SFA Athletics Mourns the Passing of Lumberjack Sports Hall of Famer Jimmy W. Murphy
9/30/2026 9:35:00 AM | Football, General
Former football captain, NFL draft selection, regent and Distinguished Alumnus leaves a lasting legacy across Stephen F. Austin State University
NACOGDOCHES, Texas — Stephen F. Austin State University Athletics mourns the passing of former Lumberjack football standout, university leader and longtime benefactor Jimmy W. Murphy. Murphy passed away peacefully at his East Texas farm on Sunday, September 27, 2026 at the age of 91.
Visitation will be held Thursday, Oct. 1, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at Jackson's Burks-Walker-Tippit Funeral Directors, located at 215 E. Front St. in Tyler. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, Oct. 2, at Jackson's Burks-Walker-Tippit Funeral Directors, with the Rev. Russell Stewart officiating.
Few individuals have served SFA in as many ways as Murphy—as a student-athlete, alumnus, member and twice president of the Board of Regents, donor and dedicated advocate for generations of Lumberjacks.
Murphy transferred to SFA in 1954 and quickly established himself as one of the leading linemen in the Lone Star Conference. During two seasons with the Lumberjacks, he earned All-Lone Star Conference honors at tackle and was selected for the Dallas Morning News All-Texas Football Squad. His teammates chose him to serve as captain of the 1955 team.
Following his senior season, Murphy was selected by the Chicago Cardinals in the 22nd round of the 1956 NFL Draft, becoming the 258th overall selection. An injury brought his professional playing career to an early end, but the discipline, perseverance and competitive spirit he developed through football remained defining qualities throughout his life.
Murphy graduated from SFA in 1956 with a bachelor's degree in physical education. He later earned a master's degree in education from Sam Houston State University in 1959. After coaching high school athletics in Houston, he began a distinguished career in the life-insurance industry with Lincoln Liberty Life.
Murphy earned many of his profession's highest distinctions, including 44 years of qualifying and life membership in the Million Dollar Round Table. He also received recognition from the Texas Leaders Round Table, Top of the Table and Twenty-Five Million Dollar Forum.
His accomplishments in business were matched by a lifelong commitment to service. Murphy held leadership positions with the Business Benefits Corporation, Sam Houston Memorial Hospital's Joint Conference Committee and the Memorial Spring Branch Chamber of Commerce. He also helped establish the Spring Branch FFA and Livestock Show.
Murphy never forgot the University and football program that helped shape his life.
He was inducted into the Lumberjack Athletic Hall of Fame in 1979 and received the SFA Alumni Association Distinguished Alumni Award in 1987. In 1998, the university named the Jimmy W. Murphy Wellness Center in recognition of his service and support.
From 1995 through 2001, Murphy served on the SFA Board of Regents. His fellow regents elected him to leadership positions that included two successive terms as chairman. In that role, he helped guide the university while remaining a committed advocate for its students, faculty, athletics programs and future.
Murphy's generosity supported SFA scholarships, student-athletes, the Department of Athletics and, especially, Lumberjack football. In 2015, he was recognized as an SFA Gala honoree for the breadth and lasting effect of his philanthropy.
His most visible athletics legacy stands inside Homer Bryce Stadium.
Murphy provided a substantial gift supporting the stadium's 2021 renovation, which included a new AstroTurf football surface and improvements benefiting the surrounding Fletcher Garner Track and SFA's track and field student-athletes. In recognition of his generosity and lifetime of service, the university named the competition surface Jimmy W. Murphy Field.
Every Lumberjack who steps onto that field follows in the footsteps of a man whose association with SFA began as a student-athlete and grew into a lifetime of leadership, loyalty and giving.
Murphy's legacy reaches far beyond the honors bearing his name. It lives in the opportunities he created for students, the athletics facilities he helped strengthen and the example he set for alumni who seek to give back to SFA.
SFA Athletics extend their deepest condolences to Murphy's family; his friends; and the many Lumberjacks whose lives he touched.
