Seniorita please favor us all by getting pictures of you, Scottsdale and Plaino (and any other board members) for us to cherish. Bonus points if King is included
I had an amazing time Friday night at the GOTC celebration. I was expecting a Get-Together. It was a banquet. I haven't been to many banquets, but I've been to a few. This was the best I've ever attended. There were square tables and round ones. My square table had Toby Rowland and his dad. Toby was the event's primary host. Jenni Carlson was there next to some northeast network guy I never heard of, but he and I talked a good bit.
He asked my if in those day, Nebraska was a bigger rival that Texas. I didn't think so, and explained why.
I sat next to Glenn King and his wife. Glenn and I both got there early and we rehashed 50 years ago. For the uninformed, Glenn was OU's first African American football captain in 1971, the year of the GOTC. But he didn't get to play in the game, having broken his leg against Colorado. He went to the coin toss on crutches.
I knew Glenn just barely in high school. Both his hometown, Jacksboro, and my hometown, Plano, were in AA in those days. I was track manager for two years and the worst miler in school history my junior year. Glenn won a lot of medals in the sprints. Over half the track meets, we were at the same meet, even though the schools are 100 miles apart.
OU had recruited 3 or 4 Jacksboro players in his class, back in the days when we could recruit 45 in one class. One of his teammates at both places, Jimmy Gilmore, sold my first Ford Ranger. Glenn is such a quality guy. He's my brother in Christ, and a former city councilman in Rochester NY, where his met his wife of over 30 years. We had a good talk. He signed my 50 year old program, against my objection, he had me sign is autograph ball he brought for the occasion. We also had a good hug.
Three different hosts interviewed attendees, including J.C. Watts and Curtis Lofton. Nebraska players from their '71 team, plus a few others were there. OUr table was backed up to their university president and new AD, Trev Alberts, and maybe two feet from me was Rich Glover, whose incredible play was the difference in the game. Do you know how hard it is for anybody to make 22 tackles in one game? Linebackers, extremely rarely. Nose guards like Glover, unheard of. I also got Rich to sign my game program with Joe Wylie's image on the cover.
I met several other Sooners, who I'd known 50 years ago, including Tom Brahaney and Mike Hawpe. I also had a nice chat with Bill Hancock, who was the sports editor of the Oklahoma Daily I think my soph year. I knew him a little back in the day. He's been a very big dog in national college football for awhile including presenting several national championship trophies. Bill and I agreed that the key event in the creation of OU's so-called 2nd dynasty was the recruitment of Jack MIldren.
The stars in the crowd that night were astounding. Among those interviewed were Barry Switzer and Bob Stoops. Huskers Glover and Tony Davis. As was their AD.
King was the first interview of the evening. Brian Bosworth, Joe C, and then three Selmon brothers, Dewey, Lucious and one of their older brothers. There was an hour devoted at the end to a tribute to Lee Roy, Dewey and Lucious, their unique role in OU history, and what great people their parents were, especially mom. Particularly due to Barry's urging, it was announced that a statue of the three brothers will be unveiled in 2022 and an image was shown at the end of the night. Then they handed out hats at the departing table with a pic of the statue on the front. I assume the statue will be near Heisman Park.
The food was great, the night was special, and I feel blessed to have attended.
It's hard for me to realize that Jack has been gone for 13 years, along with a third of our starters on November 25, 1971.
I wrote something similar to this Sunday night, but my computer ate it.
