CLAYTON ABBOTT
Football and Track, 1920-24
Inducted November 7, 1981

Another of the many Southwest Missouri State athletes who played a major role in the successful Bruin era in the early 1920’s was Stockton native Clayton “Cub” Abbott.  Abbott was a four-year letterman in both football and track from 1920 through 1924 and played on the last SMS teams in both sports before the Bears left the old state collegiate conference for the Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association.  The football Bears won 14 of 16 starts in Abbott’s final two seasons, including the famous unbeaten team of 1922 which rolled up 308 points and allowed but 18 in seven games.  Abbott was a guard on those teams and his solid line play was a major factor in the bear victories in those years.  In track, Abbott threw the discus and javelin and was a high jumper, competing on four consecutive state title teams for Coaches Arthur Briggs and Chester Barnard.