Football | 7/20/2017 10:54:00 AM

ELLISVILLE – One of the most well-known former Jones County Junior College students has passed away.
Bobby Gene "Red" West, who was a friend of and bodyguard for Elvis Presley, died July 18 at Baptist Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, after suffering an aortic aneurysm. He was 81.
West was born in Bolivar, Tennessee, and became friends with Presley at Humes High School in Memphis.
West came to JCJC in 1955 and played football for the Bobcats.
Years later, he told the story of his time at JCJC when Elvis came to visit him and was kicked out of the dorm by Coach A.B. Howard.
The 1955 Bobcats won the Mississippi Junior College championship and were invited to the Junior Rose Bowl to play Compton Junior College (California) in Pasadena.
That was an historic game because it was the first time a segregated Mississippi team played against an integrated squad.
In 1977, JCJC returned to the Junior Rose Bowl to face Pasadena City College. West met with the Bobcats and rode the team bus from the hotel to the Rose Bowl for the game.
In October of 1995, West returned to the Jones' campus for the 40-year reunion of the 1955 Junior Rose Bowl. Players from JCJC and Compton were in attendance and were recognized at the game.
West would gain fame as an actor, songwriter and stuntman.
He starred in the late 1970s television series "Black Sheep Squadron" (originally known as "Baa Baa Black Sheep") and appeared in other TV shows, such as "The Six Million Dollar Man," "Magnum P.I.," "The A-Team," and "Nashville."
West was in numerous movies, with his role in "Road House" in 1989 being his most famous appearance. He was also in movies, such as "The Rainmaker," "Forty Shades of Blue," "Natural Born Killers," "I Still Know What You Did Last Summer," and "Glory Road."
West and his wife, Patricia West, celebrated their 56^th wedding anniversary on July 1.
He is also survived by two sons, John Boyd West of Tampa, Florida, and Brent West of Memphis; a brother, Harold West, of Olive Branch; and six grandchildren.
Memorial Park Funeral Home in Memphis is in charge of arrangements.