Gulfport Gridiron Club

Gulfport Gridiron Club The Gulfport Gridiron Club was established in 1947, serving as a gathering place which fosters socia The Gulfport Gridiron Club was established in 1947.

Since its beginning, the Club has served as a gathering place for followers of high school, college and professional football, regardless of team affiliation, along the MS Gulf Coast. This annual Fall tradition generally begins the first Monday following Labor Day and continues for 10 consecutive meetings. Each meeting consists of GridPicks, Game Reports and a Guest Speaker. Game Reports consists

of a member serving as a mediator as the scores for the high school, college and pro games played the previous week are read aloud. Members are encouraged to stand and give their version of their team’s performance that week. Eyewitness accounts are preferred but not required. The Guest Speaker is generally the highlight of each meeting. Past Speakers include:

Dan Patrick - ESPN Anchor
Mark Schlabach - Journalist/ESPN Analyst
Mark Gottfried - Pittsburgh Head Coach/ESPN College Football Analyst
Mike Slive - SEC Commissioner
Mike Ditka - NFL Hall of Fame Coach/Player
Pat Dye - Auburn Head Coach
John Cooper - Ohio State Head Coach
Joe Dean - LSU A.D. Billy Cannon - LSU Heisman Trophy Winner "Legend"
Archie Manning - Ole Miss/Saints QB
Phillip Fulmer - Tennessee Head Coach
Danny Sheridan - USA Today Handicapper
Jackie Sherrill - Pitt, Texas A&M and MSU Head Coach
Billy Brewer - Ole Miss Head Coach
Mike Dubose - Alabama Head Coach
Jeff Bower - USM Head Coach
Eddie Payton - JSU/Browns, Lions, Vikings
Jay Barker - Alabama QB
Shane Matthews - Florida/NFL QB
Bubby Brister - NFL QB
Joey Jones - South Alabama Head Coach
Michael Lewis - Saints WR/Kick Returner "The Beer Man"
Ray Guy - Southern Miss/Oakland Raider legend
Sammy Winder - Southern Miss/Denver Broncos
Deuce McAllister - Ole Miss/Saints RB
Eric Hill - LSU/Arizona Cardinals
Todd Wade - Ole Miss/Miami Dolphins, Jacksonville Jags
Hugh Green - Pitt/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Richmond Webb - Miami Dolphins OL
Vince Papale - NFL Specialiast - "Invicible"
Reggie Collier - USM QB
Robert Brazile - JSU/Houston Oilers "Dr. Doom"
John Bond - MSU QB
John Fourcade - Ole Miss/NFL QB
Marcus Dupree - Oklahoma/NFL RB
Dalton Hilliard - LSU/Saints RB
Hanford Dixon - USM/Cleveland Browns
Rick Cleveland - Clarion Ledger/MS Sports Hall of Fame
Jeff Duncan - Times-Picayune
Mike Triplett - Times-Picayune
Peter Finney - Times-Picayune
Barbara Dooley
Olivia Manning
Bonita Favre
Jennifer Hale - NFL on Fox Reporter
Head Coaches from the Big Three MS programs,
sports agents and numerous other retired players/coaches/sports writers/reporters. We also reserve one meeting for Father/Son night and have hosted such inspirational speakers as Mr. "Invincible", Vince Papale, and former Tennessee DB, Inky Johnson. The last meeting of the season is reserved for our Awards Banquet and also our Lady’s Night. In the past, speakers such as Bonita Favre and Olivia Manning have entertained our Club on this special evening. Each year the Gulfport Gridiron Club recognizes those in our local area that give of themselves during football season. Our awards include the Judge Gaston Hewes Scholarship Award, the Joe & Mitchell Salloum Award, the Joe Petro Award, the Paul Wright Award, the Clem Dellenger award, the Lindy Callahan Award and the John B. “Shorty” Sneed Award. The Club annually awards a scholarship to a graduating area high school football player through its scholarship trust fund, the Gulfport Gridiron Education Fund. Since 2010, the Gulfport Gridiron Club has been the presenting sponsor of the Gulfport P*e Wee Bowl for youth football in Gulfport. Meetings are held at the Gulfport Yacht Club just South of downtown Gulfport. There is a cocktail hour from 5pm-6pm. Dinner and program begin promptly at 6pm.

🏈 Gulfport Gridiron Club – Final Meeting of the Season! 🏈Tonight marks Meeting 10 of 10 for the season, and we’re closin...
01/26/2026

🏈 Gulfport Gridiron Club – Final Meeting of the Season! 🏈

Tonight marks Meeting 10 of 10 for the season, and we’re closing things out in a big way!

It is Father-Son Night – continuing one of our longest-standing and most meaningful traditions

🏆 Gridpicks Champion Award Presentation – celebrating our season-long winner

📊 Annual Business Meeting – proposing a new slate of officers, reviewing the Treasurer’s Report, and discussing takeaways from this season along with ideas to make next season even better

🎤 Guest Speaker: Daniel McCarthy - Daniel is the Deputy Athletic Director at the University of South Alabama. Daniel has been a key member of South Alabama’s senior leadership team since joining the department in 2008 and was appointed Deputy AD in 2017. He oversees the department’s externally-facing units, including corporate sales, fan engagement, brand advancement, and communications, while leading revenue generation through Jaguar Sports Properties. Previously, he managed business operations, academics, and compliance, and has served in leadership roles at the conference and national levels, including multiple NCAA committees. Daniel is deeply involved in Sun Belt Conference initiatives and university-wide strategic planning, bringing a unique perspective on the evolving landscape of college athletics.

We also want to send a huge THANK YOU to our Corporate Sponsors for their continued support of the Gulfport Gridiron Club. We couldn’t do this without you!

Looking forward to a great night and a strong finish to the season.

We are excited to welcome Joey Jones as our guest speaker TONIGHT for meeting 9 of 10 of the 2025-2026 season! Doors ope...
01/12/2026

We are excited to welcome Joey Jones as our guest speaker TONIGHT for meeting 9 of 10 of the 2025-2026 season! Doors open at 5:30 and dinner begins at 6:00.

Joey Jones is a graduate of Murphy High School in Mobile, Alabama and played college football at the University of Alabama under legendary head coach Bear Bryant. He lettered with the Crimson Tide from 1979 to 1983, graduating with a degree in Business Administration.

As a wide receiver, Jones ended his career at Alabama ranking third in career touchdown receptions and seventh in career receiving yards at the time. He was named All-SEC as a senior, selected to play in the Senior Bowl, and was later chosen as a member of Alabama’s All-Decade Team for the 1980s.

Jones played professionally with the Birmingham Stallions of the USFL and the Atlanta Falcons, who drafted him in the 1st Round of the 1984 NFL Supplemental Draft.

In 2008, Joey Jones became the first head football coach in the history of the University of South Alabama. He led the Jaguars from their inaugural season in 2009 through their transition to the FBS level and Sun Belt Conference in 2012. Under his leadership, South Alabama earned its first-ever bowl appearance in the 2014 Camellia Bowl. Jones resigned following the 2017 season and has since had coaching stints at Mississippi State in 2018 and 2023.

See attached for a list of our corporate sponsors!

And reminder that our final meeting will be on 1/26/2026 and will be Father-Son Night!

Address

Gulfport, MS
39502

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Gulfport Gridiron Club posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category