JAMIE CHAMPION 1961-1964
Jamie Champion knew the game of football was for him way back in elementary school.
As a sixth grader at Tolu in 1958, he started playing the sport on a team which consisted of only 13 players.
Though few in number, Champion recalls that group going undefeated that fall against a schedule which included other grade school foes such as Marion, Providence and Sturgis. He humorously recalls his career starting so long ago that his team still used leather helmets during that season.
“I loved football from the first day I played it,” he said.
Playing both tight end and middle linebacker, little did he know that the next six years would be the beginning of something special which would carry him to such a memorable gridiron career.
However, when his high school career began as a freshman in 1961, Champion was a member of a football program that had gone 5-33-1 since the consolidation of the Marion and Crittenden County high schools in 1957.
While remaining at middle linebacker on defense, Champion was moved to quarterback on offense for his freshman campaign. Despite finishing a disappointing 1-10 that fall, a highlight of that season was an 83-yard touchdown pass he threw in a 39-14 setback to Sturgis.
Unfortunately, the Rocket defensive unit struggled that season surrendering an average of 26.5 points per contest leaving them still in search of the program's first winning season since consolidation.
The following season, he passed for six more touchdowns on a team that finished 1-8-1 and tallied only 76 points the entire season.
Displeased with some of his team's poor blocking up front during those two frustrating seasons, Rocket coach Bill Huff chose to switch Champion back to tight end during the preseason of 1963.
“Coach Huff and I had a mutual agreement. I never did regret any position I played,” Champion said.
Champion began to produce dividends immediately, hauling in a combined seven touchdown passes over the first three contests that year. The winning streak reached six and some of the team's gaudy statistics during that run remain eye-popping over 40 years later.
During that perfect start, Crittenden destroyed their foes in yards rushing 2,005-428 while outscoring them 274-70.
While the winning streak came to an end with a 34-6 loss to Daviess County, Champion continued to demonstrate the versatility which made him a special player. Filling in at running back for the injured Jimmy Hopper (who was inducted into the Marion-Crittenden County Hall of Fame last year), Champion accounted for his team's only score while rushing for 170 yards on 38 carries.
But it did not take long for them to get back in the win column, upending Trigg County and Sturgis the next two weeks by a combined 64-20 score.
“That ‘63 team kind of brought the whole town together. We had right smart of confidence,” said the new Hall of Famer.
He also thought it was an advantage for the Rockets to fly under the radar that fall since the program did not experience much success in the first six years.
“We was a nobody. Nobody had even heard of us,” he said.
In his opinion, the ‘63 regional championship game against Murray High was the best game ever played in school history.
Battling to a scoreless tie against the visiting Tigers in the first half, the ballgame remained up for grabs heading to the last 24 minutes.
After falling behind 14-7 during the fourth quarter, the hosts forged a 14-all tie with three minutes remaining in the playoff thriller.
The game ended that way and since that was before the inception of overtime in KHSAA football, three factors were used to determine which team advanced to the state semifinal. Those included first downs, net yardage and how many times a team had penetrated the opponent’s 20-yard line.
While the squads had marched inside the opponent’s 20 three times each, Crittenden had the advantage in net yardage 252-242 and a narrow edge in first downs- 16-14 to gain the first post-season win in school history.
Louisville Courier-Journal Western Kentucky Bureau Chief Harry Bolser wrote, “Those Rockets could have beat Tilghman the night they played Murray.”
As great of an accomplishment as that was, Champion believes the team may have gotten too emotionally high and was not focused enough in practice the following week in preparation for the state semifinal matchup against Shelbyville.
While Champion hauled in a 25-yard touchdown strike to give his team a 21-14 advantage against Shelbyville, the Red Devils began to take command, outscoring Crittenden 25-0 the rest of the way to bring a halt to the first winning season in school history.
“We just made the trip. We were a lot better than Shelbyville,” he said.
After starting the ‘64 season 3-1, the Rockets lost five of their final six games to complete Champion's senior season with a 4-6 mark. While another tremendous season was probably not expected that fall, he attributed much of it to losing eight quality seniors to graduation from the previous season.
“It honors me to think they can still remember me,” he said about his induction into the Hall of Fame.
He also appreciates the sacrifices made by his family to ensure he could enjoy playing the sport he loved.
“My parents were behind me 100 percent,” he said.
Former teammate and 1998 Hall of Fame inductee Dwight Little remembers Champion's toughness and tremendous athletic ability.
“Jamie was a tough-nosed kid. He was one of the mainstays of that ‘63 team,” said Little.
Champion also had high praise for his fellow Hall of Fame inductees Denis Hodge and Chad Mott.
“Denis was a tremendous individual and a heck of a runner.”
Mott's father, Denis, and Champion were former high school teammates and remain close more than 40 years later.