Mercer vs. Furman: it’s no ordinary football game

Bobby Lamb ’86 and Clay Hendrix ’86 grew up together as best friends in Commerce, Ga. They played on a high school state championship football team coached by Lamb’s father, and they both came to Furman to play for some of the most successful teams in Paladin history. They became assistant coaches at Furman after graduation, and Lamb was named Furman’s head football coach in 2002.

Bobby Lamb played at Furman and spent more than 20 years on the coaching staff before becoming head coach at Mercer.

They parted ways in 2006 when Hendrix joined the staff of the Air Force Academy. A few years later, in 2010, Lamb resigned as Furman’s head coach and accepted the job of starting a football program at Mercer University and serving as head coach. Hendrix, meanwhile, returned to Furman as head coach in December of 2016 after 10 years at Air Force.

On Saturday, Oct. 21 at Furman’s Homecoming, the two will once again be reunited in Paladin Stadium, but on opposite sides of the field. It’s Mercer vs. Furman. Lamb vs. Hendrix. And if that’s not enough intrigue for you, it’s an extremely important Southern Conference game for both teams.  Furman has won four straight games, while Mercer has won three in a row.

Hunter Reid, Furman’s associate athletic director for sports information, has been at the university since Lamb and Hendrix suited up for the Paladins. The week before the big game, he writes about what both men have meant to the Furman football program.

You can read Hunter’s reflections at furmanpaladins.com.