OU football family mourns passing of Sooners great Clendon Thomas

The Oklahoma football family lost another one of its all-time great players and people on Monday with the passing of former All-American Clendon Thomas. He was 90 years old.

Thomas was a two-time All-America and All-Big Eight running back who played for legendary head coach Bud Wilkinson's Oklahoma teams from 1955 to 1957. The native Oklahoman was a major contributor on two national championship teams in 1955 and '56.

College Football Hall of Famer Clendon Thomas dies at 90

During Thomas' three college seasons, Oklahoma's domination of college football included a remarkable record of 31-1, along with the two natties and three consecutive conference championships. That was also during Oklahoma's record-setting 47-game win streak.

In his junior season in 1956, Thomas was part of a backfield with Tommy McDonald, quarterback Jimmy Harris and fullback Billy Pricer that led the nation in rushing, scoring and total offense for a second straight year.

Thomas led the team in scoring his final two seasons. He scored 37 touchdowns in his career (31 rushing and six more receiving). His 2,199 rushing yards (6.8 yards per carry) still ranks 23rd on Oklahoma's career list.

Offensive guard Bill Krisher, himself a consensus All-American, once said of Thomas that he worried more about getting run over by the dynamic halfback than blocking his opponent.

Thomas played during a time of the one-platoon system in college football. In addition to his role as a halfback on offense, he also contributed as a defensive back. He was part of solid Sooner defensive unit that shut out six teams and allowed 5.1 points a game in 1956, and the following year four shutouts and 8.1 points per game.

After his college days, Thomas went on to an 11-year career in the NFL in 19858-68. He was drafted in the second round of the 1958 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams. He played four seasons with the Rams and six with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Thomas was inducted into the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame in 1995 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 2011.

Those who knew Thomas described him as more than an outstanding and decorated athlete with sports accomplishments and memories most of us can only dream of. He was an equally outstanding person who was a proud and devoted alum and supporter of Oklahoma. He will be dearly missed by everyone who was fortunate to know him.