Believe it or not, many famous figures are buried in Big Country cemeteries. If you’re a football fan, then the name Sammy Baugh probably rings a bell. Baugh left a legacy behind in the Big Country.

As the Sweetwater Mustangs take the field each Friday night, a legend watches over from the end zone. Samuel Adrian Baugh was born on a ranch near Temple, Texas on March 17, 1914. Baugh died on December 17, 2008 and is buried at Belvieu Cemetery in Rotan, Texas. Sammy Baugh began his football career in the Big Country at the age of 16 when his family moved to Sweetwater, Texas. Baugh attended Newman High School where he was the quarterback of the football team. He used a unique practice method to master the art of passing. Baugh would suspend an automobile tire casing from a tree limb and swing it in a long arc. He’d then back up 10-20 yards and attempt to pass the ball through the tire as it would swing from side to side. Thus, the nickname ‘Swingin’ Sammy Baugh’ was decided upon by a Texas sportswriter.

Sammy Baugh continued his football career at Texas Christian University. He was picked up by the Washington Redskins in 1937. Baugh was not only a valuable player, but a valuable coach. He coached football for Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, the New York Titans, and the Houston Oilers.

In 2005, Kent Jackson was the head coach of the Sweetwater Mustangs. He, along with Sweetwater ISD and the Chamber of Commerce decided to host a series of football games in honor of Sammy Baugh with the first ever Sammy Baugh Classic.

“That just seemed like the right thing to do,” Jackson said.

With Baugh’s exceptional talent, Jackson said that choosing to name the classic after him was an easy decision.

“It’s just funny that I still hear stories about him,” Jackson said. “I hear stories about the way he played, he’d punt the ball almost as good as he could throw it. Sammy Baugh’s the obvious choice,” Jackson continued. “Also to have a legend like that, that bowl’s kind of a historic place, a kind of legendary place. I think tying a legend like Sammy Baugh’s name in to a classic like that is very fitting.”

Coach Jackson has coached across Texas, and has seen many talented players, but none compare to the legacy that Sammy Baugh left behind.

“I certainly haven’t,” Jackson said. “It’s kind of amazing when you look back on that time and what all those guys did; and to have one like that from that area, he left quite a legacy for sure.”

Jackson says that being able to help found the Sammy Baugh Classic was one of the highlights of his coaching career while in Sweetwater.

“Being able to carry the torch there anytime like we did was a blessing within itself,” Jackson added.

In 2006, Sammy Baugh’s jersery was retired and no Mustang has worn the number 21 in ten years.

Sammy Baugh died in 2008 at the age of 94. He battled numerous health issues toward the end of his life, including Alzheimer’s disease, kidney problems, low blood pressure and double pneumonia.

In 2009, a sign was revealed in the south end zone with Sammy Baugh’s number. Although gone, Sammy Baugh is not forgotten, especially in the football community.