The Mysterious Dave Robertson

[Leroy Lizard]

The man is a ghost. Almost nothing is written about him anywhere. I still haven't found a pic of him. There appear to be no video clips of him playing. It's as if he never existed.

That's all.

[Aries]

Who?

[pphilfran]

Who?

OU qb...

[cleller]

ixnay onway ethay obertsonray alktay.

[owenfieldreams]

D.R. was caught in the middle of two of the most successful QB careers in OU history. He followed Jack Mildren and preceeded Steve Davis.

In his one year as OU QB, he lost only one game, a 20-14 upset in Boulder. Robertson was not a classic triple-option QB......a better passer than runner, but we were so talented, he was adequate in running the 'bone.

When you have a 3-deep @ LHB of Greg Pruitt, Joe Washington, & Mike Thomas, you've got some incredible weapons.

[NCSooner18]

Number 15 if I recall correctly.

[texaspokieokie]

D.R. was caught in the middle of two of the most successful QB careers in OU history. He followed Jack Mildren and preceeded Steve Davis.

In his one year as OU QB, he lost only one game, a 20-14 upset in Boulder. Robertson was not a classic triple-option QB......a better passer than runner, but we were so talented, he was adequate in running the 'bone.

When you have a 3-deep @ LHB of Greg Pruitt, Joe Washington, & Mike Thomas, you've got some incredible weapons.

what about RHB & FB ??

[76soonergrad]

He played in 1972 for Coach Chuck Fairbanks. Tom Brahaney was on OL. We had a strong Offensive line. Defense,too.

[SoonerFaninAZ]

ixnay onway ethay obertsonray alktay.

Nix won het Robertson talk?

[texaspokieokie]

i remember that he was from CA.

derland moore was on the defensive line.

washington & 2 youngest selmons (not twins) were all frosh.

[Jacie]

Another player from the same era who was also a one-year starter in those incredible backfields was FB Waymon Clark.

[texaspokieokie]

clark was un-stable & had bad problems the next summer. went after somebody with a hammer.

[cvsooner]

He was a very good (underutilized) passer in a running attack. His record speaks for itself. The Sooner D that year was just phenomenal...offense wasn't flashy but scored enough points to win every game. Except one. Also whipped Nebraska in a tough defensive struggle in Lincoln.

[owenfieldreams]

My recollection is that the entire '71 backfield returned, sans Mildren. This would have put smooth running Joe Wylie & Leon Crosswhite in the 'bone w/Pruitt.

Robertson was from Garden Grove, California.

Brahaney did return but we only had three D starters returning. However, this wasn't all bad since the '71 D was marginal and two new soph's would begin their stellar careers on D in '72....Rod Shoate and Randy Hughes.Derland Moore and Lucious Selmon anchored the D-line. We beat NU 17-14 in '72.

Robertson's main target was WR John Carroll but Carroll got hurt in the NU game and freshman Tinker Owens came in and was instrumental in the victory. Greg Pruitt got hurt early in that NU game as well and both Washington and Grant Burget played a lot and well vs the Huskers. The winning FG was kicked by Rick Fulcher, from Cupertino, California.

The Sooners went on the beat Penn State in the Sugar Bowl, 14-0, despite losing 5 fumbles to the Nittany Lions, 3 inside the PSU 5 yard line. We finished #2 behind SC that year but ended up forfeiting the KU, Mizzou, & OSU games because of Kerry Jackson.

We held PSU to 196 total yards in that Sugar Bowl. They'd averaged 402 ypg that year.

The promising Burget was lost to a season ending injury in the first game of '73 in Waco. John Carroll also was lost in a season ending injury in fall camp and Leroy Selmon came down with pericarditis and would miss much of the '73 season. Waymon Clark had his debut breakout game in that win over Baylor in Waco.

It was the 7-7 tie with SC @ the Coliseum that told everyone this might be a special Sooner squad and the subsequent 52-13 thrashing of the Horns was validation. We shut NU out in '73, 27-0.

[MyT Oklahoma]

^^ Those were the days. :cool:

[70sooner]

We shut NU out in '73, 27-0.


and Nebbish only crossed the 50 once and that was on a penalty, if I remember and then they promptly turned the ball over....

[MyT Oklahoma]

That would be still yet one more reason that those were the days. ;)

[soonergirlNeugene]

Still looking for a photo, but I was able to find a guy selling a copy of the broadcast of the 1972 OU-Nebbish game (http://www.ioffer.com/i/1972-college-football-oklahoma-vs-nebraska-166900215).

[DarrellZero]

Berry Tramel wrote a column about him a couple of years back.

[Sooner Cal]

The only OU Qb less remembered is Mickey Ripley.

The running backs were great, but it still took a good Qb to execute the wishbone.

[Caboose]

Can someone please make a chronological list of starting OU QB's? I am much MUCH too lazy.

[Leroy Lizard]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Oklahoma_Sooners_starting_quarterbacks

[AlbqSooner]

OU beat Penn State in the second Sugar Bowl of '72.

