BISON FOOTBALL REFLECTIONS

Top Players 1930-40

By John W. Parrish

           Six Bison football players were named to the All Big Four Team in 1930: end Albert Bookout and halfback Waldo E. (Buck) Buchanan, first team; tackle Ed Barlow, center Floyd (Pug) Nealon, center, end LeRoy Hensey, and guard Laurance Heldenbrand, second team. Bookout also was chosen for All State recognition.

           Bookout was first-team all conference and first-team All State in 1931, the only Bison player honored that season.

           In 1932 tackle Waney W. Jenkins, quarterback Tony Rothrock, and end Ed Skelton were first-team all conference picks, and Jenkins was first-team All State.

           In 1933 Skelton, guard Ewell Phillips, and halfback Leonard McCoy were first-team all conference choices, and halfback Ed Stark was a second-team All State pick.

           In 1934-35 only OBU and Oklahoma City remained in the Big Four in football. Phillips dropped the sport and Tulsa moved to the Missouri Valley Conference. With only two teams competing, apparently no all conference teams were selected. In 1934, however, Skelton and McCoy were both second-team All State choices, and McCoy received honorable mention on the Associated Press Little All America Team. In 1935, guard Lendrith Bash was a first-team All State pick.

           In 1936 OBU moved to the Oklahoma Collegiate Athletic Conference which was comprised of many of the former members of the Oklahoma Intercollegiate Conference. Three OBU players were picked as first-team 1936 all conference performers: halfback J.Z. Powell, tackle Otha Fagala, and center James Kennedy. Fagala also was named to the second-team All State squad and chosen for the Little All America second team.

           Tackle Autrey Naney, guard Aubrey Anthony, and halfback Darwin Richardson were first-team all conference selections in 1937, and end Louis Chisholm and quarterback Powell were second-team choices. Naney, Anthony, and Richardson were first-team All State, and Powell and tackle George Henderson were second team. Naney was honorable mention Little All America.

           All conference and All State picks in 1938 were Henderson and Richardson, first team, and Chisholm and guard Bob Shaw, second team.

           Guard Val Chaddick and halfback Douglas Kirkland were first-team all conference in 1939, and tackle James McWhorter, guard Winifred Leese, and fullback Bow Mooney were second team. Kirkland was a second-team All State choice.

           OBU won the OCAC championship in its final season, 1940, and six players were all conference selections: quarterback J.C. Meeks, end Ross Mills, halfback Mooney, and guard Chaddick, first team, and tackle McWhorter and end Elmo Kelly, second team. Each of these players was named first-team All State.