Jackie Moreland

Background

Moreland was one of six children of James Burgess "Jimmy" Moreland (1891-1974), originally from Arcadia in Bienville Parish in northwestern Louisiana, and the former Lucille Wade (1902-1994), a native of neighboring Claiborne Parish. An older brother, Lloyd Winston Moreland (1928-2002), who was an electrician, is interred beside his wife, the former Betty Virginia Almond (1931-2007) at Arlington Cemetery in Homer, where the couple had resided. His other siblings were Ralph Moreland (1935-2016) of Rogers, Arkansas, Edd Moreland of Union City, Tennessee, Joe Moreland of Ruston, Juanita McAdoo of Shreveport, and Marlene Gill of Houston, Texas.

Minden High School

In 1954, Moreland transferred from the since disbanded high school in the Harris Community of Claiborne Parish to Minden High School in Minden in Webster Parish in northwestern Louisiana. He played in 1955 and 1956 for the Minden Crimson Tide under Coach Cleveland S. "Cleve" Strong (1923-2008). He was the first from his school to be named "All American" in basketball. He was honored as "Most Valuable Player" by the Minden Junior Chamber International.

In 1955, he was named the "most outstanding history student" at Minden High School. He served as the president of his junior and senior classes and the student council. He was a delegate to Pelican Boys State at the end of his junior year. He was the 1956 MHS class salutatorian.

At Minden High School, Moreland averaged 60 percent from the floor, 90 percent from the free throw line, and 21.3 points and 26 rebounds per game. He set a Louisiana state record for making 27 consecutive free throws in a row. As of 2011, Moreland's 5,030 career high school points still ranked as the fourth-highest total for a high school basketball player in the United States. On April 2, 1956, Minden High School retired Jackie Moreland's number #44 marking the first time the high school bestowed this honor on one of its former athletes.

Moreland was a first baseman on Minden's baseball team where he led the team to an 18-2 record during his junior year.

Recruiting, semester at North Carolina State

Jackie Moreland was one of the most sought after basketball recruits in the nation with Kentucky, Texas A&M, North Carolina State, and Centenary College all seeking Moreland's services. All except Centenary eventually received NCCA probation for offenses related to the recruiting of Moreland. Although he was certainly taken advantage of to some extent, Moreland was also not without blame - A&M coach Ken Loeffler reported (in a SPORT magazine article by noted Atlanta journalist Furman Bisher in 1957) that the first thing Moreland said to him when he arrived at College Station for a campus visit was "What's the offer?". Moreland decided to enroll at North Carolina State, but never played a game with the Wolfpack. North Carolina State had allegedly offered Moreland cash and gifts including $1,000 cash, travel expenses, and a 7-year medical scholarship for his girlfriend in order to entice him to attend the university. Moreland was declared ineligible at North Carolina State for one year after recruiting violations involving Moreland and the university were discovered.

Moreland became a three-time All-American player while at Louisiana Tech University in Ruston under Coach Cecil C. Crowley.

His 1,419 collegiate points was the fourth highest in the history of Louisiana Tech, despite playing for only three, instead of the customary four, years for the Bulldogs. He completed three and a half-years at Tech, earning his bachelor of science degree in civil engineering. Moreland was also a three-year letterman for Louisiana Tech's baseball team from 1958 to 1960.

1957–58 Season

After attending North Carolina State for a semester, Moreland transferred to Louisiana Tech, where he played in the Gulf States Conference. Moreland led Louisiana Tech in points and rebounds as Tech went 15-10 in his first year with the Bulldogs. He was named a UPI 2nd Team All-American and a member of the All-Gulf States Conference team.

During the season, Moreland set numerous single-game and single-season scoring and rebounding records. In 25 games, he scored 602 points which still stands as the record for most points by a Louisiana Tech Freshman in a single season. Moreland also netted 348 rebounds in 1957-58, a record that he broke the following season. He also set Freshmen records for most field goals made (218), field goal attempts (518), free throws made (166), and free throw attempts (218).

On December 10, 1957, Moreland scored 43 points against Arkansas Tech, a Louisiana Tech record that was not broken until Mike Green scored 47 points against Lamar on January 22, 1973. He also set single-game records that night for most free throws made (19), and free throws attempted (21) for any Louisiana Tech player. One week later against Eastern New Mexico, he scored 41 points which was the second-highest total by a Tech player in a single game. He also set single-game records for most field goals made (19) and field goal attempts (33) that stood until Mike Green broke both records during the 1972-1973 season.

1958–59 Season

Moreland's second season at Louisiana Tech resulted in greater success for the Bulldog team and more individual honors for Moreland. He led the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs to the second 20-win season in the team's history. The Bulldogs finished the season with a 21-4 record, three victories in the Gulf South Classic against William & Mary, Northwestern State University at Natchitoches, Louisiana, and Virginia Tech, and the Gulf States Conference Title. Moreland was named a UPI Small College All-American (1st Team) and a member of the All-Gulf States Conference team marking the second straight year he received All-American and All-GSC honors. For a second straight season, Moreland led the Bulldogs in points (528) and rebounds (468). His rebounding total for the 1958-1959 season is still the all-time record for a Tech player in a single season.

Joining Moreland in receiving All American status was fellow Bulldog Ray Germany, later a basketball and baseball coach at Moreland's alma mater, Minden High School.

Professional basketball career

Moreland is the only Minden High School graduate to have thus far played in the National Basketball Association. He was selected by the Pistons in the first round of the 1960 NBA Draft and remained with the team until 1965. He was the fourth selection overall, after Oscar Robertson, and Jerry West, and Darrall Imhoff. From 1967 to 1970, he played for the ABA's New Orleans Buccaneers. His 5,030 points scored during his high school career, still ranks 4th as most points ever scored in high school basketball.

Retirement and death

In 1970, Moreland said that he had "no regrets" regarding his eight-year sports career despite the recruitment issues: "I received a good education, was a No. 1 draft choice in the pros, and had a good pro-basketball career.".

After he retired from basketball, he was a project engineer on the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, having been employed for the preceding year by Shilstone Laboratory.

In August 1971, Moreland, at the age of thirty-three, experienced severe stomach pains and was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. The disease spread to the liver, the stomach, and throughout his whole body. Medical bills soared, and friends from across the state and from Detroit contributed to a fund to sustain the young family.

Moreland died in intense pain on December 19, 1971 in the new family home in New Orleans. He was survived by his wife, the former Jeanette "Jenny" Woodard (born August 14, 1939), a champion swimmer, beauty contestant, singer/dancer, and a 1957 graduate of Minden High School; two children, Jennifer "Jenna" Moreland Litschewski (born 1961) and James Steven "Jamie" Moreland (born 1965) of Shreveport. Kerry B. Garland from the Minden Press-Herald commented, "The victory bell hangs silent in Minden today; the hero is dead. Cancer's inexorable finality has humbled Jackie Moreland; something no athlete could do."

Services were held in the First Baptist Church of Minden. Moreland is interred with his parents at Bethlehem Cemetery between Minden and Homer, Louisiana. Jeanette Moreland subsequently married the state political figure Edward Kennon, nephew of the former Governor Robert F. Kennon, from whom she was subsequently divorced.

Moreland was inducted posthumously into the Louisiana Basketball Hall of Fame in ceremonies held in Natchitoches. His widow, since remarried, accepted the award for the family.

Moreland was enshrined as a charter member of the Louisiana Tech University Athletic Hall of Fame in 1984. Louisiana Tech University maintains a Jackie Moreland Scholarship Fund.