teams, are invited to attend as well as all community members wishing to share in this event.
To RSVP (deadline is Sept. 2), contact Kenna Allen in the Office of Alumni Relations and Development at 606-783-2824 or email k.allen@moreheadstate.edu.
A reception will open the event at 5 p.m., followed by the dinner and retirement ceremony from 5:30-7 p.m. Murphy will be posthumously recognized at halftime of the Sept. 10 football home opener versus Virginia Military Institute. His family and friends will be on hand to accept this prestigious honor.
"Howard was a trailblazer for Morehead State and the Ohio Valley Conference," said Director of Athletics Brian Hutchinson. "We are so happy that Mrs. (Jenny) Murphy and the rest of Howard's family have agreed to join us in celebrating his achievements. They can't be diminished, and we want the world to know what he means to the blue and gold."
Murphy's No. 33 jersey will be the 12th to adorn Jayne Stadium, joining John "Buck" Horton (51), Stanley Radjunas (32), Paul Adams (22), Vincent "Moose" Zachem (42), Joe Lustic (31), Dave Haverdick (77), Phil Simms (12), John Christopher (19), Billy Poe (67), Darrell Beavers (5) and David Dinkins (8).
Murphy, the first African-American athlete to play football at Morehead State, was a standout running back from 1959-62. The Springfield, Ohio, native was inducted into the Athletics Hall of Fame in 1990. Murphy rushed for 1,447 yards and 13 touchdowns in his time at MSU.
He was selected First-Team All-OVC in 1962 and Second-Team All-OVC in 1961 when he paced the conference with 6.3 yards per carry. He was also named a Little All-American in 1961. Murphy was also an accomplished track athlete, setting a then-OVC record with a time of 9.7 in the 100-meter dash.
