George Barney Poole, a former three-time All-America end and 1974 College Football Hall of Fame inductee, died Tuesday in Mississippi. He was 81 years old.

Taking advantage of eligibility policies during World War II, Poole played seven years of collegiate varsity football at three different schools – three seasons at Ole Miss, one at North Carolina and three at Army. He earned All-America distinction at Army in 1944 and later at Ole Miss in 1947 and 1948.

Throughout his tenure in the college ranks, Poole developed into one of the game’s greatest pass catchers, hauling in 52 receptions in 1947 alone, a remarkable number for that time period. He still shares the Ole Miss single-game record with 13 receptions in a 1947 game against Chattanooga. Opponents felt Poole’s impact on the other side of the ball as well. He twice made game-saving tackles late in the fourth quarter of the 1946 Army-Navy game, helping to preserve a 21-18 victory for the Cadets.

Born in Gloster, MS, Poole went by his middle name, Barney, and enrolled at the University of Mississippi in 1941. He starred on the freshman football team that year, one that was eventually split up by World War II but produced three future College Football Hall of Famers – Poole, 1966 inductee Charlie Conerly and 1984 inductee E. Douglas Kenna. Poole later enlisted in the U.S. Marine’s V-12 unit stationed at the University of North Carolina and played there in 1943. Following a three-year stint at Army in 1944-1946, Poole returned to Ole Miss for the 1947 and 1948 seasons.

Poole captained the South squad in the first North-South Shrine Game in 1948 and the National College All-Stars in 1949. He earned seven letters in basketball and eight in baseball, giving him 22 total for his college career. In addition to having Hall of Fame teammates, Poole played under two College Football Hall of Fame coaches – Earl “Red” Blaik at Army and John Vaught at Mississippi.

Following his collegiate days, Poole was drafted by the New York Giants in 1945 but returned to Ole Miss to complete his Master’s degree. He later played seven professional seasons with four teams, and then coached at both the high school and college level following his retirement.

In addition to his College Football Hall of Fame induction in 1974, Poole was also inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in 1965 and the Ole Miss Athletic Hall of Fame in 1987.

Poole is survived by his wife, Martha, a brother, a sister, two daughters and three granddaughters.