Who are the best OU football players of the Barry Switzer era? Meet these 50 Sooners

Fifty years ago Friday, Barry Switzer made his head-coaching debut for OU, as the Sooners beat Baylor in Waco.

For the first time in program history that night, three players rushed for at least 100 yards in OU’s 42-14 win. Joe Washington and Wayman Clark ran for 113 each and quarterback Steve Davis added 110.

Washington and Davis wound up becoming two of the best players in the wildly successful Switzer era.

Plenty others who wound up being among OU’s best-ever appeared in the game as well.

With the anniversary, here’s a look at the top 50 players of the Switzer era.

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1. Lee Roy Selmon, DT, 1972-75: The Selmon trio set the tone for the early Switzer era.

2. Billy Sims, RB, 1975-79: Sim’s 1,896 rushing yards in his Heisman-winning season of 1978 stood as a program record until Adrian Peterson broke it in 2004.

3. Tony Casillas, NG, 1982-85: In 1985, Casillas joined Lee Roy Selmon as OU Lombardi Award winners. Tommie Harris later became the third.

4. Joe Washington, RB, 1972-75: Washington twice finished in the top five in Heisman voting and made several of the biggest plays in Sooners’ history.

5. Rod Shoate, LB, 1972-74: The speed linebacker helped the Sooners go 28-0-1 over his final 29 collegiate games.

6. Keith Jackson, TE, 1984-87: The most clutch player in OU history, Jackson’s talent forced Switzer to find a way to get the ball to a tight end regularly.

7. Brian Bosworth, LB, 1984-86: Bosworth’s brashness was backed up by punishing play, helping him win the Butkus Award.

8. George Cumby, LB, 1975-79: Started out as a fullback before moving to linebacker and showing greatness.

9. Greg Roberts, OG, 1975-79: Helped open holes for Billy Sims and won the ’78 Outland Trophy.

10. Dewey Selmon, NG, 1972-75: Was third on OU’s career tackle list — behind only brother Lee Roy and Rod Shoate — when his Sooners career ended.

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11. Rickey Dixon, DB, 1984-87: Sooners first Jim Thorpe Award winner, speed and physicality embodied Dixon’s game.

12. Rick Bryan, DT, 1980-83: Played championship-level for teams that were below Switzer’s normal championship  standard.

13. Reggie Kinlaw, NG, 1975-78: Played in three Orange Bowls, twice recording 11 tackles, and then went on to win two Super Bowls.

14. Lucious Selmon, NG, 1971-73: The oldest of the legendary trio led not only his brothers but the Sooners, setting the tone during the transition to Switzer.

15. Darrell Reed, DE, 1984-87: One of just three four-time first-team all-conference picks in OU history, joining Anthony Phillips and Wade Walker.

16. Daryl Hunt, LB, 1975-78: His 530 career tackles still stand as an OU record.

17. Mark Hutson, OG, 1984-87: Fort Smith, Arkansas, native immediately made an impact as a freshman starter on a Big Eight title team.

18. Darrol Ray, S, 1975-79: Had eight interceptions in 1978, setting a then-Sooners record that still stands tied for second in program history.

19. Anthony Phillips, OG, 1985-88: During Phillips’ career, Switzer often called the Jenks product the best guard he ever coached.

20. Randy Hughes, DB, 1972-74: Finished career fourth in OU history with 14 interceptions.

21. Mike Vaughan, OT, 1974-76: The Ada product changed the standard for the size of Sooners’ linemen.

22. Kevin Murphy, DE, 1981-85: Might’ve been overshadowed by Casillas and Bosworth late in career, but the 1983 Big Eight defensive player of the year still brought it.

23. Tinker Owens, WR, 1972-75: Only totaled 70 catches during his career and never had more than 22 in a season yet was a two-time All-American.

24. Jamelle Holieway, QB, 1985-88: Became the first true freshman QB to lead his team to a national title.

25. Jimbo Elrod, DE, 1973-75: Also a Sooner wrestler, Elrod came up with plenty of big plays for two national-title winners.

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26. Louis Oubre, OT, 1978-80: Teamed with Terry Crouch to help the Sooners rush for more than 4,100 yards in 1980 when Oubre was an All-American.

27. Terry Crouch, OG, 1979-81: Started off as a nose guard but Switzer moved him to the offensive line where he thrived.

28. Dante’ Jones, LB, 1984-87: A consensus All-American in 1987, but playing alongside Boz in the years before, Jones was already playing at an All-American level.

29. Thomas Lott, QB, 1975-78: Still holds program record for rushing yards in a game by a quarterback with 195.

30. Steve Davis, QB, 1972-75: Started out buried on the depth chart but took over in ’73 and went 32-1-1 as the starter.

31. Mike Gaddis, RB, 1988-91: Returned from knee-surgery darkness to turn in a sterling career post-Switzer.

32. Jason Belser, DB, 1988-91: Hard-hitting strong safety was Roy Williams (light) before Roy Williams.

33. Uwe von Schamann, K, 1975-78: Kick to beat Ohio State turned him into a legend.

34. Eddie Foster, OT, 1971-73: Was a co-captain on Switzer’s first team as head coach and earned All-American honors that year.

35. Stanley Wilson, RB, 1979-82: Ran for nearly 3,200 yards in his career as a tough and versatile halfback, fullback and tailback.

36. Scott Evans, DT, 1987-90: Set a then-program record with 24 career sacks, which still sits fourth in program history.

37. Kenith Pope, CB, 1971-73: Held down Heisman winner Johnny Rodgers in Sooners’ 1972 victory over Nebraska.

38. Tony Peters, CB, 1973-74: First in a long family lineage, helped the Sooners to a national title as a senior.

39. Clyde Powers, CB, 1973-74: Lawton native had two interceptions in Switzer’s first OU-Texas game as head coach.

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40. Lydell Carr, FB, 1984-87: Had 2,878 career rushing yards, most ever for a Sooners’ fullback.

41. Kenny King, FB, 1975-78: Might’ve been overshadowed by Billy Sims but still ran for 2,431 yards in the Sooners’ wishbone.

42. Gary Baccus, DE, 1971-73: Started a long tradition of standout standup defensive ends in Norman.

43. Marcus Dupree, RB, 1982-83: A one-year wonder but oh what a year it was, as he rushed for 1,144 yards and 12 touchdowns.

44. Terry Webb, OG, 1973-75: One of eight first-team All-Americans on heralded ’75 team.

45. John Roush, OG, 1972-74: Consensus All-American in 1974.

46. Danny Bradley, QB, 1983-84: ’84 Big Eight offensive player of the year was third in program history for passing yards when career ended.

47. Derrick Shepard, WR, 1983-86: Catches were hard to come by in the wishbone era, but still had 75 in Sooners career.

48. J.C. Watts, QB, 1977-80: Watts’ performances against Nebraska not only helped the Sooners to victory, but changed the way Tom Osborne recruited Huskers’ QBs.

49. Zac Henderson, DB, 1974-77: A unanimous All-American and the New York Athletic Club’s defensive back of the year in 1977.

50. Billy Brooks, WR, 1973-75: His end-around touchdown in the 1974 Red River game helped boost the Sooners to a national title.

Ryan Aber covers OU athletics for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Ryan? He can be reached at raber@oklahoman.com or on Twitter at @RyAber. Sign up for the OU Sooners newsletter to access more OSU coverage. Support Scott’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com or by using the link at the top of this page.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OU football top 50 players of Barry Switzer era as Sooners' head coach