LITTLE ROCK — Somebody was late and the 7:10 a.m. twosome became a 7 a.m. foursome. First-names only on the first tee, they were Dwight and Mike.
Spend four hours commiserating over pushed tee shots and pulled putts and there is some sharing of personal info, including occupation. Turns out, Dwight coaches basketball and one of his former players, Marcus Britt, is a Razorback.
From there, the conversation moved to football in Forrest City, a long-ago supplier of Razorbacks. Forrest City’s basketball coach of 13 years knew there were four from the community on Arkansas’ unbeaten 1964 team. Dwight Lofton remembered Richard Trail, Jim Lindsey and Jim Williams.
Later, somebody came up with Jim Finch.
Just prior to that group, the community sent three-year letterman Ray Trail to Fayetteville and long-time Chicago Cubs shortstop Donnie Kessinger to Ole Miss.
Lofton couldn’t think of any Forrest City football scholarship players at Arkansas since brothers Harvey and William Hampton. At least, he said, there haven’t been any Razorback photos in the Mustang Hall of Fame since the younger Hampton finished up at Arkansas in 1978.
The long-dormant tradition is bubbling up these days and senior wide receiver Davyon “Sleepy” McKinney is hearing about it, even from strangers.
“He’s learning just by the people in town talking to him,” said Forrest City football coach Richard Trail. “He’s a sharp guy.”
Last month, McKinney committed to Arkansas. During the spring, right-handed pitcher Barrett Astin of Forrest City signed with the Razorbacks.
Local Razorback fans were enthusiastic about Astin’s decision, but Lofton told McKinney: “Barrett is going to be small compared to you because Arkansas is a football state.”
“He understands about being a Razorback,” Lofton said.
Prior to committing, McKinney was considering Ole Miss. The clincher, Trail said, was the trip McKinney and his mother made to Fayetteville.
“She had an absolute blast,” said Trail, whose father was No. 34 on the 11-0 team of 1964.
McKinney is one of those athletes whose statistics might take a hit during his senior year because of circumstances.
A senior and a sophomore are competing to replace the quarterback who did the chunking when McKinney caught 45 for 970 yards and 15 touchdowns. Plus, McKinney will be a marked man.
Already, he has seen some double coverage during 7-on-7 competition.
McKinney told the Forrest City Times-Herald newspaper that Arkansas is a “receiver’s dream.” He also said that he will be Davyon in the UA media guide, but “Sleepy” on the field. “I don’t think I’ll ever let go of that,” he said.
He comes by the nickname naturally — his eyes droop a bit and he looks like he’s about to doze off .
Lofton said McKinney’s intelligence will help him digest the intricacies of Arkansas’ passing attack and that his character is impeccable.
“You know where he’s going to be Saturday night at 11 o’clock,” he said.
He also says that McKinney understands there will be “six other Sleepys competing for the same spot.” The 6-foot-3 McKinney says the UA coaches want him to gain about 30 pounds to 210. He is supposed to run 4.49 in the 40. Immaterial, Lofton said.
“When people are chasing him, he never gets caught,” he said. In the Southeastern Conference, those doing the chasing are very fast.
HARRY KING IS SPORTS COLUMNIST FOR THE ARKANSAS NEWS BUREAU.