Few schools have the rich college football history that Oklahoma has — and the pro football history of the Sooners isn’t too shabby, either.
Oklahoma has produced seven Heisman Trophy winners, five Outland Trophy winners, four Butkus Awards, three Lombardi and Thorpe Award winners apiece plus Biletnikoff, Bednarik, Mackey and Maxwell Award winners.
Oklahoma also has produced 49 first-round NFL draft picks, including 15 Top 5 picks. The Sooners have had five players selected first overall in NFL drafts – defensive end Lee Roy Selmon in 1976, halfback Billy Sims in 1980 and quarterbacks Sam Bradford in 2010, Baker Mayfield in 2018 and Kyler Murray in 2019.
Sims was one of three Oklahoma running backs to win the Heisman, joining Billy Vessels (1952) and Steve Owens (1969).
Vessels was the second overall pick of his draft (1953) but opted to sign in Canada, winning CFL MVP honors as a rookie with the Edmonton Eskimos. Owens was the 19th overall pick of the Detroit Lions in 1970 and became the first back in franchise history to rush for 1,000 yards in a single season in 1971. Sims would give the Lions three more 1,000-yard seasons in the 1980s but, like Vessels and Owens, saw his career shortened by a knee injury.
The line of great backs from Oklahoma doesn’t end there, though. Adrian Peterson won three rushing titles with the Minnesota Vikings and was the NFL MVP in 2012. DeMarco Murray also won a rushing title with the Dallas Cowboys in 2014. Greg Pruitt went to five Pro Bowls and Joe Washington one. Steve Sewell, David Overstreet, Elvis Peacock, Joe Don Looney, Leon Heath and George Thomas also became first-round draft picks.
There are two Sooners enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Selmon and wide receiver Tommy McDonald.
Here’s the all-time University of Oklahoma NFL team:
*-QB–Kyler Murray, 2 Pro Bowls, 2019 NFL Rookie of the Year
HB–Adrian Peterson, NFL MVP 2012, 3-time rushing champ
FB–Steve Owens, Pro Bowl
WR–Tommy McDonald, Hall of Fame
*-WR—CeeDee Lamb, Pro Bowl
TE–Keith Jackson, 6 Pro Bowls
T–Ralph Neely, 1960s NFL all-decade team
*-T–Trent Williams, 9 Pro Bowls
G–Davin Joseph, 2 Pro Bowls
G–Greg Roberts, 4-year starter with Tampa Bay
C–Tom Brahaney, 9-year veteran
DE–Lee Roy Selmon, Hall of Fame
DE –Derland Moore, Saints 50th anniversary team
DT–Tommie Harris, 3 Pro Bowls
DT–Gerald McCoy, 6 Pro Bowls
OLB–Steve Zabel, 13 fumble recoveries in nine seasons
MLB–Brian Bosworth, 1987 NFL all-rookie team
OLB–Curtis Lofton, 948 tackles in 9 seasons
CB–Bobby Boyd, 1960s NFL all-decade team
CB–Clendon Thomas, 11-year starter, 27 interceptions
S–Roy Williams, 5 Pro Bowls
S–Scott Case, 30 career interceptions, Super Bowl champion
K–Uwe von Schamann, 101 FGs, 540 points in 6 seasons at Miami
*-P–Tress Way, Pro Bowl, 47.0-yard average in 8 seasons
KR–Greg Pruitt, 194 career punt returns, 106 kick returns
*-Still active
You are the best. Great to see you in Dallas.