Making a case Justin Blackmon, Leslie O’Neal and who should be next in OSU football's Ring of Honor
Scott WrightOklahoman
STILLWATER — Barry Sanders will become the second Oklahoma State football player to enter the Cowboys’ Ring of Honor.
Sanders, the 1988 Heisman Trophy winner, will join his former backfield-mate Thurman Thomas in the Ring of Honor, with the ceremony to be held at halftime of Saturday’s game against TCU, which kicks off at 7 p.m. at Boone Pickens Stadium.
OSU began honoring former players in the Ring of Honor with Thomas’ induction last year, and the university is making a concerted effort to better recognize the players who have most contributed to the historical success of the program.
Sanders and Thomas were the obvious choices for the first two entrants into the Ring of Honor, but who should be next?
Oklahoma State has a few different directions it could go.
Let’s take a look at six potential candidates:
Leslie O’Neal, defensive lineman, 1982-85
A two-time All-American, O’Neal was the dominant force on two of the best defenses in OSU history, in 1984 and 1985. A member of the 2020 College Football Hall of Fame class, O’Neal holds the OSU record for sacks in a season (16.0) and in a career (34.0).He was named to the All-Big Eight team each of his last three seasons as a Cowboy and was the conference defensive player of the year in 1984. He was a first-round draft choice of the San Diego Chargers in 1986 and played 14 seasons in the NFL, being selected to the Pro Bowl six times.
Bob Fenimore, back, 1943-46
The Blond Bomber was OSU’s first star player. He was an All-American in 1944 and 1945, leading the team’s single-wing offense. As a sophomore in 1944, Fenimore was third in the nation in rushing, eighth in passing and first in total offense.The next year, Fenimore led the nation in rushing and total offense, and was seventh in punting in the Cowboys’ unbeaten season. He finished third in the Heisman Trophy voting of 1945. A two-way player, Fenimore led the team in interceptions each of the four seasons he played.
Fenimore’s No. 55 is one of four jersey numbers retired by OSU.
Terry Miller, running back, 1974-77
Another of the four players with a retired number at OSU — along with Sanders, Thomas and Fenimore — Miller was a two-time All-American who finished fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting of 1976 and second in 1977.Miller is the only OSU running back with three 1,000-yard seasons. He finished his career with 4,754 rushing yards and 49 touchdowns on 871 carries, averaging 5.5 yards per carry and 110.6 yards per game. He was the Big Eight offensive player of the year in his final two seasons at OSU, 1975 and 1976.
Miller was added to the 2022 ballot for the College Football Hall of Fame.
Chester Pittman, running back, 1957-60
A pioneer in OSU history, he was the football program’s first black letterman. Pittman was one of four black players to enroll in 1957, but he was the only one to make it through the first semester.Pittman became a varsity starter as a sophomore in 1958, earned his letter in 1959, then helped Oklahoma State to the school’s first-ever Big Eight Conference victory in 1960. He finished his career with 110 rushing attempts for 593 yards and two touchdowns.
Pittman died last December at the age of 83.
Justin Blackmon, receiver, 2008-11
A two-time Biletnikoff Award winner and a 2010 Heisman Trophy finalist, Blackmon was the most dominant receiver to come out of OSU in an era when it was producing receivers at a ridiculous rate.In 2010, Blackmon had 111 catches for 1,782 yards and 20 touchdowns. He returned for his junior year and had 122 catches for 1,522 yards and 18 scores, helping OSU to a Big 12 title and Fiesta Bowl win.
His legal and substance abuse issues doomed his NFL career and left a clouded view of his OSU success. But he returned publicly to Boone Pickens Stadium to an overwhelmingly warm welcome earlier this year.
“It’s awesome to see Justin back,” OSU coach Mike Gundy said last month. “He was a fantastic player. And all those guys to come back was awesome. Our team performed well for them.”
Mike Gundy, quarterback/coach, 1985-89/2005-present
Gundy was a record-setting quarterback in the Big Eight, and the most successful coach in program history by a mile. Gundy passed for 7,997 yards with 54 touchdowns over four seasons. And he has an all-time coaching record of 145-68, with an 88-56 record in Big 12 play.Gundy is an excellent candidate for the Ring of Honor, but waiting until his career is over seems like the prudent thing to do.
