Arkansas Business

This story is from the archives of ArkansasSports360.com.

Sad news on the Razorback front as one of the great guys and former Hog Hal McAfee, the defensive star of the Arkansas-Georgia Cotton Bowl game of 1976, died of a massive heart attack at his home in Arkadelphia.

McAfee was a professor at Henderson State University. He was a product of Little Rock Catholic High School and starred at linebacker for Frank Broyles' last Southwest Conference title team in 1975.

Here is Hal's obituary.

I had the privilege in later years to meet Hal in another vocation/hobby he became quite fond of: acting. He starred in a version of "Inherit the Wind" at the Weekend Theater. It was directed by another good friend, John Haman. Hal had the role that, if you've seen the movie, that Spencer Tracy had in the film of the same name. Hal was terrific in the role, and it was as if he had acted all his life, though he said at the time he had just begun getting involved in community theater productions -- something he'd always wanted to do.

He also was an avid reader. 

Hog fans remember him, though, as the All-Southwest Conference linebacker who broke up Georgia's "shoe-string" play along with Tommy Harris and helped Arkansas rally from a 10-0 second quarter deficit to win going away, 31-10. That wasn't the only play he made in the game, but certainly one of the most significant, as he went on to earn Defensive Most Valuable Player honors.

He as eventually named to the Cotton Bowl Hall of Heroes for the 1970s and the Houston Chronicle's All-Time Cotton Bowl team. He was also an All-SWC Academic honoree and received the team's Red Hickey Razorback Spirit Award in 1975. 

He started in law school but gave that up to coach, starting at Arkansas as a graduate assistant. After getting his doctorate of Education at Henderson, he taught at the Arkadelphia school and was the chairman of the Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Athletic Training Department.

For several years he was the color commentator on Henderson State football broadcasts. 

Hal's birthday was last Thursday. His funeral is Wednesday at 1 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church in Arkadelphia. Visitation is from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Ruggles-Wilcox Funeral Home.

According to his obituary: 

Survived by his wife, Cindy McAfee and her children, Jennifer Rigsby and Matt Wilson, parents Harold and Barbara McAfee of Amity, brother Ted McAfee and wife Gayle of Dallas TX, and sister Rebecca McAfee of Little Rock, nieces Kristen and Kaitlin Sadler of Little Rock, nephews Shawn, Colin and Spencer McAfee of Dallas, 4 uncles, 5 aunts, and numerous colleagues and friends.

Memorial May be made to the following: The Wayne McAfee Scholarship Foundation, The Theater Department at Henderson State University, Arkadelphia, AR. , or The Arkansas Razorback Athletics Department, University Of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR