Former Hog, Olympian Clyde Scott passes away

Only two numbers in Arkansas Razorback football history has ever been retired.

One of them, No. 12, was Clyde Scott, a former two-sport athlete at Arkansas and a silver medalist in the 1948 Olympics.

News of his death became known Monday. He was 93.

Scott played football and ran track for the Arkansas Razorbacks. He first went to the Naval Academy, but love brought him back to Arkansas … that was love for his future wife, the former Leslie Hampton of Lake Village.

John Barnhill recruited the Smackover native to Arkansas. When Bear Bryant came to the Union County oil boom town to try and recruit Clyde, his mother chewed the Fordyce native out for not going to Arkansas.

Years later, his message is one every potential home-grown Razorback might want to consider: “I wanted to play at home, do something in front of the folks I grew up with.”

When Frank Broyles was spending a lot of time in the Kansas City suburb of Shawnee Mission, Kansas, in 1973 trying to convince Steve Little to come to Fayetteville, he put in a call to Scott.

He wanted to check with him about allowing his number to come out of retirement for a likely All-American player.

Scott didn’t hesitate. He gave Broyles the green light and Little had All-American seasons kicking and punting for the Hogs.

It was the only time a retired number was activated.

Scott lettered in football in 1946, 1947 and 1948 for the Razorbacks and played five seasons in the NFL.

He ran the 110-meter hurdles in track. He finished second to Bill Porter in the London Olympics.