Utter Family Offers Four Generations of
Sports Accomplishments to Greater Tulsa
GENERATIONAL TEAM: Gathering at the Holland Hall campus recently are Utter family members, from left, Braxton Utter, Jeff Utter, Fred Utter Jr., and Christy Utter.
The Utter family of Tulsa has contributed four generations of sports accomplishments to the area. The most recent is Braxton Utter, who played tight end and defensive tackle on Holland Hall’s recent state football championship team.
FRED UTTER, SR. The patriarch of the past four generations is Fred Utter, Sr. Born in Tulsa in 1922, he attended Cleveland Junior High School where he participated in football and wrestling. He attended Will Rogers High School and became the first State Wrestling Champion in Will Rogers School history in 1941 at the 145-pound weight class. He later wrestled for the University of Pennsylvania. World War II began and he enlisted in the U.S. Army where he was a B-24 bomber top-turret machine gunner and flew 24 missions over Germany. After the War he married Gerry Collins and returned to Tulsa and was an mechanical engineer for Crest Engineering.
FRED UTTER, JR: While at Nathan Hale High School, Fred was Tulsa Tribune All City First Team, Tulsa World Oklahoma Seven All Conference First Team, and Tulsa World All State Honorable Mention in basketball. After graduation from Nathan Hale High School and Oklahoma State University, Fred was assistant basketball coach at Will Rogers High School. He later became Head Coach at the School. He was at Will Rogers for 11 years. In 1981 he was named assistant athletic director, coach, and teacher at Holland Hall School. He remained in that capacity for 32 years until retirement in 2013. He still helps with the school in the athletic department and is a volunteer with the Tulsa Sports Commission.
BRIAN UTTER: The second son of Fred Utter Sr., Brian was All State in both football and basketball at Nathan Hale High School and a member of the 1969 Class 4A State baseball champions. He played tight end at Oklahoma State University. After a valiant battle with cancer, he passed away at the age of 65. He is remembered at the annual Brian Utter Memorial Golf Tournament, The “Bucky, held at Bucky’s home course, Indian Springs Country Club located in Broken Arrow.
JEFF UTTER: The son of Fred Utter, Jr., while at Holland Hall he was named to seven Southwest Prep All Conference teams in football, basketball and track and to the Tulsa Tribune All City Football Team. While at the University of Tulsa, he won three varsity football letters and is the only receiver in TU football history to have touchdown receptions in wins over OU and OSU. After graduating from TU, he settled down in Tulsa. He worked for a local advertising agency for several years and is now involved in the medical supply business.
CHRISTY UTTER: The daughter of Fred Utter, Jr., after graduating from the University of North Carolina, Christy taught and coached field hockey at the Kinkaid School in Houston. She later coached field hockey at the University of Louisville and Brown University before returning home as director of alumni relations and is currently teaching and coaching at Holland Hall School. While at North Carolina she won two NCAA championships in field hockey, and was named to the Atlantic Coast Conference All Conference and South Region All American field hockey teams
BRAXTON UTTER: The son of Jeff Utter, Braxton will graduate from Holland Hall in May. He played tight end and defensive tackle on Holland Hall’s 2020 and 2021 State Class 3A Football Champions. He played defense for the 2020 Tulsa Alliance Lacrosse State Champions.
