Published: August 27, 2007 01:13 pm            

OU Heisman winners Sims and White to be honored

Ceremonies unveiling the final two of four Heisman Trophy winner’s heroic-size bronze statues at the University of Oklahoma’s Heisman Park will precede the school’s first two football games in September, officials said. Statues of Billy Sims (1978 winner) and Jason White (2003 winner) will be unveiled, respectively, before the Sept. 1 North Texas game and the Sept. 8 Miami game at Owen Field.

“These four Heisman winner’s statues are Oklahoma Centennial Commission projects so Blake Wade and I are so thankful the sponsors have underwritten the sculptor’s efforts and the bronze casting,” said Lee Allan Smith, Centennial Commission Projects and Events Chairman. “We hope to be around to put up a fifth statue honoring the next OU Heisman winner.”

A larger-than-life-sized bronze statue of the late Billy Vessels (1952 winner) was unveiled in 2005 in the park that resulted from a joint effort between OU and the Oklahoma Centennial Commission. The statues are also products of that cooperative effort. The park now also features a similarly sized statue of Sooner Heisman winner Steve Owens (1969 winner) unveiled last fall. The park is directly east of Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. The statues are visible from Jenkins Avenue.

Sims picked up some important yardage for OU just a few years ago when the NCAA began including bowl games statistics in its college football records. Sims, who played from 1975 to 1979, passed Joe Washington, 1972-1975, to become OU’s all-time leading rusher. Using the new NCAA standard, Sims amassed 4,118 yards to Washington’s 4,071.

Sims went on to a stellar but injury-shortened NFL career with the Detroit Lions. He was the 1980 Associated Press Offensive Rookie of the Year in the NFL. In his first two seasons, Sims scored more touchdowns than Hall of Famers Jim Brown, Larry Csonka and Walter Payton in their opening years. He still stands fourth in NFL career all-purpose yards per game with 119.60. This puts him between Jim Brown’s 125.5 and Barry Sanders’ 118.9 yards per game average.

Jason White came back from anterior cruciate ligament tears and reconstructive knee surgery on both knees to win the Heisman in 2003 by throwing 40 touchdown passes that year. His career was extended through the 2004 season when the NCAA granted him a medical hardship status.

White ranks second at OU in passing for a season with 3,744 yards in 2003. In his Heisman winning season, White also received Associated Press Player of the Year honors. In 2003 he was a consensus All-American, and consensus Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year. He garnered the Davey O'Brien Award and the Jim Thorpe Courage Award in 2003 as well.

        

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