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Oklahoma football: The Mount Rushmore of all-time Sooner quarterbacks

By Chip Rouse

circa 1960: Mount Rushmore in Dakota where four presidents' faces have been sculptured out of the rocks, known as the Shrine Of Democracy. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images)
circa 1960: Mount Rushmore in Dakota where four presidents' faces have been sculptured out of the rocks, known as the Shrine Of Democracy. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Peter G. Aiken/Getty Images)
(Photo by Peter G. Aiken/Getty Images) /

Steve Davis (1973-1975)

Steve Davis was another of the great Oklahoma wishbone quarterbacks. He followed the great Jack Mildren, and was the starting quarterback in Barry Switzer’s first season as the Sooners’ head coach.

Oklahoma went 32-1-1 in Davis’ three seasons as the starting quarterback, and he is the NCAA record-holder for all-time winning percentage as a quarterback. He helped lead Oklahoma to back-to-back national championships in 1974 and 1975.

The only game Davis lost while quarterbacking the Sooners was a 23-3 loss to Kansas 31 games into his OU career. Oklahoma tied then No. 1-ranked USC in his second game as the Sooner signal-caller.

Davis was born in Louisiana, but grew up in Sallisaw, Oklahoma, the town made famous in John Steinbeck’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel “Grapes of Wrath” as home to the Joad family.

During his Oklahoma career, Davis carried the ball a total of 515 times for 2,058 rushing yards. He only put the ball in the air 210 times in three seasons.

In addition to playing football, Davis was also an ordained Baptist minister.

Unlike most star college quarterbacks, Davis did not pursue a career in professional football. In the late 1970s and ’80s, the former OU QB served as a college football commentator for both ABC Sports and CBS Sports.

Davis died tragically in 2013 when the small airplane in which he was a passenger crashed in South Bend, Indiana. He was 60 years old.

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