Official SMU centennial historian Darwin Payne with his new book, “In Honor of the Mustangs.” (MICHAEL DANSER/The Daily Campus)

“I’ve been following SMU athletics since 1935 when SMU defeated TCU,” Southern Methodist University alumnus Robert Muchmore said. “Mayor Sprague and his family were members of my church. My Sunday school teacher was John “Johnny” Franken Sprague.”

“Johnny was quite the gentle giant with a big smile, co-captain of the SMU team that played the Rose Bowl,” Muchmore continued. ” When World War II came everybody went. I served with Johnny and he was the second or third man on shore at the invasion of Italy.”

“He gave his body to shield a fellow soldier from the Italian police,” Muchmore said. “I’ve been welded to the SMU football program ever since.”

Muchmore demonstrated his support for the Mustangs at Darwin Payne’s “In Honor of the Mustangs: The Centennial History of SMU Athletics, 1911-2010” book signing yesterday in Ford Stadium.

Muchmore joined with other Mustang fans including students, SMU alumni and community members.

“We’re season ticket holders and we like to come out and support SMU,” Park Cities resident David Upchurch and his wife said.

Darwin Payne, the author, and Gerry York, who picked out all 615 photos in the book, mingled with the crowd and signed copies of their book.

“It’s been a wonderful adventure to go through the history of SMU,” Payne said. “It is very colorful, and at times surprising.”

Athletes featured in the book were also available to sign copies.

“In a hundred years there are a ton of athletes, just to be mentioned is enough,” former SMU basketball player Ira Terrell said. “There’s a lot of history here and there needs to be more.”

“I wanted to meet the athletes preceding me so I could honor them,” Savannah Smith, an incoming freshman who recently signed with the SMU Rowing team, said.

The book signing included a program sponsored by the SMU Letterman’s Association.

Director of Athletics Steve Orsini spoke during the program about the legacy of SMU athletics and his hopes for the book.

“This book will serve as a reminder to the athletes of today and tomorrow that greatness can be achieved,” he said.

President R. Gerald Turner also praised Payne’s history book.

“This book giving the history of SMU athletics is a great way to kick off the next four years celebrating our history,” Turner said.

Turner also announced that Payne will be writing the official SMU Centennial history book.

“Darwin Payne has written the book in such a way to not only celebrate the past but point us to the future,” Orsini said.