Gaffney's own version of "Leatherheads" is on display at the Cherokee County History and Arts Museum. The movie of the same name inspired the display. Gorilla Badger and Snake Eater Wallace are among the colorful names of high school football players in Gaffney in the early 1900s.

You can call it Gaffney's own version of "Leatherheads," a reference to the George Clooney football film shot in South Carolina last year. In fact, Cherokee County History and Arts Museum Director Billy Pennington was inspired to create the museum's newest exhibit after he saw the "Leatherheads" movie.

The exhibit features glass negatives of football players from the early to mid-1920s at Central High School in Gaffney. Their games were played in the afternoons following school at Creech Field where the county library is now located.

Central High closed when the school district opened the first Gaffney High School building in 1924 on West Frederick Street.

"We have several photographs of players who played high school in Gaffney before the old Reservation was built. A lot of the players had cool names like the players in the 'Leatherheads' movie," Pennington said. "We thought this would be a great tie-in to our county's sports history. These guys started what has become a strong foundation for Gaffney High football."

The football exhibit is on display in the museum lobby beside a new community reception hall now available for rent. The photographs of players were taken from glass negatives donated by county resident James Henry Smith.

A glass case in the lobby carefully preserves valuable football memorabilia donated by other county residents.

For example, there is a program from a football game between Gaffney High and Miami High from Oct. 19, 1935.

Pennington has put together a scrapbook filled with images and text recounting highlights from the town's early football history.

The exhibit is lacking only a couple of details to be truly complete.

"I wish we had an old Leatherhead helmet and one of those old watermelon footballs on display," Pennington said.

The exhibit will be available for residents through November at the county museum on College Drive. The museum is open Wednesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.