Greg Pruitt
 Pruitt in 1975 | |||||||||
| No. 34 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Running back | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: |
August 18, 1951 Houston, Texas | ||||||||
| Height: | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 190 lb (86 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| College: | Oklahoma | ||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 1973 / Round: 2 / Pick: 30 | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
| |||||||||
Gregory Donald "Greg" Pruitt (born August 18, 1951) is a former American football running back in the NFL from 1973 through 1984. He was selected to five Pro Bowls, four as a member of the Cleveland Browns and one as a member of the Los Angeles Raiders, the last one as a kick returner. He was also part of the Raiders' Super Bowl XVIII winning team, beating the Washington Redskins.
University of Oklahoma American football line coach Bill Michael liked to recruit players from B.C. Elmore High School, where he recruited Pruitt.[1] Pruitt was an All-American at the University of Oklahoma in 1971 and 1972, Greg was All-Big 8 as well in '71 and '72. He ranks third among Sooners in career all-purpose yards. Pruitt gained 3,122 rushing yards, 491 receiving yards, 139 yards on punt returns and 679 yards returning kickoffs. Pruitt scored 41 career touchdowns as a Sooner. He came in second in Heisman Trophy voting in 1972, and third in 1971.[2][3]
In 1999, he was inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame.
The Greg Pruitt rule established tear-away jerseys as illegal.[4] Pruitt purposely wore flimsy jerseys that ripped apart in the hands of would-be tacklers.
In 1979, Pruitt won ABC's Superstars, an all-around sports competition that pits elite athletes from different sports against one another in a series of athletic events resembling a decathlon.[5]
References
- ↑ Corcoran, Michael. The Game of the Century: Nebraska Vs. Oklahoma in College Football's Ultimate Battle. University of Nebraska Press, September 1, 2005. ISBN 0803264623, 9780803264625. p. 96.
- ↑ 2072 Heisman Trophy Voting Archived 2013-06-16 at the Wayback Machine., Sports Reference LLC, accessed May 10, 2013.
- ↑ 1971 Heisman Trophy Voting Archived 2013-06-17 at the Wayback Machine., Sports Reference LLC, accessed May 10, 2013.
- ↑ Belsky, Gary (2007). 23 Ways to Get to First Base: The ESPN Uncyclopedia. ESPN. p. 49. ISBN 1-933060-10-7.
- ↑ The Superstars.org Website
|
External Links
- Interview of Greg Pruitt conducted by Dan Coughlin at Cleveland Public Library on May 4, 2016 (audio only).