Ouachita Athletics Hall of Fame
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"Magic Toe" Otis Turner was a football hero for the Tigers in the late 1940s.
In the 1949 Battle of the Ravine, Turner kicked what ended up being the winning field goal in the closing seconds of the one of the most celebrated games in the rivalry's history, that is for Ouachita fans. The Tigers beat the Reddies that year 17-14 after trailing 14-0 with seven minutes remaining.
Turner came to Ouachita in 1945 as a football and basketball player and had his career at Ouachita interrupted by an assignment in the United States military. As a freshman in 1945, Turner was an All-State end and also a member of the Tiger Basketball team. After his military assignment, Turner returned to Ouachita and was a second-team All-State end on offense and defense in 1948 and 1949 and also handled extra points and field goals.
Turner went on to become one of the state's best trial lawyers, basing his firm in Arkadelphia. He was later appointed to the Arkansas Supreme Court in 1990 by then-governor Bill Clinton.
Turner passed away in 2000.
Otis Turner entry in the Encyclopedia of Arkansas
