Honored Players: 1970 – 1979

Lucious Selmon (Eufaula; 1970)
The oldest of the Selmon brothers was a two-time All-American defensive tackle in 1972 and 1973 and played on three OU teams that had a combined 32-2-1 record and won a national title in 1973. Served as an assistant coach for the Sonners from 1976 to 1994.

Mike Thomas (Greenville; 1971)
Played six NFL seasons with the Redskins and Chargers, making the Pro Bowl in 1976 after rushing for 1,101 yards with Washington. Ran for 2,826 yards in his first three NFL seasons.

Randy Hughes (Tulsa Memorial; 1971)
Intercepted five passes and returned them 165 yards during Oklahoma’s national championship season of 1973 and was an All-American safety for the Sooners in 1974. Drafted in the fourth round by the Dallas Cowboys in 1975, Hughes played six seasons in the NFL and appeared in three Super Bowls.

Tinker Owens (Miami, Okla; 1972)
He followed the large footsteps of his Heisman Trophy-winner brother Steve to OU but quickly made a name for himself with a 132-yard MVP performance in the Sugar Bowl his freshman year. Was twice an All-American receiver for the Sooners. Played four NFL seasons with the Saints.

Dewey Selmon (Eufaula; 1972)
In his three years as a starting tackle at Oklahoma, the Sooners went 32-1-1 and won two national championships. Had triple figures in tackles (104 and 123) his junior and senior seasons.

Lee Roy Selmon (Eufaula; 1972)
Won the Outland and Lombardi awards his senior year at Oklahoma and started with his brother Dewey on three teams that went 32-1-1 and won two national titles. Is a member of both the college and pro football hall of fames. Played nine years with the Tampa Bay Bucs and was All-Pro three times.

Steve Largent (Putnam City; 1972)
A Pro Football Hall of Famer who held six career pass receiving records when he retired from the NFL. He had the most receptions (819), most consecutive games with a reception (177), most yards on receptions (13,089), most receptions for TDs (100), most seasons with 50 or more receptions (10) and most seasons with 1,000 yards or more in receptions (8). Played in seven Pro Bowls and was All-Pro three times.

Pat Ryan (Putnam City; 1973)
Even though he was a good high school and college quarterback (Tennessee), Ryan made the biggest splash in professional football. He played 13 years in the NFL, 12 of them with the New York Jets. His best season was 1984 when he passed for nearly 2,000 yards and 14 touchdowns.

Wilson Whitley (Brenham; 1973)
Whitley won the Lombardi Award while playing for the University of Houston in 1976. Played six years with the Cincinnati Bengals, including the 1981 season when the Bengals lost to the 49ers in Super Bowl XVI.

Zac Henderson (Burkburnett; 1974)
Henderson was a four-year starter at safety for Oklahoma and tied the single-season interception record with seven in 1977. That year he was named the nation’s most outstanding defensive back. Played for the Eagles in the NFL and also played in the CFL, where he was once the defensive player of the year, and the USFL.

Mike Renfro (Fort Worth Arlington Heights; 1974)
Renfro was a three-time All-Southwest Conference receiver at TCU who went on to play 10 seasons in the NFL, all in Texas. He played six years for the Houston Oilers and four years for the Dallas Cowboys, finishing with 323 catches for 4,708 yards.

Art Briles (Rule; 1974)
Briles was one of the few Class B high school players who went on to start at a major college. After playing for University of Houston from 1974-77, he made a name for himself in coaching, most notably at Stephenville High School, where he won four state championships in 12 years there. He is currently the head coach at the Baylor University.

Kenny King (Clarendon; 1975)
After playing for OU in 1976-78, King played seasons in the NFL — six with the Raiders. He was a Pro Bowl running back in 1980.

Rick Berns (Wichita Falls; 1975)
Set a school single-game record with 36 carries for 255 yards while playing running back at Nebraska. Inducted into the Cornhusker Hall of Fame in 1992 after running for 2,449 yards and 28 touchdowns in three college seasons. Won a Super Bowl championship ring with the Raiders when they beat Washington 38-9 in Super Bowl XVIII.

J.C. Watts (Eufaula; 1976)
Played quarterback at OU for three seasons in which the Sooners went 32-4. But he made a name for himself in politics, serving four terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. In 1999, he served as chairman of the House Republican Conference, making him the fourth ranking Republican in the House at the time.