Return to Bios

James Claybourn

James Claybourn (“Jim”) is a member of the Reitz Football Hall of Fame Class of 2007. His contributions to Reitz Football are numerous, including serving as a historian and statistician for the Panthers.

Jim’s passion for Reitz was so deep that he very rarely missed a football game. On his honeymoon, Reitz was playing in Indianapolis, so he naturally decided the honeymoon would be a trip to the game. Jim’s passionate zeal for Reitz extended beyond football and he frequently volunteered with many of the school’s other athletic teams, particularly baseball. When two of his grandsons, J.P. and Hall of Fame member Brian Claybourn, played football, basketball, and soccer for Reitz, he was adopted as a grandfather of sorts for all of the teams’ players.

At his funeral, the Reitz fight song was played, and as his hearse made its way to his final resting place in 2004, it made one final lap around the Reitz High School grounds. Fiercely loyal to the end, Jim would have it no other way.

Leave a Reply