University of Oklahoma Sooners
1. This document was created by Scott Sillcox to provide information about:
- the uniform images depicted in poster shown above
- the particular players whose uniforms are shown in the poster
- the history of Oklahoma football
- the University of Oklahoma’s football stadium
- the University of Oklahoma's football team in general
If you would like to read an even more detailed version of this document in pdf form with approximately 30 accompanying images, please visit:
www.mapleleafproductions.com/downloads/OklahomaFootballUniformProject.pdf
2. Please note that all of the actual original, one-of-a-kind artwork of the University of Oklahoma football uniforms as seen in the poster above are actually available for sale. These watercolor paintings are truly beautiful, original watercolor paintings, and there are only 16 of them so please act quickly if you would like to buy one. These would make a wonderfully memorable, beautiful and completely unique gift for someone who loves Oklahoma football.
If you would like more information about this great artwork including the three ways you could purchase each piece, please visit our Oklahoma YouTube video at
www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDh7WyxgHzQ or go directly to the artwork website
www.heritagesportsart.com/Oklahoma-Sooners-c90/ where you can see and purchase the artwork.
3. General Information about the University of Oklahoma Football Team
The University of Oklahoma, located in Norman, Oklahoma, was founded in 1890 - after initiated by the Oklahoma Territorial Legislature. Originally donated by town and country residents, the 40-acre campus boasts roughly 31,000 students and is Norman’s largest employer - a city of roughly 103,000 residents. The football team played its first game in 1895 - a one game season which saw many non-students, including a local fireman, playing for the school team.
The Sooners football team plays out of Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium (at Owen Field - in honor of former coach Bennie Owen), which was built in 1923 and seats 82,112 spectators.
The University of Oklahoma boasts an excellent tradition of football success; countless Sooners have extended their football careers in the NFL, Arena League and the CFL. Notable Sooners alumni include: Roland Walter "Waddy" Young, Frank "Pop" Ivy, Billy Vessels, Steve Owens, Lee Roy Selmon, Brian Bosworth and Keith Jackson.
4. For more information on Oklahoma football, you may want to visit these great websites:
The official University of Oklahoma football team site can be found at:
http://www.soonersports.com/sports/m-footbl/okla-m-footbl-body.html
The following website offers an excellent summary page of University of Oklahoma football, including a summary of Conference Championships; National Championships; Bowl Games; Coaches; Selected individual player records:
http://www.nationalchamps.net/NCAA/database/oklahoma_database.htm
For further information and a view of Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium:
http://football.ballparks.com/NCAA/Big12/Oklahoma/index.htm
Note: this site is also a good resource for additional past & present NCAA stadiums.
5. Description and history of the uniforms depicted in the University of Oklahoma poster:
A quick note about the National Rankings and Polls shown below:
If Oklahoma was nationally ranked in "The Top 20" (or Top 10 in some years) in a particular season depicted in the poster, we show the team’s ranking. That being said, prior to 1936 there was no nationally recognized poll ranking the nation’s top teams, so you will not see any rankings prior to 1936.
From 1936 onward, we show the results of one, and then two, end-of-season polls annually ranking the Top 20 (or Top 10) college football teams. There have been various other polls over the years, but we have chosen to show the results of two polls.
1. The Associated Press (AP) Poll began in 1936 and is a poll of sportswriters. It continues to this day.
2. The United Press International (UP) Poll began in 1950 and is a poll of coaches. By 1993 it had became known as the USA Today/CNN poll, and by 1997 the USA Today/ESPN poll.
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1899
This painting honors the 1899 University of Oklahoma football team and their 5th season of competition. Coached by Vernon (V.L.) Parrington and captained by C.C. Roberts, the 1899 team went 2-1, outscoring their opponents 67-12.
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1904
This painting honors the 1904 University of Oklahoma football team. Coached by Fred Ewing and captained by Byram McCreary, the 1904 team went 4-3-1, outscoring their opponents 204-90 - including an impressive 75-0 victory against Oklahoma State.
