A native of Pitt County, James Elton Speight was an outstanding football player at East Carolina College from his freshman year, 1955, through his senior year, 1959. Despite the Pirates’ losing records during his years of play, Speight excelled in game after game, contributing impressively to the overall performance of the team. While at ECC, Speight was also a cadet in the Air Force ROTC program. After graduating, he completed a master’s degree in education at ECC, with a concentration in math. He went on to serve twenty-six years in the military before retiring in Colorado in 1981.
During his career in the military, Speight served as an assistant professor of aerospace studies at UNC-Chapel Hill during the mid-1970s. In 1974, Speight – then known as “Major ‘Bulldog,’” a reference to his rank at the time – coached the Air Force Aces football team to victory over the Navy Anchor Clanckers, 27-2, in the annual UNC-ROTC football classic.
Before East Carolina, Speight distinguished himself as captain of the Greenville High School football team. He was an All-Conference player for two years, and All-Eastern his senior year. Speight played in two post-season games, the Shrine Bowl and the East-West game. At ECC, Speight was named an All-Conference player in 1957. He also earned a spot on the NAIA All-Conference team. Even as a freshman, Speight was the top ground gainer for the Pirates.
Recognizing his talent on the field, Speight was named “Outstanding Senior,” “Outstanding Player,” and recipient of the “Rawl Memorial Trophy.” At ECC, he rushed for 2,700 career yards.
Speight most stellar performance was in 1959 when he scored four touchdowns and a two-point conversion, totaling 26 points in the game against Norfolk Navy. Speight was inducted into the ECU Athletics Hall of Fame in 1981. His jersey number “29” is one of only three to be retired in Pirate football history.
Sources
- Crutchfield, Evelyn. “Thirty-eight Seniors Represent EC In ‘Who’s Who.’” East Carolinian. Vol. 35, No. 11. December 17, 1959. P. 4. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/38646
- “Football.” Buccaneer. 1958. P. 314. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/15309
- “James Speight.” ECU Athletics Hall of Fame. https://ecupirates.com/hof.aspx?hof=127
- “James Elton Speight.” Buccaneer, 1959: Special Golden Alumni Reunion Edition. http://www.piratealumni.com/s/722/images/editor_documents/pdf/091016MemoryBookFor1959.pdf
- “Kappa Sigma Nu.” Buccaneer. 1958. P. 303. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/15309
- “Player of the Week.” East Carolinian. Vol. 33, no. 3. October 3, 1957. P. 3. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/38433
- “Running At Halfback.” East Carolinian. Vol. 32, No. 7. November 1, 1956. P. 3. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/38409
- “ROTC enrollment falls.” Daily Tar Heel. September 6, 1974. P. 1.
- Shadroui, Mike. “Air Force sinks Navy in ‘campus classic.’” Daily Tar Heel. November 5, 1974. P. 5.
- “Speight … Back In Action After Injury.” East Carolinian. Vol. 34, no. 5. October 23, 1958. P. 5. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/38611
- “Speight, Bass Lead Devastating Comeback.” East Carolinian. Vol. 35, no. 4. October 8, 1959. P. 4. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/38639
- “Summer Duty Given Cadets From East Carolina.” Rocky Mount Evening Telegram. May 22, 1958. P. 5A.
- “Superior Cadets Rewarded For AFROTC Academics.” East Carolinian. Vol. 33, no. 19. March 20, 1958. P. 3. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/38596
- “Sweet Chariot.” Daily Tar Heel. August 25, 1975. P. 20.
- “The Air Force Pilot Has It Made.” Daily Tar Heel. October 15, 1974. P. 5.
- “Who’s Who.” Buccaneer. 1960. P. 251. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/15311
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Citation Information
Title: James Speight
Author: John A. Tucker, PhD
Date of Publication: 7/12/2019