Oklahoma great Prentice Gautt dies

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ Former college football star Prentice Gautt died Thursday in Lawrence, Kansas, at age 67. His wife says he'd been hospitalized several days with flulike symptoms. <br/><br/>Gautt

Wednesday, March 16th 2005, 11:13 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ Former college football star Prentice Gautt died Thursday in Lawrence, Kansas, at age 67. His wife says he'd been hospitalized several days with flulike symptoms.

Gautt in 1956 became the first black football player at Oklahoma.

Former Sooners coach Bud Wilkinson was pressured against giving Gautt a scholarship, and a group of black doctors and pharmacists gave money for him to attend the school. Within a year, Gautt had a scholarship, the donated money was given to another black student, and Gautt then became a two-time All-Big Eight player and the 1959 Orange Bowl MVP. His senior year, he was named to the academic All-American team and eventually earned master's and doctorate degrees in psychology.

Oklahoma's academic center for student athletes is named in his honor.