The first Sugar Bowl was played on January 1, 1972. The second, OU vs Penn State, was played on December 31, 1972. I attended the second. Still have the ticket stub. Face Value $7.50.

New Years in New Orleans. Beer for sale in the stadium at $0.50 for a 16 oz draft delivered to your seat. French Quarter after the game. Hands down the worst hangover I EVER had.

[Wayne Jarvis]

OU beat Penn State in the second Sugar Bowl of '72.

The first Sugar Bowl was played on January 1, 1972.

Also an OU victory: 40-22 over Auburn. At one point, it believe it was 40-7.

[OldTimeSooner]

We shut NU out in '73, 27-0.


and Nebbish only crossed the 50 once and that was on a penalty, if I remember and then they promptly turned the ball over....

If I recall correctly, they completed a pass beyond the fifty, but the receiver fumbled when he was tackled and OU recovered. Neb never snapped the ball on our side of the field.

Ray "Sugar Bear" Hamilton was the other returning defensive starter on what was the best defense in the country - amazing for having only three returning starters. The shutout in RRS was a thing of beauty. The blocked quick kick in that game is one of my all-time favorite moments in that series.

[Jay C. Upchurch]

Sooner Spectator ran this feature on Robertson a couple of years ago....

California Cool

Dave Robertson may not be a household name to most Sooner fans,
but he once led OU to the Big Eight title and a No. 2 national ranking


By Jay C. Upchurch

Chuck Fairbanks called it one of the greatest victories of his coaching career. But if not for the composure of a fifth-year senior named Dave Robertson, Oklahoma and Nebraska’s encore to the “Game of the Century” might very well have produced a similar ending.

In that historic 1971 battle of the nation’s top two ranked teams, the Cornhuskers scored late to capture a thrilling 35-31 win that ultimately propelled them to the national title. The Sooners, who finished at No. 2 in the Associated Press poll, were left to lament what might have been.

The 1972 rematch featured more defense, less scoring and a memorable second-half comeback that helped the fourth-ranked Sooners earn a 17-14 victory and eventually the Big Eight crown (via a win over Oklahoma State the following Saturday).

“We had an attitude going into that game because the Orange Bowl had already extended an invitation to Nebraska,” said Robertson. “Traditionally, the Orange Bowl took the Big Eight champion and since that had not been decided yet, we thought Nebraska’s selection was a bit
premature.”

As it turned out, Robertson and the Sooners were right. But it certainly did not look that way two-plus quarters into the contest,
played on a cold, gray November day in Lincoln (Nov. 23, 1972, to be exact).

Playing without Heisman candidate running back Greg Pruitt and starting tight end and kicker John Carroll, both of whom were injured in the opening quarter, Fairbanks’ Sooners kept things close behind a stingy defense led by Lucious Selmon, Rod Shoate, Raymond Hamilton and
Kenneth Pope, whose two interceptions killed Husker drives.

OU’s offense, behind Robertson, moved the ball well at times, but had nothing to show for its efforts as the clock struck the midway mark of the third quarter. The fifth-rankedHuskers had just scored to go on top 14-0 and things were starting to look bleak for the rivals from the
south.

“No one panicked,” said Tinker Owens, a freshman receiver making the first start of his career that day. “I remember Dave being very calm and collected and how that helped settle us down and keep things in focus. That was Dave Robertson’s trademark — he was always cool in the
huddle. We definitely needed it that day.”

Robertson’s poise was best demonstrated during a defining 11-play, 76-yard scoring drive that was capped by Joe Washington’s 1-yard touchdown run with 2:15 left in the third. Two possessions later, Robertson again guided the Sooners to the NU 1 where Grant Burget found the
endzone and Rick Fulcher made his second point-after kick to tie the game at 14-14.

“Even when we fell behind 14-0, we felt like we were still in the game. We had moved the ball fairly well on offense and we just had to find a way to score,” recalled Robertson, who used his strong right arm to help lift the OU offense.

Robertson’s 22-yard strike to Owens converted a critical third-down on the first scoring march, and he would eventually complete 10 of 22 passes for a career-best 186 yards. The young and brash Owens was on the receiving end of eight Robertson aerials for 108 yards.

“We had a lot of guys step up that day and help provide a great team effort. That was the only way we were going to beat Nebraska,” offered Robertson, who had won the starting job during the ’72 preseason despite several unfavorable comparisons to OU quarterback great
Jack Mildren.

“I remember we shuffled our lineup a little because Greg (Pruitt) had reinjured his ankle and John Carroll had a knee injury. But Tinker came through with some really key catches and when our defense gave a chance for the win, Rick Fulcher kicked a big field goal.”

Fulcher had misfired on a pair of field goal attempts (41, 45 yards) in the first half, but given the opportunity to provide the Sooners with a lead, he nailed a 41-yarder. The game-winner was set up when OU’s Derland Moore sacked quarterback David Humm, causing a fumble that Selmon recovered at the NU 27.

