GENE MAYFIELD - INDUCTEE #54
hall of fame fast fact:
Gene Mayfield wanted to play basketball at WT, not football. After the Quitaque freshman worked out a few times in 1945 for cage coach Gus Miller, however, the coach introduced him to grid coach Frank Kimbrough. "Then it dawned on me that Coach Miller figured I couldn't make the basketball team but might make the football team," Mayfield said.
Gene Mayfield
Gene Mayfield was an all-around athlete at Quitaque, where he lettered three years in six-man football before enrolling at WT.
As WT quarterback, he completed his career with a sensational 10-1 season, leading the Buffs to the 1950 Border Conference title while completing 78 of 153 passes for 1,359 yards and 11 touchdowns. In an era before wide-open passing attacks, he finished his WT career with 132 completions in 253 attempts for 2,114 yards and 21 touchdowns.
Mayfield was named to the Tom Harmon Little All-America team and Border Conference MVP.
Before returning to WT to become head football coach in 1971, Mayfield coached high school. Overall, his high school record was 178-71-8; four of his teams reached the state finals. He coached the winning team in the THSCA all-star game in 1963 and 1967.
The Texas Sportswriters Association named him high school coach of the year in 1970. Mayfield was 24-39-2 at WT in six seasons.
Mayfield retired in 1988.
