Jerry Lamb's teammates on the University of Arkansas football team remembered him as being a player who mostly led by example, but spoke up when the Razorbacks needed it the most.
An All-Southwest Conference receiver as a senior on the Razorbacks' 1964 team that finished 11-0 and won a share of the national championship with Alabama, Lamb died Monday in Little Rock. He was 78.
"Jerry was a genuine teammate that everybody respected and was glad to be with, but he was quiet," said Ken Hatfield, a defensive back and kick returner for the 1964 Razorbacks. "He wasn't a rah-rah type of guy. He didn't say much."
That changed at halftime of the 1964 regular-season finale in Lubbock, Texas, when the Razorbacks -- ranked No. 3 and needing a victory to clinch the Southwest Conference championship -- found themselves tied 0-0 with Texas Tech.
Some of the seniors, including Lamb, spoke to their teammates in the locker room.
"That was the most emotional I'd ever seen Jerry," Hatfield said. "He usually let his actions speak for themselves, but he was very vocal at halftime.
"Jerry took over the locker room and got up and said, 'We've come too far to have a letdown now. We're going to win this game.'
"It was totally out of character for him to take the floor like he did in front of the whole team, but I think it made such an impact on everybody when he did it.
"That game was over after Jerry's speech. When we went back on the field, Texas Tech didn't stand a chance."
The Razorbacks dominated the second half and beat Texas Tech 17-0 to earn a berth in the Cotton Bowl, where they beat Nebraska to finish as the nation's only undefeated team.
"I think Jerry was the most impactful leader of the 1964 team, because he was so respected for his football attributes -- courage, will, work ethic," said Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, a senior guard for the Razorbacks in 1964. "With that, he had the graceful skill and strength to combine it all on the field. That made him a great leader."
Jones said he and Lamb became close friends after meeting as freshmen at Arkansas in the fall of 1960.
"Jerry was my teammate that first day we met, and he remained a lifetime teammate for me," Jones said. "Of all of my teammates, he's been the most involved in counseling me since I've owned the Cowboys. He's been a real confidant.
"We had that kind of relationship for the last 60 years. I'm going to miss Jerry deeply."
Lamb was born Sept. 9, 1941 in Levelland, Texas.
A memorial service for Lamb will be held at 1 p.m. Friday at St. James United Methodist Church in Little Rock.
Lamb, who signed with Arkansas out of Houston Smiley High, became a successful businessman in Little Rock after his football career. He was inducted into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame and the UA Hall of Honor and was a member of the Razorbacks' all-decade team for the 1960s.
An All-SWC pick in 1963 and 1964 after being the conference's offensive newcomer of the year in 1962, Lamb in 2014 was honored as the Razorbacks' Legend at the SEC Championship Game.
"Jerry was one hell of a football player, I can tell you that," said Fred Marshall, the quarterback for the 1964 Razorbacks. "He reminds me of the receivers nowadays, the guys that are great athletes and make incredible catches.
"Jerry was like that, but more than 50 years ago. In my opinion his skill level could match today's receivers. He was fast and had great hands. If the ball got anywhere close to him, he was going to catch it."
In an era when teams had run-oriented offenses, Lamb caught 52 passes for 698 yards and 8 touchdowns in his Arkansas career.
Teammates recalled that Lamb's most memorable catch came in the 1964 game at Texas Tech when he scored on a 28-yard touchdown pass from Marshall to put the Razorbacks ahead 10-0 in the third quarter.
"It looked like a sure interception, but Jerry went up and basically stole the ball away from Texas Tech for a touchdown," said Jerry Welch, a guard for the 1964 Razorbacks. "He was just a clutch guy. He was somebody you could always depend on."
Hatfield said the Red Raiders had Lamb defended well.
"A cornerback had Jerry covered like a blanket and actually got his hands on the ball for the interception," Hatfield said. "But when they came down, Jerry had taken the ball away from him."
If the pass had been intercepted, Arkansas' lead would have stayed at 3-0 with Texas Tech having the ball and the momentum.
"Jerry's touchdown catch was the key play of the game," Jones said. "It turned the tide for us."
Before the NCAA changed its rules in 1964 to allow separate units on offense and defense, Lamb played defensive end as well as tight end and receiver.
"On the field Jerry was arguably as good a defensive player as he was an offensive player," Jones said. "He was really talented and very aggressive and very much into contact, which was unique for a graceful receiver."
Sports on 12/17/2019