Former Mississippi QB Jimmy Lear dies at 82

OXFORD, Miss. (AP) - Former Mississippi All-American quarterback Jimmy Lear has died after a brief illness. He was 82.

The university sent out a statement saying Lear had died Monday at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Oxford.

Lear is best known for leading No. 11 Ole Miss to a 21-14 comeback victory over No. 3 Maryland during the 1952 season. Ole Miss finished the regular season with an undefeated record (8-0-2) before losing to Georgia Tech in the Sugar Bowl.

The 5-foot-11, 172-pound quarterback from Greenwood, Mississippi, lettered three seasons under coach John Vaught from 1950 to 1952. He was inducted into the Ole Miss Athletics Hall of Fame in 1988 and the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in 1991.