OU’s Brahaney named to college Hall

By Berry Tramel

Published: May 10, 2007

Tom Brahaney received the news he had been voted into the College Football Hall of Fame and his wife, Kay, said it must be the second-happiest day of his life, after their wedding day.

“Well, I was always a pretty big college football fan,” Brahaney said with a laugh.

The two-time All-American center at Oklahoma is one of 14 major-college inductees in the class of 2007, announced Wednesday.

Brahaney anchored the Sooner offensive line in 1971-72, the years that the OU wishbone took off as the greatest running offense in history.

“Probably the best center in OU’s history,” said Jack Mildren, Brahaney’s 1971 quarterback. “Revolutionized the center position at OU. Tom was able to turn off middle linebackers, guys you think a center shouldn’t get to. For guys like me, that was very important.”

Brahaney, who played nine seasons with the NFL’s St. Louis Cardinals and now runs an oil production company in his hometown, Midland, Texas, said, “I’m still in shock. “I’m very excited and very honored; honored for our ’71 and ’72 teams.”

The 1971 Sooners set the still-standing NCAA record for rushing yards per game, 469.6. They went 11-1 and finished No. 2 in the nation; the ’72 Sooners achieved the same record and ranking, with Brahaney as captain.

Brahaney reeled off all the names of his fellow starters in 1971, including Mildren, running backs Greg Pruitt and Leon Crosswhite, and fellow linemen John Roush and Dean Unruh.

“My senior year, we picked up some good true freshmen,” Brahaney said. “I’d look up in the huddle, and our running backs were Greg Pruitt and Joe Washington. That can’t help but make you a fairly good player, I think.”

Also named to the Hall of Fame were Michigan defensive back Dave Brown, Clemson linebacker Jeff Davis, Boston College quarterback Doug Flutie, Texas safety Johnnie Johnson, Ohio State quarterback Rex Kern, Oregon flanker Ahmad Rashad, Indiana tailback Anthony Thompson, Houston defensive tackle Wilson Whitley, Dartmouth linebacker Reggie Williams, USC linebacker Richard Wood and Notre Dame defensive tackle Chris Zorich.