Hall of Famer Mason was a ‘prime athlete’ for the Rams

MOULTRIE – When John Wesley “Puddin’” Mason was inducted into the Colquitt County Hall of Fame in 2008, George Walker used a bit of rhyme to describe his former Moultrie High for Negro Youth football teammate.

“He wasn’t tall, but he could do it all,” Walker said of Mason. “He was a prime athlete.”

Mason, who died at age 89 on Oct. 15, was the school’s first four-letter athlete and was listed as a running back on the Rams’ All-Century Team.

A member of the school’s 31-member Class of 1950, Mason was an outstanding football, basketball and baseball player and also ran track.

He played both quarterback and running back for future Hall of Fame Coach A.F. Shaw. He also started at guard on the basketball team, played first base and center field on the baseball team and also found time to compete in the 100-yard dash and 440-yard relay in track.

Mason had been offered a scholarship to play football at Fort Valley State, but a back injury suffered during his senior football season kept him from competing.

He did earn a bachelor’s degree in health and physical education and a master’s in guidance and counseling from Fort Valley and also served in the U.S. Army.

Mason taught and coached football, baseball, girls basketball and track at Holley High School in Sylvester for 13 years.

He also taught at Worth County High and at Blalock Elementary School in Atlanta.

He later worked for 18 years as a counselor at Phillips Correctional Institution in Buford. He was named the Teacher of the Year there in 1993 and retired the following year.

Mason’s three sons attended Moultrie High with Wesley playing in the band, Darrell playing basketball for Coach Roy Saturday and Maurice playing running back for the Packers, wearing the No. 5 jersey his father had won some 30 years before.

He also is survived by his wife of 44 years, Gwendolyn Jeanette Mason.