Tales from the Oklahoma Sooner Sideline Read online

  TALES FROM THE

  OKLAHOMA SOONERS

  SIDELINE

  TALES FROM THE

  OKLAHOMA SOONERS

  SIDELINE

  A COLLECTION OF THE GREATEST

  SOONERS STORIES EVER TOLD

  JAY C. UPCHURCH

  FOREWORD BY BARRY SWITZER

  Copyright © 2003, 2007, 2011 by Jay C. Upchurch

  All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without the express written consent of the publisher, except in the case of brief excerpts in critical reviews or articles. All inquiries should be addressed to Sports Publishing, 307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018.

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  10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file.

  ISBN: 978-1-61321-037-6

  Printed in the United States of America

  To Virgil and Jo Ellen, the most amazing parents a boy

  could ever ask for. Thanks for the love, guidance, and

  understanding—and most of all for the freedom that allowed

  me to choose my own path. To my brother, Gary—

  thank you for sharing the experience.

  And to my son, Jacob Cole—welcome to the game

  of life. Live it passionately and with goodness in your heart.

  Contents

  FOREWORD BY BARRY SWITZER

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  Chapter One

  THE EARLY YEARS

  From the birth of football in Norman to the arrival of the 1940s, there are tales of triumph, defeat, bedlam, All-Americans, stickers, spirit, titles, strays, lists, steers, and brawls.

  Chapter Two

  THE 1940s

  The decade that changed OU football forever, as Charles “Bud” Wilkinson arrives on campus to help chase away any signs of lingering mediocrity. There’s Jim Tatum, George L Cross, the Sisco incident, West Point action, eligible seamen, masterful lessons, mounds of fun, and General Jack.

  Chapter Three

  THE 1950s

  The Monster is born. On the verge of greatness during Bud Wilkinson’s early years, the Sooners emerge on the national scene as one of the elite programs in the country. See this brave new world, the Great White Father, a kid named Vessels, the statement, national titles, the streak, the perfect quarterback, team unity, and tough love.

  Chapter Four

  THE 1960s

  The end of a great era and the beginning of a new dawn. Experience both through the “58 Special,” a visit from jack, the end of the road, Sooner dreams, the Wicked Worm, a problem child, remembering the land run, the fourth-quarter class, Granny, and a true All-American.

  Chapter Five

  THE 1970s

  The wishbone comes to town and national titles come with it. Live it up with popsicles and Gatorade, the departure of Little Red, the Game of the Century, the Selmon brothers, rolling over, Sooner Magic, good company, and a different kind of rug.

  Chapter Six

  THE 1980s

  Barry Switzer helps bring home another title and then makes his exit. The post-disco era includes a man among boys, illegal procedure and the ponies, Big Marcus, hot water cornbread, answered prayers, a higher power, a kid named Boz, bad timing, and more Sooner Magic.

  Chapter Seven

  THE 1990s AND BEYOND

  A tough decade begins. Still, there is sweet redemption, a crooner for the Sooners, the great crash, the walk, Cecil, a nice finish, the softer side, the turning point, and the runt.

  Chapter Eight

  A NEW MILLENNIUM

  Foreword

  THERE IS A MAGIC about the University of Oklahoma football program that transcends time as it captures and holds the hearts of generation after generation of Sooner fans. It is a phenomenon made up of a million different stories that span more than a century of great teams, great players, and great moments.

  The history is deep and rich, and the tradition is unmatched. Oklahoma football is one of the great enduring icons in collegiate athletics. From coast to coast and border to border, the Sooners have long represented a level of success that most schools can only imagine.

  Many of the legendary and not-so-legendary characters whose faith, commitment, and determination helped shape OU’s illustrious reputation come to life in this book through a series of colorful tales that recount humorous events, celebration and heartfelt emotion, as well as more weighty times. Their human side shines through in a way that is rarely shared beyond the inner circles of the Sooner family.

