Celebrate the icons who built Sooner Nation — lifelike illustrated portraits, Heisman winners, ten iconic games in Sooner history, and the seven national championship teams that define crimson & cream excellence.
OU is tied for the second-most Heisman winners in college football history.
Halfback · 1950–1952
2,072
Career Rush Yds
18
Career Rush TD
1,072
1952 Rush Yds
1952
Heisman
Oklahoma's first Heisman Trophy winner, Billy Vessels was the explosive centerpiece of Bud Wilkinson's early dynasty. His breakaway speed made him one of the most feared backs in college football and helped establish OU as a national power.
Boomer Ball original artwork
Running Back · 1967–1969
3,867
Career Rush Yds
34
Career Rush TD
1,523
1969 Rush Yds
1969
Heisman
Steve 'Touchdown' Owens powered through defenders with relentless effort, becoming OU's second Heisman winner in 1969. He carried the Sooners offense with a workhorse style that embodied blue-collar Sooner football.
Boomer Ball original artwork
Running Back · 1975–1979
4,118
Career Rush Yds
53
Career Rush TD
1,896
1978 Rush Yds
22
1978 Rush TD
1978
Heisman
One of the greatest runners in Sooner history, Billy Sims rushed for 1,896 yards in his Heisman season and finished with 4,118 career rushing yards — still among OU's all-time leaders. A dynamic open-field threat with elite vision and acceleration.
Boomer Ball original artwork
Quarterback · 1999–2004
8,012
Career Pass Yds
76
Career Pass TD
3,744
2003 Pass Yds
40
2003 Pass TD
2003
Heisman
Jason White overcame multiple knee injuries to become one of OU's most resilient champions, winning the 2003 Heisman while leading the Sooners to the 2004 BCS National Championship Game. A precision passer in Josh Heupel's Air Raid lineage.
Boomer Ball original artwork
Quarterback · 2006–2009
12,303
Career Pass Yds
112
Career Pass TD
4,720
2008 Pass Yds
50
2008 Pass TD
2008
Heisman
Sam Bradford directed one of the most prolific offenses in college football history, winning the Heisman in 2008 while leading OU to the BCS National Championship. His accuracy and decision-making set records in the Air Raid system.
Boomer Ball original artwork
Quarterback · 2014–2017
12,292
Career Pass Yds
119
Career Pass TD
4,340
2017 Pass Yds
41
2017 Pass TD
2017
Heisman
Baker Mayfield walked on at Texas Tech, transferred to OU, and became a two-time Heisman finalist — winning in 2017. His competitive fire and pinpoint passing revitalized Sooner Nation and produced some of the highest QB efficiency marks ever.
Boomer Ball original artwork
Quarterback · 2015–2018
4,361
2018 Pass Yds
42
2018 Pass TD
1,001
2018 Rush Yds
5,362 yds
Total Offense
2018
Heisman
Kyler Murray followed Baker Mayfield and somehow exceeded the hype, combining elite passing with game-breaking rushing ability. His 2018 Heisman season remains one of the most efficient quarterback performances in FBS history.
Boomer Ball original artwork
Legends who defined eras — from The Boz to Adrian Peterson and Lee Roy Selmon.
Linebacker · 1984–1986
395
Career Tackles
42
Career TFL
2
Butkus Awards
19
Sacks (est.)
Brian 'The Boz' Bosworth defined swagger and intensity in college football. A two-time Butkus Award winner on the 1985 national championship team, he was one of the most iconic defenders — and personalities — in OU history.
Boomer Ball original artwork
Running Back · 2004–2006
4,045
Career Rush Yds
41
Career Rush TD
1,925
2004 Rush Yds
15
2004 Rush TD
5.8
YPC (career)
Adrian Peterson arrived at Oklahoma as one of the most heralded recruits in history and delivered immediately with 1,925 rushing yards as a freshman — still a benchmark for elite Sooner running backs.
Boomer Ball original artwork
Defensive Tackle · 1972–1975
295
Career Tackles
32.5
Career Sacks
2
National Titles
1975
Outland Trophy
Lee Roy Selmon anchored the dominant defenses of Barry Switzer's back-to-back national championship teams. The first overall pick in the 1976 NFL Draft, he is widely regarded as the greatest defensive lineman in OU history.
Boomer Ball original artwork
Ten of the most famous wins, heartbreaks, and moments that define Boomer Sooner lore — from the Game of the Century to Red River classics.
Illustrated1970s Wishbone Dynasty
vs. #1 Nebraska
November 25, 1971
vs Nebraska
472
OU Rush Yds
266
Joe W. Rush
62,000
Attendance
66
Combined Pts
Owen Field, Norman, OK
The first time college football's top two teams met when both were undefeated. A packed Owen Field watched Nebraska's I-formation edge OU's wishbone in a back-and-forth classic that lived up to the hype — still debated as the greatest regular-season game ever played.
Boomer Ball original artwork
IllustratedStoops Dynasty Begins
BCS National Championship
January 3, 2000
vs Florida State
13-0
OU Record
2
FSU Points
5
OU Sacks
168
Heupel Pass Yds
Orange Bowl, Miami, FL
Bob Stoops' first season ended with a 13-0 record and a defensive masterpiece. The Sooners held FSU to just two points — a safety — while Josh Heupel managed the game and the defense dominated one of the era's most explosive offenses.
