The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1190316
Head coach Earle Edwards was a Penn State grad who came to Ra- leigh after a tenure as an assistant at Michigan State, and he filled his staff with his Nittany Lion and Spartan connections. As a senior, Gibson had won the high hurdles at the state track meet and was invited to visit NC State by the school's track coaches. Brewbaker, though, convinced Edwards to take a chance on Gibson. "Thank goodness they offered me," Gibson said. "It worked out, and I did well." He got a measure of revenge on the Heels, going 3-1 against North Carolina from 1957-60. "Beating Carolina three out of four years is probably the high- light," Gibson admitted. Officially, Gibson is listed as a running back in the school media guide. However, that is not an accurate description of a player who almost never came off the field. In 1958 and 1960, he led NC State in punt returns. In 1960, Gibson's four interceptions were tied for the team lead. In 1959, he caught 19 passes for 224 yards from legendary quarterback Roman Gabriel, leading the Wolfpack in receiving yards, in addition to pacing the team in kickoff returns. "I still have holes in my chest, he threw the ball so hard," Gibson quipped about receiving passes from Gabriel. Gibson would play in four postseason All-Star games after the 1960 campaign — the Senior Bowl, the Copper Bowl, the Coaches All-America Bowl and the Chicago All-Star Game, the latter of which pitted college players against pros. Gibson still considers that his crowning accomplishment in his time at NC State. He was courted by both the NFL and AFL in 1961. The NFL's Chicago Bears drafted him in the third round, and the then-Los An- geles Chargers of the AFL took him in the seventh. Despite being chosen higher by the NFL, Gibson chose the AFL — going with the Chargers who would move to San Diego in time for his rookie year. Financially, it made more sense to head to the West Coast. "I don't know if it was the No. 1 [reason], but money was a huge factor," Gibson admitted. "My coaches advised me to sign with the Chargers. The Chicago Bears didn't offer me very much money. I got a lot more playing in San Diego." From the 1920s through the '40s, there was a popular cowboy movie star in Hollywood whose proper name was Edmund Rich- ard Gibson, but when he was a teenager on the rodeo circuit he garnered the nickname "Hoot Owl." Eventually that shortened to "Hoot," and as an actor he was simply known as "Hoot Gibson." When Claude Gibson signed with the then-Los Angeles Char- gers, he was soon christened with the nickname "Hoot," a moniker that has stuck during a long professional play- ing and then coaching career. Gibson had some familiarity with the West Coast after NC State played at UCLA in the Los Angeles Coliseum in 1959 and 1960. Gibson was an instant success on the field. He recalled there was never any questions about him making the team, and in his rookie year the Chargers played in the AFL Championship Game, losing 10-3 to the Houston Oilers. Gibson had five picks in his debut campaign. During the week of that championship game, Gibson received a call at his home from someone he had not heard from much since he left Raleigh — his old coach Edwards. "When that game is over, you will be back in Raleigh, N.C., to get your degree," Edwards ordered Gibson over the phone. "He didn't give me a choice," Gibson explained with a laugh. "I said, 'Yes sir.' I'll never forget that phone call. I was going to go anyway, but he guaranteed it." After driving across the country in his new Thunderbird and finishing up his education degree, Gibson returned to the Chargers. He led the AFL in interceptions in 1962, with eight, one of which he returned for a score. One of the assistant coaches on that San Diego staff was Al Davis, who in 1963 took the head coaching job with the Oakland Raiders. That was the start of a legendary, Hall of Fame life for Davis, who in 1972 became the principal owner of the Raiders franchise. A Rich Football Life Claude "Hoot" Gibson Was A Do-It-All Gridiron Star For The Wolfpack, An NFL Player, And A Pro And College Coach Claude "Hoot" Gibson Football (1957-60) Age: 81 Living: Taylorsville, N.C. Occupation: Business owner/former coach Did You Know? After his college career concluded, Gibson was selected to play in four All-Star games. That was a school record that would only be tied by legendary quarterback and Gibson's former teammate, Roman Gabriel. JANUARY 2020 ■ 45 "My connection with NC State is most memorable, but more than that is the relationship you have with your team- mates and your coaches. Those are the days you don't ever forget." ■ Gibson