Hall of Fame
Jack Ball arrived on campus in the fall of 1959 after an outstanding athletic career at Tuley High School in Chicago, where he competed in football, basketball, and baseball. He saw some action as a freshman quarterback, but it was the next two years that he left an impact on Bulldog football. Mr. Ball quarterbacked the 1960 and 1961 Bulldogs to MIAA championships, and he was named to the first All-Conference team both seasons. The 1961 Bulldogs were the first university team invited to a post-season game, and they made the most of it as they defeated Parsons College 22-8, in the Mineral Water Bowl at Excelsior Spring, Mo. As a senior, Mr. Ball was on his way to recording his best campaign in a Bulldog uniform but in the second game that year he suffered a broken leg, which sidelined him for the rest of the season. Mr. Ball received a B.S.E. and M.A. degree in 1964. He then pursued a teaching and coaching career that started at Rich East High School in Park Forest, Ill. After two years in the Chicago area, he moved to St. Louis, where he served as an assistant and head coach at Pattonville High School for six years. He went to Parkway Central, first as an assistant and then as head coach for seven years. His 1976 and 1977 Parkway teams won conference championships. In 1976 he was chosen as St. Louis High School Coach of the Year after directing his team to the quarterfinals of the Missouri state playoffs. He was appointed as head football coach at tTruman in January of 1983. The 1985 Bulldog team won the MIAA title and finished eleventh in the final NCAA Division II poll. Mr. Ball was named Conference Coach of the Year. He was also involved with several football camps, including the Jim Hart and Ken Anderson camps.
