Wildcat Football Legend Inducted into Hall of Fame

June 25th, 2025

Pearl River Community College Athletics released its 2025 Hall of Fame class and 1974-75 gridiron great Stevie Moody was surprised to get the call, but he couldn’t have been more deserving.

Before playing football at Pearl River, Moody was a standout baseball athlete until a football defensive coach challenged him to step out on the football field. Moody took the challenge and ended up receiving several offers from Junior College programs, as well as SWAC schools.

Moody ended up choosing Pearl River as his destination for collegiate football. His first year in Poplarville wasn’t the smoothest, as a coaching change was made just before the season began. The team went 4-4 in the 1974 season before bringing in Hall of Fame coach JC Arban to set things straight for the Wildcats.

“We sat down with coach Arban, and he asked us questions,” Moody said. “He helped pull us together as a team. It wasn’t about your race or where you were from. We all knew we had different backgrounds, but we were trying to build a competitive team.”

Once the 1975 season officially started, Moody was a starter and was named one of three team captains. The ’75 campaign was a lot better as the Wildcats recorded a 7-2 mark while finishing one win shy of the South Division Title.

Moody’s sophomore campaign brought him All-State honors and he was invited to the JUCO All-Star game in Tupelo. After graduating from Pearl River, he went to Delta State to play football where he earned All-Conference honors, Defensive Player of the Year and an All-American Honorable Mention. He would go on to graduate and choose a career in the oil field where he’s had a 40-year career at Georgia Pacific.

Moody was given a pleasant surprise when he received the call telling him he was a member of the 2025 Hall of Fame Class.

“It was surprising when I got the call. I’m almost 70, so this was unexpected,” Moody said. “It’s hard to put into words, but it really means a lot. I was doing something that I enjoyed and never thought about accolades. I just went and gave 100 percent every time I was out there. I wanted to win.”

Moody joins a Pearl River Hall of Fame Class alongside football and basketball star Larry Brackins, women’s basketball coach Polly Kirkland Lavert and men’s soccer standout Stephen Kulikowski.