Oklahoma
(Practice Worn Only)
 

This great MacGregor helmet is adorned with #36. HELMET HUT knows that this was a practice-worn helmet from the late 1960's in keeping with the OU tradition of wearing game helmets only for scheduled regular season games and a different helmet for practice. For a number of years the Sooners wore the MacGregor externally padded helmet for practices and a non-padded helmet for games. As the time period is correct, I believe it is safe to assume that #36 belonged to the most famous of Sooner #36's, 1969 Heisman Trophy winner Steve Owens. Following Bud Wilkinson's ridiculously successful reign as OU coach, where he posted a 145-29-4 record over 17 years and won three National Championships, there was a football "Dark Ages" where his successor and long-time assistant Gomer Jones could go but 6-4 and 3-7 in 1964 and '65. Arkansas assistant Jim MacKenzie was hired and posted a 6-4 record and did great recruiting with his right hand man who played for him at Arkansas, Barry Switzer. They brought in Owens and others and the future looked bright until MacKenzie died of a heart attack, leaving the reigns to Chuck Fairbanks. Soph Owens did not start a game in 1967 yet led the Big 8 in rushing and scoring and was All Conference. The Sooners were 9-1 and back on the map. When Fairbanks left for the New England Patriots in 1973, Switzer became one of the most successful head coaches over the next 16 years.