NCAA grants permission for special recognition of Gautt

Wednesday, October 18th 2006, 5:23 am

By: News On 6

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) The NCAA says Oklahoma can mark the field at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium this week as OU pays tribute to its first black football player, the late Prentice Gautt.

OU plans to place a solid crimson line on the field's 38 yard line from sideline to sideline for the Sooners' game against Colorado. OU officials say Colorado agreed to the plan.

Gautt wore jersey number 38 for OU, and that number was not issued to an OU player this season.

More than 30 players from Oklahoma's 1956 team on, which Gautt played for coach Bud Wilkinson, will be honored at halftime of Saturday's game. The university also will host the players at a dinner on Friday night.

Gautt attended Douglass High School in Oklahoma City and played in the first integrated high school football game in Oklahoma. He first played for the Sooners in 1956, the season in which OU won the third of its 7 national championships.

He died in March 2005 at age 67.