The newspaper clippings, many saved in a photo album by Guy Toph's wife, Marjorie, are fascinating. Year after year, the yellowed articles honor the names of boys who accepted the Guy Toph Award. Even better are the pictures - checkered polyester pants, afros, bellbottoms, wing-tipped eyeglasses.
Some went on to further their athletic greatness, others were happy taking other routes in life. Here is the rest of the story for a few Guy Toph winners:
BOB BELLE (1943): The Plant fullback joined the Army Air Corps right after football season ended, so when he was named winner of the award, he wasn't around to collect his trophy. Instead, Belle had dreams of playing for the University of Miami as he spent six years in the service during World War II. When he returned, though, he had lost too much weight to make Miami's team. He earned his teaching degree and later became Superintendent of the Pinellas County Regional Juvenile detention center. Last February, Guy Toph's son, Joe, was contacted and a surprise presentation ceremony was set up at Plant High. Belle, 78, finally received his award.
HAL "BUGGO" GRIFFIN (1945): After graduating from Hillsborough, the running back became a successful punt returner at the University of Florida. He returned to his hometown to coach at Brandon and Hillsborough, but while serving as assistant principal at Hillsborough, his life ended in an odd tragedy. On Oct. 1, 1975, at age 48, Griffin was shot and killed after a dispute over his admission to a football game.
LARRY SMITH (1964): Regarded as one of the top running backs to ever play in Hillsborough County, Smith earned All-America honors in high school after leading Robinson to its first state title game as a junior and scoring 29 touchdowns as a senior. He also was an All-American at Florida and was a first-round draft choice by the Los Angeles Rams in 1969. He finished his football career with the Washington Redskins in 1975 and has been an attorney for the Tampa firm Hill, Ward and Henderson since 1987.
EDMUND CLAU-VON NELSON (1977): After making his name as a bruising defensive lineman for King, Nelson signed with Auburn, where he earned All-SEC honors. He was drafted in the seventh round by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1982 and played every position on the defensive line for six years. New Orleans picked him off the waiver wire and cut him in 1988. After a year or two of trying to decide what to do next, he decided to go into insurance sales. He now has his own State Farm office in Pittsburgh and has three children.
DONALD "RECHE" CALDWELL (1997): Caldwell led the state in passing as a sophomore (2,445 yards) and made all-state as a senior at Jefferson. He signed with Florida, where he had 145 career receptions for 2,117 yards and 18 touchdowns, ranking him ninth in UF history for total yardage by his junior season. He decided to skip his senior season to enter the 2002 NFL draft and was picked in the second round by the San Diego Chargers. He is now competing to be the Chargers' No. 3 wide receiver.
