OU’s Clendon Thomas Named to HOF
FAMED SOONER: Clendon Thomas, in white, gets away from future Hall of Famer Paul Horning at Notre Dame Stadium in 1956. OU won the game 40-0 in the midst of a 47-game winning streak.
Former Oklahoma running back Clendon Thomas has been named to the College Football Hall of Fame along with 14 other players the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame announced recently. Thomas, a consensus All-American for the Sooners in 1957, is Oklahoma’s Big 12 leading 24th selection to the College Football Hall of Fame and the first since Tom Brahaney in 2007.
Thomas played a pivotal role in the Sooners back-to-back national title wins in 1955 and 1956 under College Football Hall of Fame Coach Bud Wilkinson.
Thomas participated on several of the winningest teams in college football history, enjoying a 31-1 record during his stay in Norman. He was a major cog in Oklahoma’s record 47-game winning streak, and also helped the Sooners win three consecutive, undefeated Big 7 Conference championships and two national championships.
Thomas totaled 2,156 rushing yards in his three seasons, never averaging less than 6.3 yards per attempt. The two-time All-Big 7 performer led the nation in scoring in 1956 and paced the Sooners’ scoring as a junior and a senior. Thomas finished ninth in 1957 Heisman Trophy voting.
Thomas was a second round selection as a defensive back in the 1958 Draft by the Los Angeles Rams. He played 11 seasons with the Rams and the Pittsburgh Steelers, appearing in 137 games with 27 interceptions and 10 fumble recoveries. Thomas appeared in the 1963 Pro Bowl and was named a Second Team All-Pro three times.
The 2011 College Football Hall of Fame Football Bowl Subdivision () Class will be inducted at the Annual Awards Dinner on Dec. 6, 2011, at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City. They will be officially enshrined at the College Football Hall of Fame, tentatively scheduled for the summer of 2012.
Updated 05-23-2011
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