Bio

Clell Rosetti

Mississippi Gulf Coast Junior College (1966-1967) / Football
Biloxi, Mississippi

Another member of George Sekul’s back-to-back Mississippi Association of Junior Colleges championship teams, this Biloxi native took a similar path to Perk as did his teammate, fellow 2007 Athletic Hall of Fame inductee Kenneth Borries. After a standout career at Notre Dame High School in Biloxi, Rosetti decided to play football for Sekul at Perk.

“Perk was close to home, and they always had good teams,” Rosetti said. “The program was a good one, so instead of me jumping into senior college and not playing, I decided to play at Perk.”

As a freshman, Rosetti played safety and helped lead the Bulldogs to the 1966 MAJC championship, the first for Sekul. The 10-2 campaign was highlighted by a 33-0 thumping of archrival Pearl River, the first win against the Wildcats since 1948.

In his book, “Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College: A History 1911-2000," Gulf Coast archivist and professor emeritus Charles Sullivan described the win over Pearl River:

“A great roar swelled as the brand new bulldog mascot, Maxine, pranced in with her team. Bulldog Tommy Boutwell took the opening kickoff and stormed over the Rats for 75 yards and the game’s first touchdown. In all, the Bulldogs crossed the Pearl River goal line seven times and kicked three extra points. But two touchdowns were called back. Pearl River never drew blood. At the end, as the crowd counting down the 33 to 0 victory, President (J.J.) Hayden took the microphone in the press box and declare the following Monday a ‘victory over Pearl River holiday.’ The crowd went wild again.”

Although Rosetti had a solid freshman campaign, he wanted to play quarterback. In 1967, he got his wish, switching from safety to signal-caller on a 1967 team that went 9-2 and repeated as MAJC champs. During 1967, Rosetti completed 148 passes for 1,764 yards and two touchdowns.

“That was really exciting,” he said. “At Perk, the entire team was dedicated. Everyone followed the rules and played hard because we wanted to win. The whole team had the frame of mind to win. Coach Sekul was a heck of a coach. He was a good teacher and a good motivator.”

The winning continued as Rosetti signed with Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, La. At quarterback, he led the Lions to back-to-back winning seasons. But Rossetti said something was missing at SLU — the will to be the best.

“People weren’t as serious about winning at SLU,” he said. “We had a good time there, but we weren’t as focused on winning as you guys were a Perk.”

In 1970, Rosetti said he reached the crossroads of his life.

“I got several letters from the Dallas Cowboys,” he said. “They want me to try out for the team. But instead, I went back to Biloxi for family reasons.” Rosetti eventually took over Quality Poultry and Seafood in Biloxi, the family business created by his father and another relative in 1952.

George Sekul said Rosetti always fit the mold of “field general,” on and off the field.

“He was a great leader on the field in the classroom,” Sekul said. “His business continues to be very successful. He is a supporter of Gulf Coast, and certainly a leader in the community.”