NORMAN, Okla. — The Oklahoma Sooners will honor former running back Prentice Gautt on Saturday as the team hosts No. 19 Kansas.
Gautt was the first Black scholarship player to come to play at OU in the 1950s. The Sooners will debut a “Unity” uniform at Saturday’s game that the school says will “emphasize the importance of togetherness and building relationships to better society.”
The uniform features anthracite-colored jerseys, pants and helmets, crimson trim and lettering, the word “together” sewn on the collar, the word “unity” on the back-of-the-jersey nameplate and an outline of the state of Oklahoma amid a triple-stripe on both sleeves.
One of the suggestions of the student-athlete group that designed the jersey — which featured football players Pat Fields, Jeremiah Hall, Creed Humphrey, Caleb Kelly and Chanse Sylvie — was to create a “Unity” uniform for each of OU’s varsity sports.
“We wanted to make a statement that was way broader, something that stood out more than just a practice jersey,” said Kelly, a former OU linebacker who is now a director for the football team’s SOUL Mission program. “When we’re all together wearing that ‘Sooners,’ we’re all one. We wanted to make sure we exemplified unity in our uniform.”
Gautt starred for Hall of Fame head coach Bud Wilkinson’s varsity teams from 1957-59. He earned All-Big Eight Conference honors twice and Academic All-American honors in 1958.
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He went on to play in the pros in the 1960s and later joined the Big Eight as assistant commissioner in 1979 — eventually becoming associate commissioner of the Big 12. OU says Gautt’s commitment to student-athlete wellbeing and welfare is reflected by his origination and development of the Big 12’s life skills program, which was initiated to assess and encourage services to assist current and former student-athletes in transitioning to life after sports.
Gautt’s widow Sandra who lives in Lawrence, Kan., and his son Roger will be recognized on the field Saturday during a first-half timeout.
“We wanted to honor Prentice for being the first African American scholarship football player here,” said Kelly. “He stood for unity, he stood for doing things the right way. He stood for making sure that you handled academics and football. He was one of the founding fathers who made Oklahoma football what it is and gave all the African American players who have come through OU that opportunity.”
OU’s other varsity sports are expected to wear “Unity” uniforms during their seasons this academic year.
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