NATCHEZ — Former Sadie V. Thompson High School great and Jackson State alum James Barfield will be one of 55 Jackson State men’s basketball players to join the first Jackson State All-Legend basketball team.

At an athletic banquet Friday, Barfield, along with other former players, will be honored.

“I was shocked,” Barfield said. “I just wasn’t expecting it after all of these years.”

Barfield graduated from Thompson before playing basketball at Jackson State from 1957-1961. Barfield said he never missed a game in high school or college.

“I was bruised a little bit, but that didn’t stop me,” Barfield said.

Barfield said he was the first athlete to ever receive a full-ride scholarship to play collegiate ball from Thompson.