  From humble beginnings and Bennie Owen providing the initial foundation to the birth of greatness with Bud Wilkinson to the program’s recent resurgence under Bob Stoops, Oklahoma football has long been a benchmark for young men who strive for greatness, not only as individuals, but as a contributing piece of the overall puzzle.

  There is a genuine sense of pride and camaraderie that is inherent among those who have worn the crimson and cream. To be a part of something so special is what every competitor, every coach dreams about.

  My association with the Sooners and Oklahoma football has enriched my life and made for so many great memories.

  To know Sooner football is to love it. In all of my experiences, there is nothing else quite like it.

  Enjoy!

  —BARRY SWITZER

  Acknowledgments

  THERE ARE ENOUGH STORIES—some new, some very familiar and some never before told—to write a series of books entitled Tales from the Sooner Sideline. The heroes and characters through the years are abundant; the emotions and drama, quite infamous. Finding just the right blend was the biggest challenge I faced in putting together this particular volume of tales.

  The research involved was much more taxing and enlightening than I ever imagined. As much as I might have thought myself an “expert” on OU football history before this project, I have since come to realize and appreciate so very many chapters that did not previously exist for me. And there are many more waiting to be explored and told.

  In my pursuit to write this book, I interviewed dozens of former (and current) players and coaches and many witnesses to the stories that unfold within these pages. I read books and studied articles and talked with other authors about their experiences in following the Sooners.

  It was and is an amazing journey.

  Finding a place to begin all of the thank-yous and acknowledgments I owe is difficult in itself, because so many people gave generously of their time to help piece all of this together. I suppose starting with the men whom this book is all about is as good a place as any. So here goes and please forgive me if anyone falls through the cracks.

  Special thanks to the following OU players and coaches: Barth Walker, Gene Corrotto, Port Robertson, Frank “Pop” Ivy, Stan West, Norman McNabb, Bob Bodenhamer, Prentice Gautt, Clendon Thomas, Billy Vessels, Leon “Mule Train” Heath, Jimmy Harris, Merle Dinkins, Jerry Cross, Jakie Sandefer, Jerry Pettibone, Karl Milstead, Darrell Royal, Brewster Hobby, Bob Harris, Ronnie Fletcher, Steve Owens, Bobby Warmack, Steve Zabel, Mike Harper, J. D. Martin, Don Jimerson, Tinker Owens, Barry Switzer, Bobby Proctor, Keith Jackson, Merv Johnson, Greg Pruitt, Larry Lacewell, Uwe
von Schamann, George Cumby, Jamelle Holieway, Brian Bosworth, Mike Vaughn, Billy Brooks, Sherwood Taylor, Sonny Brown, Paul Migliazzo, Gene Hochevar, Steve Davis, Scott Hill, Tim Lashar, Earl Johnson, Thomas Lott, Mike Gaddis, Cale Gundy, Spencer Tillman, James Allen, Bob Stoops, Torrance Marshall, Trent Smith, Roy Williams, Nate Hybl, Damian Mackey, Josh Norman, Quentin Griffin and Josh Heupel.

  I would also like to thank the following people for their contributions: Joe Castiglione, Mike Treps, Mike Prusinski, Debbie Copp, Jay Wilkinson, Kirk Herbstreit, Ed Montgomery, Rob Collins, Kenny Mossman, Bob Barry Sr., J. Brent Clark, A1 Eschbach, Ned Hockman, the University of Oklahoma Sports Information Department, University of Oklahoma yearbook archives, Western History Museum/University of Oklahoma Libraries, Jerry Laizure, John Keith, Terry Tush, Sissy Tubb, Clarke Stroud, Tony Vann, Brad McClure, Amber Friesen, Walter Cronkite, Ray Thurmond, and the late Charles R. Coe.

  Research material also included:

  Presidents Can’t Punt by George Lynn Cross; Bootlegger’s Boy by Barry Switzer; Oklahoma Kickoff by Harold Keith; Sooner Century by J. Brent Clark; Sooners Illustrated Magazine; The Norman Transcripp, The Anadarko Daily News.

  I appreciate the inspiration I have received from a great supporting cast during this process, as well as all of the helpful assistance from so many different sources. It’s been a blast.

  —JAY C. UPCHURCH

  TALES FROM THE

  OKLAHOMA SOONERS

  SIDELINE

  CHAPTER ONE

  The Early Years

  First Signs of Life

  LONG BEFORE THE LIKES OF BUD WILKINSON, Barry Switzer, and Bob Stoops strolled the Oklahoma sidelines, the crimson and cream found itself under the direction of Bennie Owen, a legend in his own right. Owen was the fifth man to coach OU football, but it wasn’t until he took over in 1905 that the Sooners actually became a program to be reckoned with.

  Owen’s first order of business was to install an aggressive offensive system built around speed and an advanced passing game that proved far superior to the more common grind-it-out strategy that required little imagination and even less finesse. Innovative thinking made Owen an offensive pioneer, and his team’s results were proof—the Sooners rolled up more than 100 points on eight different occasions while eclipsing the 50-point mark another 31 times.

  OU recorded four undefeated seasons during Owen’s 22 years at the helm. Even so, most of Owen’s teams labored in obscurity while schools from the Midwest and East Coast garnered most of the national attention. That all changed when Owen helped raise an unthinkable $350,000 to build a 32,000–seat stadium, which helped put the Sooners on the national map.

  Owen retired with a record of 122-54-16 after the 1926 season. As a tribute to the longtime Sooner skipper, the field at Memorial Stadium was named after him.

  Coach and Teacher

  The football team was still in its infant stages when Oklahoma hired Vernon Parrington, an English professor, as its first full-time coach in 1897. Over the next four years, the Harvard graduate led the squad to a 9-2-1 mark.

  Despite his success, Parrington was more interested in teaching, so he resigned his coaching position to do just that. But in 1908, he was fired when an investigation developed evidence that some faculty members were guilty of such serious offenses as dancing and smoking.

  Parrington never coached again, but he went on to win the 1928 Pulitzer Prize for history while teaching at the University of Washington.

  Tragedy to Triumph

  With coach Bennie Owen confined to a hospital bed due to a hunting accident that resulted in the amputation of his right arm, team captain Bill Cross guided Oklahoma to a 29-0 victory over Epworth University on October 25, 1907. The Sooner quarterback led his team on three scoring drives, while making sure all aspects of the OU game plan ran smoothly in Owen’s absence.

  Nine days earlier, Owen had gone quail hunting with druggist John Barbour near Adkins Ford, just south of Norman on the South Canadian River. While loading their dogs and weapons onto Barbour’s horse-drawn wagon, Owen’s 12-gauge Winchester pump automatic shotgun accidentally discharged.The blast struck Owen in the arm, severing an artery below his right shoulder.

  In the ensuing hours, a local physician was unable to restore circulation, and the arm had to be removed. During his time in the hospital, it was reported that Owen expressed more concern about his absence from the OU football team than about the loss of his arm.

  Shocked by the stunning news, Owen’s squad dropped a 15-0decision to Kansas three days after the acccident. It was the only game OU lost on it’s home field in Norman during Owen’s first seven years at the helm.

  Amazingly, within two weeks Owen was back on the field coaching.

  Inauspicious Beginning

  In the fall of 1895, it was difficult to determine which was more fledgling—the young railroad town of Norman or the University of Oklahoma, founded only five years earlier. In any case, John A. Harts, also known as Jack, was determined to bring football to both. A former player at Winfield College in Kansas, he helped do just that by recruiting players for OU’s first team.

  The ever-determined Harts put together his makeshift football crew in local businessman Bud Risingers Main Street barber shop. Those recruits, with Harts serving as both coach and captain, played their first game against a team from Oklahoma City on November 7 of that year.