Boomer Ball original artwork
IllustratedAir Raid Renaissance
Upset of Alabama
January 2, 2014
vs Alabama
348
Knight Pass Yds
83
Knight Rush Yds
487
Total Offense
+14
Spread Upset
Superdome, New Orleans, LA
Las Vegas made Alabama a two-touchdown favorite, but Trevor Knight and the Sooners shredded the Crimson Tide with 487 yards of offense. OU's biggest bowl upset in a generation announced the program was back on the national stage.
Boomer Ball original artwork
IllustratedAir Raid Peak
Toppling #1 Texas
October 11, 2008
vs Texas
311
Bradford Pass Yds
5
Bradford TD
497
OU Total Yds
#1
Texas Rank
Cotton Bowl, Dallas, TX
Sam Bradford and the highest-scoring offense in the country dropped 45 on a Texas team ranked No. 1 in the BCS. The Sooners' precision passing attack turned the Cotton Bowl into a statement that OU owned the Big 12's biggest stage.
Boomer Ball original artwork
IllustratedSwitzer Era
National Championship
January 1, 1986
vs Penn State
246
PSU Total Yds
92
Holieway Rush
4
OU Sacks
#1
Final AP Rank
Orange Bowl, Miami, FL
Barry Switzer's third national title featured the legendary '86 Defense' — Brian Bosworth, Tony Casillas, and company smothered Penn State while Jamelle Holieway ran the wishbone. The Sooners finished 11-1 and cemented the 1980s as a golden age.
Boomer Ball original artwork
IllustratedRiley Air Raid
59-56 in Norman
November 23, 2018
vs West Virginia
4
Murray Total TD
115
Combined Pts
704
WVU Total Yds
556
OU Total Yds
Gaylord Family Stadium, Norman, OK
Kyler Murray and Will Grier traded haymakers in one of the highest-scoring games in OU history. Murray's 296 passing and 66 rushing yards plus four total TDs edged a Will Grier-led offense that piled up 704 yards — pure Big 12 chaos.
Boomer Ball original artwork
Illustrated1970s Wishbone Dynasty
National Championship
January 1, 1972
vs Auburn
222
Pruitt Rush Yds
3
Pruitt Rush TD
439
OU Total Rush
11-1
Final Record
Tulane Stadium, New Orleans, LA
Greg Pruitt's 222 rushing yards powered OU to its second national title in Chuck Fairbanks' wishbone system. The Sooners avenged a regular-season loss and closed the season as undisputed champions with a dominant New Year's performance.
Boomer Ball original artwork
IllustratedMayfield Era
Bedlam 2017
November 4, 2017
vs Oklahoma State
386
Mayfield Pass Yds
3
Mayfield TD
606
OU Total Yds
+38
Margin
Boone Pickens Stadium, Stillwater, OK
Baker Mayfield threw for 386 yards and three touchdowns, then planted the OU flag at midfield in Stillwater — an image that instantly entered Sooner lore. The rout clinched the Big 12 path and embodied Mayfield's competitive fire.
Boomer Ball original artwork
IllustratedStoops Mid-Dynasty
Statue of Liberty
January 1, 2007
vs Boise State
85
Combined Pts
1
OT Periods
124
Peterson Rush Yds
14 pts
Lead Lost
University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, AZ
One of the greatest bowl games ever played — OU led 42-28 late before Boise State's hook-and-lateral, trick-play overtime, and Statue of Liberty two-point conversion stunned the Sooners. Painful for OU, but universally remembered as instant classic theater.
Boomer Ball original artwork
IllustratedVenables / SEC Transition
SEC Era Statement
October 7, 2023
vs Texas
21 pts
Largest Comeback
270
Gabriel Pass Yds
2
Gabriel Rush TD
Year 2
Venables Year
Cotton Bowl, Dallas, TX
In Brent Venables' second season, the Sooners rallied from a 21-point deficit to beat Texas in the Cotton Bowl classic. The win signaled OU could still win the rivalry during its SEC transition and kept Big 12 title hopes alive.
Boomer Ball original artwork
Seven consensus national titles since 1950 — one of only three programs to reach that mark.
National Champion
10-1
No. 1 (AP)
Head Coach: Bud Wilkinson
Sugar Bowl: L 35-14 vs Kentucky
Billy Vessels · Eddie Crowder · Pat Richter
National Champion
11-0
No. 1 (AP)
Head Coach: Bud Wilkinson
Orange Bowl: W 20-6 vs Maryland
Tommy McDonald · Jimmy Harris · Jerry Tubbs
National Champion
10-0
No. 1 (AP)
Head Coach: Bud Wilkinson
Jimmy Harris · Jerry Tubbs · Tommy McDonald
National Champion
11-0
No. 1 (AP)
Head Coach: Barry Switzer
Sugar Bowl: W 14-13 vs Alabama
Steve Davis · Joe Washington · Lee Roy Selmon · Tinker Owens
National Champion
11-1
No. 1 (AP)
Head Coach: Barry Switzer
Orange Bowl: W 14-6 vs Michigan
Steve Davis · Joe Washington · Lee Roy Selmon · Billy Sims
National Champion
11-1
No. 1 (AP)
Head Coach: Barry Switzer
Orange Bowl: W 25-10 vs Penn State
Brian Bosworth · Tony Casillas · Jamelle Holieway · Keith Jackson
National Champion
13-0
No. 1 (BCS/AP)
Head Coach: Bob Stoops
Orange Bowl (BCS National Championship): W 13-2 vs Florida State
Josh Heupel · Roy Williams · Rocky Calmus · Quentin Griffin
Stats compiled from University of Oklahoma Athletics, SoonerStats, and NCAA historical records. Portrait and game moment illustrations are original Boomer Ball artwork inspired by each legend and iconic matchup. Not affiliated with the University of Oklahoma.
