Greg Pruitt
Gregory Donald Pruitt (born August 18, 1951) is a former American football running back in the National Football League (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.
 Pruitt in 1975 | |||||||||
| No. 34 | |||||||||
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| 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 | |||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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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
- Greg Pruitt at the College Football Hall of Fame
- Career statistics and player information from NFL.com · Pro Football Reference
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