  Bedlam’s Beginnings

  Bedlam is defined by Webster as “a scene of wild uproar and confusion; a madhouse.” It is the perfect description for the rivalry that has developed between Oklahoma and Oklahoma State over the last century.

  Although the series was not called “Bedlam” until the 1950s, even from its earliest days, the rivalry has always lived up to its reputation.

  Cross-state foes Oklahoma and Oklahoma A&M first met on a frigid November afternoon in 1904. The Rough Riders (they didn’t become the Sooners until 1908) met the Aggies that day at Guthrie’s Old Island Park, which was bordered by the banks of Cottonwood Creek.

  Action was fettered by a stiff north wind so cold that players from both sides suffered frostbite by the conclusion of OU’s 875-0triumph, which included any number of unusual circumstances. The most bizarre occurred on an Aggie punt that was caught by the harsh winds and blown backwards into the icy waters of the nearby creek.

  Because there were no end lines that dictated an out-of-bounds area, the ball remained in play as it bobbed up and down in front of a legion of players from both sides, most of whom were hesitant to go in after it.

  OU’s Ed Cook, however, did not fit into that group. Seeing a pair of Aggies, including lineman T. Becker Matthews, test the waters, Cook jumped in and was the first player to the ball. He quickly made his back to shore upon retrieving it and, once there, touched the ball into the end zone area for a Sooner score.

  By the end of the day, every OU player had scored a touchdown. The 75-point margin of victory remains the largest in the series’ 101-game history.

  A Thorny Situation

  During the early years of Oklahoma football, getting crunched by an opposing defender was sometimes the least of a player’s worries. Many of the gridirons the teams played on were carved out of fields or pieces of open land that weren’t conducive to football. Ball carriers often found themselves dodging potholes and an occasional rock or two.

  But the biggest concern, according to OU quarterback Bill Cross, were the thickets of sand burrs.

  During a game against Epworth College at Oklahoma City’s Colcord Park, the burr situation was so serious that players from both sides were constantly holding up the action to pick the thorny objects from their legs and hands.

  “The field was full of sand burrs. So was the ball. Nobody wanted to handle it,” said Cross, describing the conditions of the 1907 contest.

  Sooner Charlie Wantland said that it took him two years to remove all of the sand burrs from his back after he quit playing in 1908. He added, “Ball carriers braced themselves from
falling down in order to avoid the painful burrs.”

  The First All-American

  According to OU coach Bennie Owen, there were not enough positive adjectives to describe the talent Claude Reeds possessed on a football field. The 6-foot, 165-pound speedster could run, pass, block, kick and catch the ball with equal grace and agility. Reeds’ performances were dominating as he helped lead the Sooners to their first unbeaten and untied season ever in 1911.

  His career was marked by bone-crunching blocks, bullet passes that riddled opposing defenses and his incredible punting skills. But he is best remembered for a fake punt that he turned into a 70-yard touchdown run on November 27, 1913. On the play, Reeds wove his way back and forth across ankle-deep mud covering Fair Park Field, eluding numerous Colorado defenders en route to the end zone.

  Observers on hand believed Reeds’ jaunt through the thick slop to be almost 200 yards in all. OU beat the Buffs that day 14-3.

  At the conclusion of his senior season in 1913, Reeds became the first OU football player to earn All-America honors.

  Tradition of Spirit

  The RUF/NEKS are a time-honored tradition at OU. The spirit group has been caretaker for the Sooner Schooner since its introduction in 1965, and its affiliation with the Sooner football program is one of historic distinction.

  The RUF/NEKS, originally founded in 1915, came about almost by accident during a basketball game between Oklahoma and archrival Oklahoma A&M. During the heated contest, a number of rowdy OU football players began to incite several members in the crowd. Their spirited antics proved a bit much for one elderly female fan who shouted her disapproval, “Sit down and be quiet, you roughnecks!”