‘Football kind of drives the passion’
From Staff Reports
In the town of Lamar, “Football drives the community,” says Carlos Burgess, athletics director at Lamar High School.
“We stress academics first,” Burgess adds. “(But) in the community, football kind of drives the passion.”
Lamar High has produced at least five NFL football players in the past 30 years or so – linebacker Levon Kirkland with the Pittsburgh Steelers (class of 1986), defensive end John Abraham with the Atlanta Falcons (class of 1996), safety Mike Hamlin of the Dallas Cowboys (class of 2004), linebacker Marshall McFadden with the Pittsburgh Steelers (class of 2005) and B.J. Goodson with the New York Giants (class of 2011).
Lamar’s James Campbell played pro baseball for the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1970s.
“We have a pretty good history,” says Burgess, who has been athletics director at Lamar for two years and was assistant principal for 12 years.
Sports offered currently at Lamar High include football, girls varsity basketball, boys varsity basketball, varsity softball and varsity baseball.
Lamar celebrity Quincey Walker, who nearly placed first in CBS’ “Tough as Nails” reality series last year, played for the Lamar High football team, the Silver Foxes, in the ’00s.
Walker is a Lamar native who now lives in Florence and works in Darlington for Nucor Steel.
Walker claimed the No. 2 spot on the series, which concluded its season in December. Finishing first on the series that “celebrates everyday Americans who get their hands dirty” was Lia Mort, an ex-Marine from Pennsylvania.
She walked away with a $200,000 cash prize and a 2022 Ford Super Duty pickup truck.
“I knew that whoever won, they were worthy of winning,” Walker told the News & Press. “I don’t feel bad losing to Lia. She’s a phenomenal person.”