It has been a very period of time of late for those associated with the Oklahoma Sooners, and sadly, it continued today with the loss of former head football coach Chuck Fairbanks. Fairbanks was head coach from 1967-72, before Barry Switzer took over.
It was Chuck Fairbanks coaching the Sooners in The Game of the Century at Norman in 1971, as Nebraska defeated OU 35-31 en route to winning the national title routing Paul "Bear" Bryant and Alabama in the Orange Bowl.
 |
| Nebraska's Bob Devaney with OU's Chuck Fairbanks |
The death of Fairbanks comes just weeks after former Oklahoma quarterback Steve Davis, Switzer's first signal caller, died in a plane crash in Indiana. Davis was magical running the wishbone Fairbanks implemented at OU.
Sadly, college football is losing many people who played significant roles in the history of the game.
Just yesterday, the game of football lost Jack Pardee, one of Bear Bryants "Junction Boys" at Texas A&M and College Football Hall of Fame member. I remember Jack Pardee when he coached our hometown Florida Blazers in 1974.
Nebraska All America tailback Ken Clark died just a few weeks back, and Alabama lost Mal Moore this week.
Last fall, the game lost legendary Texas Longhorn coach Darrell Royal and Beano Cook, who in particular helped keep the history of the game, inclusive of the military academies, fresh in our mind.
Emory Bellard, who many credit with creating the wishbone while at Texas under Darrell Royal, passed away just over a year ago. Bellard was head coach at Texas A&M and Mississippi State.
Many of these men were instrumental in forming the fabric of The Color and Pageantry of College Football, America's game. While we have lost many, we still have time to embrace and honor those who remain with us. Some are among our heroes; excellent athletes, coaches, father figures, teachers and men of faith.
These men will be missed. Let us not change our traditions; let us remember those who made them.
No comments:
Post a Comment