A piece of Ole Miss football history was returned to its rightful owner over the weekend after an accidental discovery in Fulton.
Sharon Russell’s great uncle, Oscar Carroll, used to own a jewelry store in Fulton near where City Hall now stands.
Carroll would eventually close the store and move his business to his home where he had an office, where he continued to repair jewelry.
It was there when Russell was recently helping her aunt settle the family’s estate that they came across a safe containing a watch awarded to former Ole Miss quarterback John Blalack following the 1955 Sugar Bowl.
“We knew there was some information in the safe that we needed” to help settle the estate following the death of Carroll’s only daughter last year, Russell said.
In addition to family documents, Russell discovered a box which she put aside. A few weeks later they were curious and opened the box and found the watch with no band but otherwise in working condition.
“I found the box and looked at it but didn’t think much about it and just sat it on the table. Then, a couple of weeks ago my sister was over there and that’s when we saw it was from the Ole Miss Sugar Bowl," Russell said.
Ole Miss, ranked No. 9 at the time, played Navy in the 1955 Sugar Bowl. John Blalack, who played for the University of Mississippi during the 1954, ’55 and ’56 seasons, was the starting Ole Miss quarterback. Though his family currently lives in Pearl, Blalack shares hometowns with another Ole Miss quarterback. Both Blalack and Archie Manning are from Drew.
Ole Miss lost to Navy, but Blalack would continue his success at Ole Miss the following season, leading the team to a Cotton Bowl victory over TCU.
The Sugar Bowl awarded each player on each team a watch, a tradition that continues today.
Using the name and Sugar Bowl date on the watch, Russell and friends began to do research and traced the Blalack family to Pearl. Russell said they found the obituary for Blalack’s wife and learned that they lived only about 200 miles from Fulton. Russell’s cousin, Keith Blaylock contacted the funeral home from the obituary.
“The guy there that he was speaking with was real good friends with Mr. John and he said ‘I can’t give you his phone number, but I can contact them and have them call you’” Russell said.
Blalack’s son Mitch called Russell back and they arranged the return of the watch to the family in Pearl Sunday, Jan. 29. Blalack is not in good health, but the family is hopeful the return of the watch will lift his spirits.
“I want to deliver the watch to the family. It was their understanding it had been stolen. I don’t know how it ended up here,” Russell said. “I wanted to get it back to them because it belongs to him. I know it has sentimental value and it might bring back some memories to him,” Russell said.
“I’m returning a 68-year-old watch to an 89-year-old man and they both are still ticking.
Sharon Russell’s great uncle, Oscar Carroll, used to own a jewelry store in Fulton near where City Hall now stands.
Carroll would eventually close the store and move his business to his home where he had an office, where he continued to repair jewelry.
It was there when Russell was recently helping her aunt settle the family’s estate that they came across a safe containing a watch awarded to former Ole Miss quarterback John Blalack following the 1955 Sugar Bowl.
“We knew there was some information in the safe that we needed” to help settle the estate following the death of Carroll’s only daughter last year, Russell said.
In addition to family documents, Russell discovered a box which she put aside. A few weeks later they were curious and opened the box and found the watch with no band but otherwise in working condition.
“I found the box and looked at it but didn’t think much about it and just sat it on the table. Then, a couple of weeks ago my sister was over there and that’s when we saw it was from the Ole Miss Sugar Bowl," Russell said.
Ole Miss, ranked No. 9 at the time, played Navy in the 1955 Sugar Bowl. John Blalack, who played for the University of Mississippi during the 1954, ’55 and ’56 seasons, was the starting Ole Miss quarterback. Though his family currently lives in Pearl, Blalack shares hometowns with another Ole Miss quarterback. Both Blalack and Archie Manning are from Drew.
Ole Miss lost to Navy, but Blalack would continue his success at Ole Miss the following season, leading the team to a Cotton Bowl victory over TCU.
The Sugar Bowl awarded each player on each team a watch, a tradition that continues today.
Using the name and Sugar Bowl date on the watch, Russell and friends began to do research and traced the Blalack family to Pearl. Russell said they found the obituary for Blalack’s wife and learned that they lived only about 200 miles from Fulton. Russell’s cousin, Keith Blaylock contacted the funeral home from the obituary.
“The guy there that he was speaking with was real good friends with Mr. John and he said ‘I can’t give you his phone number, but I can contact them and have them call you’” Russell said.
Blalack’s son Mitch called Russell back and they arranged the return of the watch to the family in Pearl Sunday, Jan. 29. Blalack is not in good health, but the family is hopeful the return of the watch will lift his spirits.
“I want to deliver the watch to the family. It was their understanding it had been stolen. I don’t know how it ended up here,” Russell said. “I wanted to get it back to them because it belongs to him. I know it has sentimental value and it might bring back some memories to him,” Russell said.
“I’m returning a 68-year-old watch to an 89-year-old man and they both are still ticking.