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1915
This painting honors the 1915 University of Oklahoma football team. Coached by Sooner icon Bennie Owen and captained by Forest Geyer, the 1915 team went an undefeated 10-0, outscoring their opponents 370-54 - including a 102-0 drubbing of NW Oklahoma.
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1929
This painting honors the 1929 University of Oklahoma football team. Coached by the 7th coach in Sooners’ history - Adrian "AD" Lindsey - and captained by Frank Crider, the 1929 team went 3-3-2.
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1932
The 1932 Sooners went 4-4-1 in their conference, which was then known as the Big 6. The team was coached by first year coach Lewie Hardage who coached at Oklahoma for three seasons from 1932-34 and compiled a lifetime record of 11-12-4.
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1938
This painting honors the 1938 University of Oklahoma football team and #49, worn by Roland Young. Coached by Tom Stidham and co-captained by Gene Corrotto, Fort Smith and Earl Crowder, the 1938 team went 10-1, outscoring their opponents
185-29.
The 1938 team were crowned Big 6 Conference champions and played Tennessee in the Orange Bowl, losing 17-0. Here is how the team ranked in the UP (United Press) and AP (Associated Press) polls for that season:
AP Rank Team
1 TCU
2 Tennessee
3 Duke
4 Oklahoma
5 Notre Dame
6 Carnegie Tech
7 USC
8 Pittsburgh
9 Holy Cross
10 Minnesota
11 Texas Tech
12 Cornell
13 Alabama
14 California
15 Fordham
16 Michigan
17 Northwestern
18 Villanova
19 Tulane
20 Dartmouth
Roland Walter Young, also known as "Waddy", was an End for the University of Oklahoma. In 1938, he was voted All-American, the first in school history. Widely known for his stellar defensive coverage, Young was an instrumental component of a Sooners’ defensive unit that only gave up a total of 29 points the entire season (which included a 17-0 defeat in the Orange Bowl to Tennessee). A versatile athlete, Young also excelled in wrestling and held the school’s heavyweight boxing championship title. Following his career at the University of Oklahoma, he was drafted by the Brooklyn Dodgers and played for 2 seasons, before opting to serve his country in World War II and enlisting in the Air Force. Tragically, on January 9, 1945, during a raid on Tokyo, Waddy was killed in action.
He was elected to the
College Football Hall of Fame in 1986.
He went on to the
NFL where he played for 2 seasons.
Here is what our friends at Wikipedia have to say about
Waddy Young.
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1939
This painting honors the 1939 University of Oklahoma football team and #68, worn by Frank Ivy. Coached by Tom Stidham and captained by Norval Locke, the 1939 team went 6-2-1, outscoring their opponents 186-62.
Frank Ivy, also known as "Pop" (due to premature baldness), was an ‘iron man’ for the University of Oklahoma - playing on both sides of the ball. He was considered a strong pass rusher on defense, but earned All-American honors on the offensive side as a Wide Receiver. Following his career at the University of Oklahoma, Pop was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1940 draft, but was subsequently traded to the Chicago Cardinals during his first season. He served his country in World War II, missing the entire 1943-44 seasons, before returning to the Cardinals in 1945 once the war ended. He finished his NFL playing career in 1947, contributing to the franchise’s only championship title.
Ivy would return to his alma mater in 1948, entering the coaching ranks and assisting Bud Wilkinson - helping lead the Sooners to a 1950 National Championship. In 1954, Pop migrated to the Canadian Football League (CFL), where he would serve as head coach for the Edmonton Eskimos - leading them to 3 Grey Cup Championships. Over the next 30 years, until his retirement in 1984, Pop was involved with numerous NFL, CFL and AFL franchises as either a coach, assistant coach or scout. His teams included the Chicago Cardinals (NFL), British Columbia Lions (CFL), Denver Broncos (AFL), Houston Oilers (AFL) and the New York Giants (NFL). He is the only person to ever serve as a Head Coach in the National Football League, American Football League and the Canadian Football League.
He went on to the
NFL where he played for 6 seasons.
