Darryl Stephen Regan —1960-62 Wildcat Football

   Back in the early 1950's, Steve Regan watched his brothers, Maurice and Arlin, and first cousin, Harvey Seligman, play football for the Pearl River Junior College Wildcats.
   Every fall he watched and cheered as the Wildcats annihilated opponent after opponent.
   He would look to the Pearl River sideline and dream.  He wished for the day when he would be a Wildcat, and he would play for Coach Dobie Holden.
   But it was only a dream, he thought.
   Young Regan was tall, lanky, and skinny.  His big brothers thought he was fragile.
   Oh, how things can change, and yet stay the same, in just a few years.
   By 1961, Maurice, Arlin and Harvey were in the stands, cheering on the Wildcats.  And it was Steve who was on the sideline next to Coach Holden.
   Dreams do come true.  Not only did Regan grow up to play for the Wildcats, he was a star and today he's in the Pearl River College Sports Hall of Fame.
   "PRC was an opportunity I didn't think I would have," said Regan, who makes his home in Calhoun, near West Monroe, La.
   "This is one of the greatest honors an athlete could have," said Regan.  "I'm so humbled by the selection.
   "I ow my success to my family, my Pearl River classmates, Coach Holden and God," said Regan.
  The Regans and Pearl River have long ties.  Steve's grandmother, Lucy Robertson Regan, attended high school at Pearl River before it became a junior college.
   Along with his brothers were many more cousins, aunts and uncles with strong Pearl River affiliations.
   Steve, the son of Margarete V. Smith Regan and William O. Regan Sr., was an all-state football player at Columbia High School, where he also lettered in basketball and track.  His senior year, he received Columbia High School's Athletic Award.
   "I built a good foundation in high school," said Regan.  "I believe athletics helped me become a responsible person."
   In the 1961 fall, Regan started his football career at Pearl River.  During his freshman year, under Coach Holden, the Wildcats posted a 10-0 record and captured not only the state crown, but also the national championship.
   As a freshman, he played defensive end and was named honorable mention all-state on one of the best teams ever assembled in the junior college ranks.  He scored three touchdowns that year as a defensive player.
   The Wildcats scored 446 points in 1961 and allowed only 47 points in 10 games.
   In 1962, he was a two-way starter at end and was the team punter, averaging 41 yards per kick.  He also caught 33 passes for four touchdowns.
   The 1962 Wildcats, with only six returning players from the national championship team, finished the season 6-4 overall and tied for the second place in the state.
   As a sophomore, Regan was named first-team all-state, Most Outstanding Lineman in Misssissippi, and was second team All-American on two gridwires as a defensive end.
   He was also selected as Pearl River College's Best Athlete in 1962.
   In 1963, Steve transferred to Northeast Louisiana State College.  He played offensive and defensive end and was the team's punter.
   During his junior year, he scored three touchdowns and averaged 21 yards per catch.
   His 1964 season at Northeast was shortened by an injury that required surgery.  While recovering from the injury, he was singed by the St. Louis Cardinals of the National Football League.  He reported to camp in July 1965.  "My pro career only lasted a year, but it was a great experience," said Regan.
   Regan received a business degree from Northeast, and today he is retired from Riverwood International in West Monroe.
   He and his wife, Catherine, have an 11-month old daughter named Hanna.
   His older daughter, Rhonda, graduate from Northeast with an accounting degree in 1993.  Son, Ryle, is presently attending Northeast.
   He is an active member of the First Baptist Church in Calhoun, where he has served as Sunday School teacher, Youth Committee Member, and interim director and usher.
   "Pearl River is a special place," said Regan.  "My dreams started and were fulfilled there.  PRC is always with me."