To qualify this ranking of running backs at Oklahoma, I have included only players that I have personally seen in person at the stadium or live on television. I began watching Sooner football in 1958 and my remembrances go back to 1961. With that, I have not included any player before 1961. This is the first part of a series of greatest Sooner football players by position. Please comment on my lists and argue your best Sooner players. There are no right or wrong rankings. The lists, started with Joe Don Looney (10th best running back), will include offensive and defensive positions. Statistics, abilities, and overall significance to the OU football program are all included in picking the ten, but when all things are equal, my personal preference is the tie breaker.
Steve Owens (All-American 1968, 1969; Heisman Trophy Winner 1969)
The historic records of Steve Owens project him into the 5th greatest running back that I have watched in Sooner history. The last regular season game Owens played in 1969 was in Stillwater against Oklahoma State and was, for me, significant. After the game in which my favorite Sooner Owens had rushed for a career 261 yards on 55 carries I went onto the grass of Lewis Field and pulled a souvenir handful of that brown grass. I remember that experience today. Owens was the bullwork of that Sooner team, a player that could hit the line over and over and with the fine blocking of his offensive line and fullback, get three, four or five yards almost every time. He was magnificent and his performance in Stillwater is as fine a game as any running back in OU history. (It would be like the 2018 OU/Army game if only one back rushed almost every down against OU and the Sooner defense could not stop the onslaught. Owens was the first “monster” back….strong, enduring, fast and the toughest man on the field.)
Owens is currently 4th on the all-time rushing list for OU and still has the record for most rushing touchdowns in a career with 57 and 100 yard games, coming in at 23 afternoons where he hit the century mark. Owens only played three seasons as of the freshman ineligible rule and a freshman season could have pushed his totals higher. Owens held the national record of career rushing with 3,867 that stood for two years. His point total per game was also a national record that lasted for one year.
Owens five year NFL career was with Detroit, where another Heisman winner would follow in the future. Owens was the first Lion to rush for 1000 yards in a season.
Top photo: AP
Below: Owens rushing stats at OU
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Att |
Yards |
TD |
Long |
Y/A |
100Y |
200Y |
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| 1967 | SO | 207 | 869 | 13 | 4.2 | 4 | 0 | |||||||||||
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| 1968 | JR | 393 | 1,649 | 21 | 4.2 | 10 | 0 | |||||||||||
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| 1969 | SR | 358 | 1,523 | 23 | 4.3 | 9 | 3 | |||||||||||
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| Totals | 958 | 4,041 | 57 | 0 | 4.2 | 23 | 3 | |||||||||||
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He wasn’t even the best running back on his own team.
and do tell who was John.
Exactly John who was
Don’t want to explain the circumstances, but he grabbed me and told me I was crazy back in ’76 or so. He was laughing and introduced himself. He was my childhood football hero. Great memory.