Here is what our friends at Wikipedia have to say about
Pop Ivy.
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1948
This painting honors the 1948 University of Oklahoma football team and #67, worn by Paul Burris. Coached by Sooner icon Bud Wilkinson and co-captained by Wade Walker and Homer Paine, the 1948 team went 10-1, outscoring their opponents 350-121.
The 1948 team played North Carolina in the Sugar Bowl and won 14-6. Here is how the team ranked in the AP (Associated Press) poll that year:
AP Rank Team
1 Michigan
2 Notre Dame
3 North Carolina
4 California
5 Oklahoma
6 Army
7 Northwestern
8 Georgia
9 Oregon
10 SMU
11 Clemson
12 Vanderbilt
13 Tulane
14 Michigan State
15 Mississippi
16 Minnesota
17 William & Mary
18 Penn State
19 Cornell
20 Wake Forest
Paul Burris, also known as "Buddy", was a Guard for the University of Oklahoma - voted All-American in 1946-48 inclusive. Following his career at the University of Oklahoma, Paul was drafted by the Green Bay Packers of the NFL and played Guard and Halfback.
He went on to the
NFL where he played for 3 seasons.
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1950
This painting honors the 1950 University of Oklahoma football team and #35, worn by Billy Vessels. Coached by Sooner icon Bud Wilkinson and co-captained by Harry Moore and Norman McNabb, the 1950 team went 10-1, outscoring their opponents 352-148, en route to the school’s first National Championship.
Oklahoma was crowned National Champions in 1950 despite the fact that they lost 13-7 to Kentucky in the Sugar Bowl. Here is how the team ranked in the UP (United Press) and AP (Associated Press) polls that year:
UP Rank AP Rank Team
1 1 Oklahoma
2 2 Army
4 3 Texas
5 4 Tennessee
3 5 California
6 6 Princeton
7 7 Kentucky
8 8 Michigan State
9 9 Michigan
10 10 Clemson
13 11 Washington
14 12 Wyoming
12 13 Illinois
11 14 Ohio State
16 15 Miami
16 16 Alabama
18 17 Nebraska
18 Tulsa
19 Washington & Lee
20 20 Tulane
15 SMU
19 Stanford
Billy Vessels, also known as "Curly", was a Halfback for the University of Oklahoma. His 15 touchdowns scored in the 1950 season were instrumental in helping lead the Sooners to their first National Championship. In 1952, after rushing for 1072 yards (including seven 100+ yard games) and 17 touchdowns, he won the Heisman Trophy - awarded to the outstanding intercollegiate football player in the United States.
Following his career at the University of Oklahoma, Billy was selected 1st overall in the 1953 NFL draft by the Baltimore Colts. He instead opted to join the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League (CFL) - where he would lead the Western Conference in rushing with 926 yards and 8 touchdowns and be named the 1953 CFL Most Outstanding Player. In 1956, Billy would rejoin his original drafter, the Colts, but due to a leg injury, would only play one season in the NFL.
He was elected to the
College Football Hall of Fame in 1974.
He played
1 season in the CFL.
He played
1 season in the NFL.
Here is what our friends at Wikipedia have to say about
Billy Vessels.
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1955
This painting honors the 1955 University of Oklahoma football team and #79, worn by All-American Guard Bo Bolinger. Coached by Sooner icon Bud Wilkinson and co-captained by Bolinger, Cecil Morris and Bob Loughridge, the 1955 team went an undefeated 11-0, en route to first of back-to-back National Championships.
Oklahoma capped off their undefeated season by beating Maryland 20-6 in the Orange Bowl. Here is how the team ranked in the UP (United Press) and AP (Associated Press) polls that year:
UP Rank AP Rank Team
1 1 Oklahoma
2 2 Michigan State
3 3 Maryland
4 4 UCLA
6 5 Ohio State
5 6 TCU
7 7 Georgia Tech
10 8 Auburn
8 9 Notre Dame
9 10 Mississippi
11 11 Pittsburgh
13 12 Michigan
12 13 USC
18 14 Miami
20 15 Miami Ohio
20 16 Stanford
14 17 Texas A&M
20 18 Navy
17 19 West Virginia
15 20 Army
15 Duke
19 Iowa
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1969
This painting honors the 1969 University of Oklahoma football team and #36, worn by Steve Owens. Coached by Chuck Fairbanks and co-captained by Owens, Steve Zabel, Jim Files and Ken Mendenhall, the 1969 team went 6-4.
Steve Owens was a Halfback for the University of Oklahoma. In a 3-year Sooner career, he scored a total of 56 touchdowns, including a 17 game streak of 100+ yards rushing, which was an NCAA record at the time. In 1969, his 1,523 yards rushing and 138 total points led the nation. In a memorable game against Oklahoma State in the ’69 season, Steve carried the ball a whopping 55 times, gaining 266 yards. That season, he was not only named unanimous All-American, but also won the Heisman Trophy - awarded to the outstanding intercollegiate football player in the United States. Following his career at the University of Oklahoma, Steve went on to play for the Detriot Lions, where unfortunately, a knee injury would end his professional football career. After football, he founded Steve Owens Insurance, based in Norman, Oklahoma and helped broadcast Sooner games on a 300-station network.
He was elected to the
College Football Hall of Fame in 1991.
He went on to the
NFL where he played for 5 seasons.
Here is what our friends at Wikipedia have to say about
Steve Owens.
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1975
This painting honors the 1975 University of Oklahoma football team and #93, worn by Lee Roy Selmon. Coached by Sooner legend Barry Switzer and co-captained by Selmon, Dewey Selmon, Joe Washington and Steve Davis, the 1975 team went 11-1, capturing the second of back-to-back National Championships.
Oklahoma capped off their championship season by beating Michigan 14-6 in the Orange Bowl. Here is how the team ranked in the UP (United Press) and AP (Associated Press) polls that year:
UP Rank AP Rank Team
1 1 Oklahoma
2 2 Arizona State
3 3 Alabama
4 4 Ohio State
5 5 UCLA
7 6 Texas
6 7 Arkansas
8 8 Michigan
9 9 Nebraska
10 10 Penn State
12 11 Texas A&M
16 12 Miami Ohio
11 13 Maryland
15 14 California
13 15 Pittsburgh
16 Colorado
19 17 USC
13 18 Arizona
19 19 Georgia
17 20 West Virginia
17 Notre Dame
Lee Roy Selmon, also known as the "Gentle Giant", was a Defensive Tackle for the University of Oklahoma (and played with brothers Lucious and Dewey on the defensive line in 1972 and 1973). Anchoring what was regarded as one of the best defensive units in Sooners’ history, he was an integral member of the back-to-back National Championship teams of 1974 & 1975. Lee’s multitude of collegiate football achievements included:
· 1974 consensus All-American
· 1975 consensus All-American
· 1975 Lombardi Award winner
· 1975 Outland Trophy winner
· 1996 Walter Camp Alumnus-of-the-Year
· 1999 Sports Illustrated NCAA All-Century Team
Following his career at the University of Oklahoma, Lee was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as the 1st overall pick. During a 9-year NFL career (which would be impeded and prematurely ended by a back injury), Lee’s professional football accomplishments included:
· 1979 AP Defensive Player-of-the-Year
· 1981 Pro Bowl MVP
· 4-time NFC Defensive Lineman-of-the-Year (named by the NFLPA)
· 5-time All-Pro
· 5-time All-NFC
· 6 straight Pro Bowls (1980-85)
He was elected to the
College Football Hall of Fame in 1988.
He was recognized as the 39th best College Football Player of all time by the
College Football News in their 2000-ish ranking.
He went on to the
NFL where he played for 9 seasons.
He was elected to the
Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1995.
Here is what our friends at Wikipedia have to say about
Lee Roy Selmon.
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1985
This painting honors the 1985 University of Oklahoma football team and #44, worn by Brian Bosworth. Coached by Sooner legend Barry Switzer and co-captained by Tony Casillas, Kevin Murphy and Eric Pope, the 1985 team went 11-1 and were crowned as National Champions.
