Sooner Spectator Hosts Brian Bosworth, Nov. 21!

[Jay C. Upchurch]

Sooner Spectator Magazine, Sooner Legends Inn & Suites and The Apothem are proud to announce an exciting Sooner event:

Tailgating with “The Boz”

Friday, November 21, 2008

7:30-9:30 pm

@ Sooner Legends Inn & Suites in Norman

Come hang out with The Boz and get fired up for the OU-Texas Tech Game

click for more details
http://www.soonerspectator.com/Boz/boz.htm

$50 per person

The event will be limited to the first 150 registered guests

Call 405-701-8100 to reserve your spot today!!! Before it's too late!

Price includes: An appetizer buffet and two drinks, an autographed limited edition poster of “The Boz,” plus an additional piece of memorabilia brought by attendee for signature

Meet, greet, mix and mingle with The Boz, along with other special guests in the unique setting of Sooner Legends. Get your picture taken with The Boz!

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Brian Bosworth, aka The Boz
Linebacker #44
Played football at OU from 1984-1986
Two-time All-American
Two-time Butkus Award winner

Brian Bosworth, commonly known as “The Boz,” was a tremendous football player with an ability to rise up in the big games and a tackling ability second to none. The Boz taunted opponents, fans and the NCAA with his headbands, hairstyles and colorful comments to the press. He was also one of the greatest linebackers college football has ever seen with the talent to back up all the show. Anyone who watched him play knew this was a player who could dominate a game. Bosworth recorded 395 tackles in his three years at OU, including a school-record 22 in the 1986 game against Miami. He was the model of consistency and improved each year, making 128, 131 and 136 tackles, leading the Sooners in tackles all three seasons. He was a consensus All-American in 1985 and 1986 and the only college player to ever win the Butkus Award twice.

Most importantly, he helped lead the Sooners to the 1985 national championship.

Taken in the 1987 supplemental draft by Seattle, Bosworth signed the richest contract in Seahawk history. Even though The Boz had spent his entire career on the strongside to make all the defensive calls, he moved to the weakside after joining the Seahawks. He excelled in the NFL, but a shoulder injury forced him to retire after three years.

After the NFL, Bosworth turned to Hollywood, where his good looks and flamboyant image helped pave the way for a solid career. He starred in Stone Cold in 1991, and also appeared in more than a dozen other movies and TV shots, including the 2005 remake of The Longest Yard.

[boomersoonr7xchamps]

Just booked it! Can't wait to meet the guy that hooked me on OU Football! BOOMER

[MojoRisen]

The Boz! My brother was best friends with his roomate in college Brad Mcbride.. Brad introduced us to the BOZ in 86 after a practice... the dude was mean and like who are these kids to Mcbride.. then he lightened up.. Pretty intense back in the college days!

He liked that we all had versions of the BOZ cuts!!! He must have made some barbers some pretty good cash!

[Dan Thompson]

Since housing prices are in the toilet, I assume the Boz is still in real estate in Malibu, maybe the Boz would like to be our LB coach.

[Since71ASooner4Life]

I'm in too! As a Michigander, it is an absolute treat just to attend a Sooners game, and this weekend couldn't be lining up better. for me, there is no way to put it other than Brian Bosworth was and still is today the face of Oklahoma Football. When the game needed someone to stand up and call those Miami Hurricanes the bunch of punks that they were and will always be, the Boz was the man for the job! And any time anyone would ever question the heart and intensity of an OU football player, Brian Bosworth is the Gold Standard that they should be compared to. Awsome!!!

Now on another subject .... I'm not a typical autograph hound, but an opportunity to get the Boz's signiture on one of my #44 throwback jerseys cannot be missed. I've always heard that metallic Sharpie pens are the way to go. I went out this morning and got a pack with fine tip gold and silver, identified as oil based. I tested out on paper and on the cuff of my jeans, and all looks great ... will see after the washing machine. Can any one confirm that I've got the right kind, or recommend what I should have? Also, I've never attended an event like this - am I correct to assume that you need to bring your own writing equipment? Any fan shop in Norman where I could likely find the right Sharpie? thanks in advance.

[boomersoonr7xchamps]

A sharpie should work just fine

[nativesooner]

Sharpies are great 71. Most folks have players sign on the actual numbers in black or if it's an away jersey in silver on the number. Some folks do have the signature put on the shoulder of the jersey but it looks better to me on the #. Most of the time the guys will have their own sharpies but it never hurts to have one in case they don't. What I've also learned that is if you wear down the tip of the pen some, the autograph will be a little thicker on your jersey. Sometimes if the player doesn't push down hard or angle the pen, the autograph can look real thin because of the fine tip. I have some autographs that look like "#44" and others that look like "#44" because of the tip of the sharpie I used. Also when you do get it signed and slap it up on your wall, try and keep it out of direct sunlight. Over time the sunlight fades autographs, even sharpie ones. I have an autographed hat of Billy Vessels that I can barely read any more because I always had it in my window as a kid. Anyway good luck! Sounds like an awesome event! I wish I could attend but I have a kids b-day party to go to! Have fun!

[Jay C. Upchurch]

Brian will have pens to sign with, but like nativesooner said... it never hurts to bring your own, just in case.

Remember, too, to bring your camera, because everyone who gets an autograph can get their picture taken with The Boz, as well.

Should be a great time. I know Brian is looking forward to the fun atmosphere of Sooner Legends. He has done very few signings back this way over the years, so it's a great opportunity to get him ... and there is a rumor going around that he may finally go into the College Football Hall of Fame in the next class or the class after, so get something signed before the price goes up!

[Since71ASooner4Life]

Sharpies are great 71. Most folks have players sign on the actual numbers in black or if it's an away jersey in silver on the number. Some folks do have the signature put on the shoulder of the jersey but it looks better to me on the #. Most of the time the guys will have their own sharpies but it never hurts to have one in case they don't. What I've also learned that is if you wear down the tip of the pen some, the autograph will be a little thicker on your jersey. Sometimes if the player doesn't push down hard or angle the pen, the autograph can look real thin because of the fine tip. I have some autographs that look like "#44" and others that look like "#44" because of the tip of the sharpie I used. Also when you do get it signed and slap it up on your wall, try and keep it out of direct sunlight. Over time the sunlight fades autographs, even sharpie ones. I have an autographed hat of Billy Vessels that I can barely read any more because I always had it in my window as a kid. Anyway good luck! Sounds like an awesome event! I wish I could attend but I have a kids b-day party to go to! Have fun!


Thank you very much for taking the time to give such detailed feedback - sounds like you have done this a time or two before!

[Jay C. Upchurch]

Here is a story I wrote about The Boz back in 2004...

Brian Bosworth, No. 10

Brian Bosworth pauses for a moment as he exits the tunnel and gets his first glimpse of the field at Pro Player Stadium. He takes a deep breath, closes his eyes and listens to the crowd. A surge of adrenaline pumps through his veins and memories come flooding back.

Suddenly, it’s Miami 15-years earlier and fans lining the Orange Bowl end zone are clamoring for their hero — chanting, non-stop. Beckoning, if you will...

“We want Boz. We want Boz. We want Boz.”

As the flamboyant young linebacker emerges out of a sea of Oklahoma players, the roar is almost deafening. He pumps his fist in acknowledgment and sprints to the sideline where he again disappears into a crush of crimson and cream.

As the Sooners take the field for their national title battle with Penn State, The Boz loses himself in his zone — the search and destroy mode that has helped make him a consensus All-American and two-time Butkus Award winner.

Blonde locks peeking out from under his helmet. Wild eyes sizing up every potential target. A menacing scowl as he paces back-and-forth. Pure intensity. He doesn’t wear the look of a mad man, rather someone who has a purpose in life.

He is on a mission.

On the first snap, Boz ranges to his right and puts a bone-crunching hit on a Nittany Lion running back. A spray of sweat, turf and teeth pelts the fans in the front row and sets the tone for a very memorable evening.

A slight smile finds its way onto Boz’s face as he makes the transition back from his brief journey down memory lane and the Sooners’ 25-10 victory on Jan. 1, 1986.

A few steps away from the newly-painted field, adorned with the logos of Oklahoma and Florida State, a voice cries out, “Hey, Brian. Can I get your autograph?”

Brian? Excuse me?

The reality of 2001 crystallized.

Brian Bosworth approaches the field from a different perspective these days. Now, he’s a fan. A football fan. He’s always been an Oklahoma fan.

The once supremely talented athlete and colorful personality have matured — quite gracefully, if the truth be known — into a man who still has star quality and who still packs a punch, these days as an action hero.

His NFL career cut short by injury almost 15 years ago, Bosworth turned to Hollywood and is now a veteran actor of movies and television, having starred in nine feature-length films. He was a bright spot as a color analyst for the ill-fated XFL a few years ago and his commercial appeal is still very viable. In fact, he is currently filming a remake of the football classic “The Longest Yard,” along with Adam Sandler and Burt Reynolds.

It’s on those occasions, when he is in front of the camera, he allows “The Boz” character to re-emerge.

And while he once fell from grace among Sooner faithful thanks to his controversial best-selling book, The Boz: Confessions of an Anti-Hero, those old wounds have long since healed. Never was that more apparent than the 2000 football season when Bosworth was a frequent sideline guest of Bob Stoops’ national champion Sooners.

The trip to Miami stirred up plenty of great memories for the Oklahoma-born-Texas-raised now 39-year-old. But his favorite part of the national title run was simply being a part of the present glory and seeing the program’s bright future.

“(It) was a blessing, no question about it,” said Bosworth. “I’ve always felt Iike I’m part of the fabric of the family at Oklahoma. I grew up loving it. Sooner football ruled my Saturdays, whether they won or lost. And then to go play there and to do well there was a dream come true. What made it even more special was the success the team experienced, like winning a national championship.”

Bosworth has always kept tabs on the Sooners and suffered along with them through the hardships of the 1990s.

“To see the glory fade away was sad for everybody. But to see it come back in such an emotional and dramatic fashion was truly a blessing. They didn’t have an overwhelming wealth of talent on that football team. But it’s not talent that always wins football games — it’s hearts, especially at the college level.”

Growing up an Oklahoma football fan in the heart of Texas helped galvanize Bosworth into a young man who felt destined greatness. His world revolved around Saturdays and listening to or watching the Sooners play football. And he dreamed that some day he would be a part of it.

Those dreams came to fruition when Oklahoma coach Barry Switzer signed the lightly-recruited Bosworth. From the moment he walked on that campus, he expeditiously molded his speed, strength and instincts into those of a budding superstar.

Bosworth, however, discovered he needed a means of channeling all of his talent, emotions and energy. The 1984 OU-Texas game presented him with that outlet.

It was then and there “The Boz” came to be.

“I had looked forward to that first OU-Texas game from the time I was six years old. Being from Oklahoma and having to move to Texas, I was really the only kid I knew who rooted for OU in Texas,” said Bosworth. “That first game was really the birth of my alter ego, the ability for me to go in and find an area inside myself of pure intensity. That enabled me to elevate my game to another level — which really is the definition of the OU-Texas game.”

During his three seasons in Norman, Bosworth distinguished himself on and off the field with a flair for style, great playmaking and self-promotion. His “Boz” alter ego created a frenzy with a blond-streaked mullet-Mohawk hairdo that fell somewhere between colorful and flamboyant.

And he was both loved and loathed.

All the while, he managed to keep his teammates amused while stealing most of the headlines for himself.

“I’d run all the way across the field just to listen to him talk crap on the guy he hit,” laughed safety Sonny Brown. “It was hilarious. You could just see the running back’s eyes getting bigger and the fear creeping in. Brian used it more for the intimidation factor, but for the rest of us it was more about entertainment.”

And everything The Boz talked about and promised to OU fans, he basically went out and delivered, including the 1985 national championship. He was a consensus All-American in 1985 and ’86 who Barry Switzer once said was “one of the greatest football players of all-time.”

Bosworth set a school-record with 22 tackles in a single game and he remains the only player to ever win the Butkus Award twice. He led the Sooners in tackles each of his three seasons and deservedly earned All-Big Eight honors three times. His overall numbers told much of the story, as he made 133, 144 and 136 tackles.
“Boz was a gifted college football player. He had great speed and an attitude that made him special,” said teammate Keith Jackson. “A lot of people only saw the haircut and the antics, and looked at him as if he was some kind of commando out there. But he really was a leader and a very smart football player.

“Bosworth understood defense probably as well as (OU defensive coordinator) Gary Gibbs did. He knew how to play the game and he made a habit of making great plays. Boz was a football player — bottom line.”

Proving Bosworth’s smarts was the fact he earned Academic All-America honors in 1986.

Unfortunately, the lines between the football player and the comic book character became blurred. He tested positive for steroids prior to the 1987 Orange Bowl and ended up leaving Norman in a cloud of controversy a year early.

Bosworth was the first pick in the 1987 supplemental draft and he eventually signed the most lucrative contract in Seattle Seahawk history, inking a 10-year, $11-million deal. In the end, his playing career was finished after just three NFL seasons due to a shoulder injury.

When he is not on the movie set, Bosworth spends most of his time being husband to wife, Katherine, and father to three children. Although he still gets to show off his brash side as a studio analyst for TBS Sports’ college football broadcasts each week.

“Aside from TBS for college football, I’m just being a dad and hanging out with my family,” said Bosworth, who lives in Malibu, Calif. “I lead an introverted and boring life here in California.”

Sure Brian.

[OU1988]

I've been going to OU games since 1980 and he is the most dominant college player I've ever seen.

[tulsaoilerfan]

My son got Boz to sign a football after one of the OU games back in 02 or 03; he was really nice but unfortunately i didn't have a camera to get a pic

[nativesooner]

Thank you very much for taking the time to give such detailed feedback - sounds like you have done this a time or two before!


No problem, glad to help. Yep, I've been collecting more junk than Fred Sanford! :D I'm no expert by any means though. Have a great time! It sounds like a fun deal!

[Jay C. Upchurch]

Sooner Fans!

Don't miss your chance to hang out with The Boz and listen to him get fired up about OU's pending victory over Texas Tech on Saturday. We still have tickets available for The Tailgating with The Boz event for Friday nite at Sooner Legends!

Let's sell the place out and show Boz that Sooner fans can bring it!

call 405-701-8100 to reserve your tickets...

Thank you!

[SwitzerIsMyKing]

I CANNOT believe there are still tickets left for this thing. Come on guys. How often do you get the chance to hang out and mingle with the Boz?? Jay has worked his tail off to make this happen so let's sell it out and show support for The Sooner Spectator and Jay. Boz will be very disappointed if we can't sell a measly 150 tickets to this event.
Call your friends and family and tell them about Tailgating with the Boz!!! Make it part of your OU/Tech weekend.

[boomersoonr7xchamps]

Amen brother--I am actually taking a day off from work so I can travel up a day early and meet the Boz, and get ready for the big game! Can't wait for this thing! I grew up watching the Boz! CAN'T WAIT!!!!!!!!!! Everytime I think Jay and the Spectator crew can't top themselves, they do! Thanks Jay!

[Jay C. Upchurch]

Thanks fellas....

In case anyone is trying to make up their minds... there are still a few tickets remaining... so come on out to Sooner Legends to meet The Boz...

We are also expecting a few special guests to drop in, including some other members of the 1985 national title team...

call 405-701-8100 to reserve a spot!

[Jay C. Upchurch]

Thanks to everyone who attended the Tailgating with Boz event on Friday. Boz was great as he took time to talk and take pictures with every single person, which made for a lot of happy fans.

Thanks to Brian for being with us and a special thanks to Sooner Legends for its great hospitality and service!

It was a fun evening!


Jay