Prentice Gautt

Prentice Gautt

No. 40, 22
Position	Running back
Personal information
Born	(1938-02-08)February 8, 1938 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S.
Died	March 17, 2005(2005-03-17) (aged 67) Lawrence, Kansas, U.S.
Height	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight	210 lb (95 kg)
Career information
High school	Oklahoma City (OK) Douglass
College	Oklahoma
NFL draft	1960: 2nd round, 19th overall pick
AFL draft	1960: 2nd round
Career history
Cleveland Browns (1960) St. Louis Cardinals (1961–1967)
Awards and highlights
Third-team All-American (1959) 2× First-team All-Big Eight (1958, 1959)
Career NFL statistics
Rushing yards 2,466 Rushing average 3.9 Receptions 79 Receiving yards 901 Total touchdowns 17 Stats at Pro Football Reference

Prentice Gautt (February 8, 1938 – March 17, 2005) was an American football running back for the University of Oklahoma football team from 1956 to 1959. Gautt was the first black football player at the University of Oklahoma where he wore #38.^[1]

When former Sooners coach Bud Wilkinson was pressured against giving Gautt a scholarship, a group of black doctors and pharmacists gave him money to attend the school. Within a year, Gautt had a scholarship and the donated money was given to another black student. Gautt then became a two-time All-Big Eight player. His senior year, he was named to the Academic All-American team.

He played football professionally in the NFL with the Cleveland Browns (one year) and St. Louis Cardinals (six years).

After the NFL, Gautt coached football at Missouri while earning his Ph.D. in psychology. He then started a career in athletics administration, first as an assistant commissioner for the Big Eight Conference and as a special assistant to the commissioner of the Big 12 Conference.

Gautt played high school football at Douglass High School in Oklahoma City. His senior year, he became the first black player to play in the All-State game and he earned MVP honors.

Gautt died on March 17, 2005, from flu-like symptoms.

He was posthumously given the 2005 Outstanding Contribution to Amateur Football Award by The National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Football Hall of Fame in May 2005.

References

1. "Black History Month 2019: Prentice Gautt, first black football player on scholarship at OU remembered for humility and respect". OU Daily. February 12, 2019. Retrieved April 20, 2024.

External links

• Dr. Prentice Gautt Big 12 Postgraduate Scholarship Recipients
• Brown v. Board of Education Profiles
• Gautt, Prentice Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture