Came across this tonight. In case you haven't read it, it's fantastic. I think I am going to have to buy the book.
http://espn.go.com/classic/s/2001/0823/1243147.html
What was Jimmy Harris' overall record as Sooner QB?
Came across this tonight. In case you haven't read it, it's fantastic. I think I am going to have to buy the book.
http://espn.go.com/classic/s/2001/0823/1243147.html
What was Jimmy Harris' overall record as Sooner QB?
he was undefeated i think, something like 25-0
That rocks. I'm all over it.
Bud does mention in that book that Jimmy Harris was the best player he ever coached. That's enough for me to believe he's probably the best QB we've ever had.
Atheist.
I'm glad that we are finally discovering Jimmy Harris.
That book probably sucks. Read a book about Texas history. (Real football history)
White Man's Glory: the Golden Age of Texas FootballOriginally Posted by TexasOwnsOU
Foreword by Mack Brown.
How many Negs can you get for one dumbass post?
No matter how liberal this world may become, a man will always be judged on the amount of alcohol he can consume, and women will be impressed with it, whether they like it or not!
Wonder if that Texas football history book was written in the last 5 years???
Really enjoyed the book. I had met Billy Pricer at a muffler shop in N. OKC back in the 80's. We were talkin Sooner Football and he mentions that he played back in the 50's and never lost a game. What an accomplishment. I believe Freshmen didn't play on the varsity then so they had their own JV type of team and they went undefeated although the varsity may have lost and tied that year (cannot recall for sure but I believe Notre Dame losses bookended the streak). So that team (those on the frosh squad) went four seasons without a loss. ALways knew the number of games of the streak but not that bit of information.
We were both waiting for muffler installations so needless to say I was willing to wait a long time for service.
Try 'Meat On The Hoof ' (circa 1970) for an interesting read about the DKR dehuminization experience.
Meddle not in the affairs of dragons, for thou art crunchy and good with ketchup.
Meat on the Hoof was awesome! Man, DKR was one Texas-sized prick. I liked the part where he stood over an injured player (who was in agony) and munched on a hamburger.
I would bet that DKR's graduation rate must have been waaaaaaay down there, given the hordes of players he recruited and then subsequently ran off.
For a book on Longhorn Football, I suggest Texas Football: The Glory Years. Unfortunately, you will not be allowed to touch the book because of its condition.
'spek. I totally agree. Jimmy Harris is one of the most, if not the most, undervalued Sooners in OU history.
And seriously guys.....Texas has a great football tradition, but it pales in comparison to OU.
Yeah UT owns the series record, but as far as overall tradition it just simply isn't even close.
my wife got me that book for christmas.
I am halfway through it, and I love it. While the author often jumps forward and backward in time throughout the book, its a great read and he tells a hell of a story.
I recommend it to anyone, Sooners and heathens alike.
I could write a history book on Texas last MNC. It goes like this. Man lands on the moon. Texas wins MNC. The end.
There are very few books about the Wilkinson era. Jim Dent's book is vastly entertaining, but in some respects lacks credibility. Dent writes on the theory that facts should never stand in the way of a good story. He plays a little loose with facts if changing them make for a better story. For those who are really interested in the Wilkinson years, I recommend 47 STRAIGHT by Harold Keith, former SID for OU and a gifted author of many other books. It does not read like THE UNDEFEATED because it lacks the entertainment value of that book, but it far more carefully and in much greater detail chronicles the Wilkinson era. It was reissued last year in a very limited paperback edition by the OU Press.
Another really neat book about the 1956 team is AN AUTUMN REMEMBERED by Gary King. It is a small paperback book, now out of print and a collecter's item, which devotes a separate chapter to many of the players of that team. Harris is one of them. For those who truly love OU football history and would like to read a different perspective of it, I recommend PRESIDENTS CAN'T PUNT by then OU president, Dr. George Cross. Keep in mind that these last two are hard to find and now bring a hefty price. I have seen Cross's book listed at well over $100 on ebay.
If you like coffee-table type books, I also recommend A CENTURY OF SOONER FOOTBALL in which J. Brent Clark chronicles OU football from 1895 to 1995. He devotes a separate section to each coach and includes many stats and some truly memorable photographs
My last recommendation of a good book about the Wilkinson era is that written by Jay, Bud's son, BUD WILKINSON:AN INTIMATE PORTRAIT OF AN AMERICAN LEGEND. In it, Jay writes about far more than just football as he covers his father's life from birth to death. It is not to be considered a true biography but rather a loving memoir. I found the most outstanding chapter to be the collection of letters that Bud sent to Jay while Jay played football for Duke. Sadly, there has never been a true biography about Bud. As the years pass, I question whether there ever will be.
Last edited by Legendarybud; 1/21/2005 at 10:03 PM.
All of these certainly make up the pantheon of books on Sooner football history/lore, including The Undefeated.
Dent's book definitely tries hard to make his book entertaining, but I think the general outline of his story stays true to facts. When The Undefeated was released it was criticized be a select number of former players (namely Jakie Sandefer, who funded a virtual smear campaign against Jim Dent), not for the book's inaccuracies, but for its unconventional portrait of Bud Wilkinson.
Frankly, I think it's a refreshing look at Wilkinson. Rather than maintaining the almost superhuman, stainless and glossy legend, Dent shows us that Bud has human frailties just like anyone else. Don't get me wrong....Wilkinson doesn't come off as a bad character in Dent's book. It's actually just the opposite, but with a human touch.
I might add Presidents Can't Punt, by Dr. George Cross.
Meddle not in the affairs of dragons, for thou art crunchy and good with ketchup.
Leon Cross recommended a book to me called I Remember Bud Wilkinson when we chatted at the 2003 Rose Bowl. I bought it for my grandfather and he said it was a great book.
You can pick it up at the OU bookstore.
Posting Permissions