Oklahoma’s defense was also up to the task during the frantic final moments, putting the clamps on ’72 Heisman winner Johnny Rodgers, who finished the day with only 46 combined yards from scrimmage.

“That was a great win for us and we went on to beat Penn State (14-0) in the Sugar Bowl and finish second in the country. A lot of credit for that team’s success goes to Dave and the way he ran the offense,” said Barry Switzer, offensive coordinator under Fairbanks at the
time. “We ran the wishbone offense and Dave was probably considered more of a passing quarterback, but
he got the job done. He was a leader and he didn’t make mistakes.”

After laboring in obscurity for three years under the giant Mildren’s shadow, Robertson made the most of his final opportunity as a Sooner. He edged out transfer Kerry Jackson for the starting job and eventually led OU to an 11-1 record in 1972.

The team’s lone blemish happened in mid-October at Boulder where the Sooners stumbled to a 20-14 loss against the Buffaloes.

“I never looked at following Jack as a negative. Honestly, it was a great experience for me to back up Jack for the years we were there together,” said Robertson. “Watching him run the offense and lead the team — I learned a lot during that time. He was a great quarterback.

“I never had any thoughts of emulating Jack Mildren. We were very different. He was a completely different type of athlete than I was.”

Robertson, while not considered a true running quarterback, made up for any ground option shortcomings with his football smarts, strong work ethic and an uncanny cool. The fact the 6-foot-2, 199-pound Garden Grove (Calif.) High School product was known more for his big arm did not bother Owens or other OU receivers like Carroll or Al Chandler.

“Dave threw a great ball and probably had the best arm out of any quarterback who was there during my time at OU,” said Owens, who hauled in 17 passes for 298 yards and one touchdown that season. “We threw the ball a lot more in ’72, so that was a good thing as far as I was concerned.”

Robertson finished the season 56 of 110 for 1096 yards, nine TDs and four interceptions. He also carried the ball 120 times for 278 yards. After briefly considering a free agent offer from the New England Patriots the following spring, Robertson opted to remain in school and finish up his business education degree.

“I thought briefly that playing in the NFL might be an option — if I got drafted. But that didn’t happen and I didn’t like my chances of making it as a free agent,” explained Robertson. “I had one semester remaining to finish my degree and I’d have to say I made the right decision.”

Upon graduation, Robertson got a teaching and coaching job at Del City High School, where he spent the next two years prior to moving back to the West Coast to pursue other opportunities. He has spent the last 33 years working in various corporate management positions — in California, Colorado, Texas and Idaho — with the Albertsons Company (now owned by Super Value).

Robertson, 56, has remained a Sooner fan over the years, returning to Norman on occasion to rejoin his former teammates at various functions. He looks back on his time at OU with great fondness and nostalgia.

“I’d definitely say my five years at the University of Oklahoma were life-altering. My time there as a student-athlete gave me a great foundation for the future,” he said. “I walked away from OU a much more confident person than the kid who arrived four years earlier.”

These days, Robertson has even more reason to keep closer tabs on Norman and the Sooners. His daughter, Kristin, is a freshman music education major and a member of The Pride of Oklahoma band.

“Kristin going to OU was very unexpected, but I love the way it’s worked out,” said the former quarterback, who lives with his wife Cindy in California. “She’s very much into music and I think she’s really enjoying it there so far.”

But what does the National Merit Scholar think about having an OU football legend as a father?

“It’s fun. My Dad’s side of the family are all huge Sooner fans, so I kind of grew up with it to some degree,” said Kristin, who is part of The Pride’s drum line in the pit. “He never really tried to influence my decision on college, but it just so happens that OU has everything I was
looking for — a great music school and band, and lots of school spirit.”

Once upon a time, OU had a pretty good offensive triggerman named Dave Robertson, who was a master at revving up that same school spirit.

[Leroy Lizard]

Thx, Jay.

[RUSH LIMBAUGH is my clone!]

Thx, Jay.Yeah, good read. Dave's gotta be older than 56, though.

[texaspokieokie]

that article ain't recent.

[KsSooner]

Dave Robertson was the Nate Hybl of the 70's

[RUSH LIMBAUGH is my clone!]

that article ain't recent.Dave's prolly 60 by now, that whippersnapper.

[Jay C. Upchurch]

It was written in 2007....

[MyT Oklahoma]

Thank for sharing that story.

I love reading about the good old days of Sooner football when I was still a kid. LOL

[70sooner]

If I recall correctly, they completed a pass beyond the fifty, but the receiver fumbled when he was tackled and OU recovered. Neb never snapped the ball on our side of the field.

I think you're correct, but I knew nebbish crossed the 50 only once....

[Leroy Lizard]

Still no pic or vid.

Did this guy really exist?

[Jacie]

The highlight video for 1972 was titled "The Prairie Tree" with the tree being a goalpost. The segment about the nebbish game was inspiring to Sooner fans and some solace for the pain of the 71 game, which pretty much all of us still felt a year later.

[85sooners]

clark was un-stable & had bad problems the next summer. went after somebody with a hammer.

:eek: