To an older generation, Bobby Huell was a lightning-fast, big-bodied running back who led Rosa A. Temple High School and Alcorn State to gridiron glory. To the younger generation, he was a coach who mixed a no-nonsense attitude with an equal amount of compassion.

To almost everyone in Vicksburg, he was an icon.

Huell, a longtime assistant football coach at Vicksburg High School, died today at the age of 65 following a battle with cancer.

Huell is survived by his wife, Julie Huell; children Angela Huell and Derrick Huell; and sister Pearl Harris. Funeral arrangements were not yet complete.

“Vicksburg lost a hero,” said former Vicksburg High head coach Alonzo Stevens, a lifelong friend of Huell’s who later coached with him for nearly 20 years. “Bobby could treat the weakest player with the same love and compassion as the strongest player. He was just a beautiful person. Everything I know and everything I am, I owe to him. He always pushed me to be better.”

Huell was a star on the dominant Rosa A. Temple teams of the late 1960s. He rushed for 35 touchdowns from 1967-69 — despite missing nearly one whole season to a knee injury — and was part of three Black Big 8 championship teams. Temple went 28-2-2 during Huell’s three varsity seasons.

Huell went on to star at Alcorn State and was signed as a free agent by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1974. The Steelers cut him during training camp.

Huell came on board as an assistant coach at Vicksburg High in 1990 and worked there through the 2014 season. At various times he served as the offensive coordinator, running backs coach and special teams coordinator.

“He was a great defensive coach, too. He was a total coach. He gave his all in everything he did,” Stevens said.

Stevens said Huell had been hoping to return to the sideline this fall, but his health took a turn for the worse in recent days.

“It was more the other things than the cancer. The chemo made him weaker,” Stevens said. “We were all hoping and praying he could coach this year. That was his goal.”