Oklahoma capped off their championship season by beating Penn State 25-10 in the Orange Bowl. Here is how the team ranked in the UP (United Press) and AP (Associated Press) polls that year:
UP Rank AP Rank Team
1 1 Oklahoma
2 2 Michigan
3 3 Penn State
4 4 Tennessee
*On Probation 5 Florida
7 6 Texas A&M
6 7 UCLA
5 8 Air Force
8 9 Miami
9 10 Iowa
10 11 Nebraska
12 12 Arkansas
14 13 Alabama
11 14 Ohio State
13 15 Florida State
17 16 BYU
15 17 Baylor
19 18 Maryland
18 19 Georgia Tech
20 20 LSU
Brian Bosworth, also known as "The Boz", was a Linebacker for the University of Oklahoma. Notorious for his ferocity, arrogance, controversial nature and unusual hairstyles, Brian was never one to shy away from the public eye. After being banned from the 1986 Orange Bowl game, he stood on the sidelines wearing a t-shirt referring to the NCAA as the "National Communists Against Athletes" - which drew the ire of many, including Coach Switzer. On the field, his exceptional tackling ability helped him garner two Butkus Awards - as the nation’s top college linebacker, as well as being named All-American twice and All-Big 8 three times. However, due to off-field issues, he was eventually removed from the Sooner football team. Having graduated early (as an Academic All-American in 1986), he was eligible to enter the NFL’s supplemental draft and was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in 1987. Despite his notoriety and being named to the 1987 All-Rookie Team, a recurring shoulder injury would ultimately bring his professional football career to a premature close.
He was recognized as the 30th best College Football Player of all time by the
College Football News in their 2000-ish ranking.
He went on to the
NFL where he played for 3 seasons.
Here is what our friends at Wikipedia have to say about
Brian Bosworth.
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1990
The 1990 Sooners were ineligible for post-season play because they were on probation, but they finished the season ranked #17 by the AP and went 8–3 (5–2 in the Big 8). They were coached by 2nd year coach Gary Gibbs and captained by Scott Evans, Larry Medice, Mike Sawatzky and Chris Wilson. They started the season with 5 straight wins and were ranked #4 in the nation before falling 14-13 to Texas in Dallas.
The painting of #45 honors junior linebacker Joe Bowden, who was All-American in his senior year. He went on to play 9 years on the NFL with Houston, Tennessee and Dallas. His OU records can be found
here and his Wikipedia entry can be found
here.
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2000
This painting honors the 2000 University of Oklahoma football team and #22, worn by Quentin Griffin. Coached by Bob Stoops and co-captained by Bubba Burcham, Rocky Calmus, Chris Hammons, Josh Heupel, Seth Littrell and Torrance Marshall, the 2000 team went 13-0 and were crowned as National Champions.
Oklahoma capped off their undefeated season by beating Florida State 13-2 in the Orange Bowl. Here is how the team ranked in the USA Today/ESPN and AP (Associated Press) polls for that season:
USA Today / ESPN Rank
AP Rank Team
1 1 Oklahoma
2 2 Miami
3 3 Washington
5 4 Oregon State
4 5 Florida State
6 6 Virginia Tech
9 7 Oregon
7 8 Nebraska
8 9 Kansas State
11 10 Florida
10 11 Michigan
12 12 Texas
13 13 Purdue
15 14 Colordao State
16 15 Notre Dame
14 16 Clemson
19 17 Georgia tech
20 18 Auburn
21 19 South Carolina
17 20 Georgia
Quentin Griffin was a Halfback for the University of Oklahoma and a member of Coach Stoop’s 2000 National Championship squad. The team beat Kansas State 27-24 in the Big 12 Championship Game on December 2, 2000, before defeating the Seminoles 13-2 on January 3, 2001 for the title. Following his career at the University of Oklahoma, Quentin was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the 2003 NFL Draft - and was named starter in 2004 (after predecessor Mike Anderson was injured). In March 2006, Griffin signed a one-year contract with the Kansas City Chiefs, but was subsequently released the following September. On February 23, 2007, with the 2nd overall pick, he was selected by the Hamburg Sea Devils in the NFL Europa Free Agent Draft.
A summary of his
NFL career can be found here.
A summary of his
NFL Europe League career can be found here.
Here is what our friends at Wikipedia have to say about
Quentin Griffin.
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2003
This painting honors the 2003 University of Oklahoma football team and #18, worn by Jason White. Coached by Bob Stoops, the 2003 team went 12-2 overall, including an
8-0 Conference record.
The 2003 team played LSU in the Sugar Bowl and lost 21-14. Here is how the team ranked in the USA Today/ESPN and AP (Associated Press) polls for that season:
USA Today / ESPN Rank
AP Rank Team
2 1 USC
1 2 LSU
3 3 Oklahoma
4 4 Ohio State
5 5 Miami
7 6 Michigan
6 7 Georgia
8 8 Iowa
9 9 Washington State
12 10 Miami
10 11 Florida State
11 12 Texas
14 13 Mississippi
13 14 Kansas State
16 15 Tennessee
15 16 Boise State
20 17 Maryland
19 18 Purdue
18 19 Nebraska
17 20 Minnesota
Jason White was a Quarterback for the University of Oklahoma. After overcoming two serious knee injuries and reconstructive surgeries, Jason persevered and became the school’s 4th winner of the Heisman Trophy - awarded to the outstanding intercollegiate football player in the United States. In 2003, White would not only be the nation’s
top-rated passer, but would complete 278 of 451 passes (61.6%), accumulating 3,846 yards and 40 touchdowns. In addition to winning the Heisman Trophy that year, Jason was also named ‘consensus’ All-American, ‘consensus’ Big 12 Offensive Player-of-the-Year, AP Player-of-the-Year, the Davey O’Brien Award winner and recipient of the Jim Thorpe Courage Award. After receiving a medical hardship by the NCAA, Jason was allowed to play a second senior year in 2004 and finished 3rd in Heisman Trophy balloting. He concluded his career at the University of Oklahoma as the all-time leader in career passing yards (7,768) and touchdown passes (79).
Here is what our friends at Wikipedia have to say about
Jason White.
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Celebrate the University of Oklahoma Sooners football uniform history by owning a piece of history:
If you love the University of Oklahoma and the history of Sooners football, you might really love to own an original piece of artwork celebrating the team's historic uniforms as seen in the poster at the top of this blog - you can actually own one of those original pieces of art! There are only 16 pieces of original art available for sale, and when these 16 are sold, that's it, they're all sold out.
These original watercolor paintings would make a great gift (birthday gift, anniversary gift, retirement gift, Christmas gift, etc.) for someone you love or even a great gift for yourself (one of these framed pieces would look fantastic in your home or office). Each piece can be bought one of three ways:
1. As unframed art that you could have framed or mounted yourself (the one on the left)
2. Framed in our "Classic" framed version (the middle version)
3. Framed in our "Deluxe" framed version (the version on the right)
If you would like more information about this great artwork including the three ways you could purchase each piece, please visit our University of Oklahoma YouTube video at
www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDh7WyxgHzQ or go directly to the artwork website
www.heritagesportsart.com/Oklahoma-Sooners-c90/ where you can see and purchase the artwork.
And if someone you know loves the history of sports uniforms (but maybe another team) and loves great art, please let them know that we have over 1500 pieces of great original artwork for sale at
www.heritagesportsart.com (all NFL teams, all MLB teams, all NHL teams, all CFL teams, select NCAA football teams) or check out each team's video at the Heritage Sports Art YouTube Channel
www.youtube.com/user/ssillcox
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This blog was written by Scott Sillcox and was last updated August 21, 2010. I have tried to ensure the accuracy of the information, but I am human and can make mistakes. If you believe I have made a mistake, please let me know by email at ssillcox@rogers.com !
