Kurt Burris

Kurt Burris was born in Nowata, Oklahoma, and raised in Muskogee, one of 11 children. All six Burris brothers played college football, and their father coached all of them. He won state titles at Muskogee High School in 1948 and 1950. The 1950 team, which included his brother Bob, Max Boydston and Preston Carpenter, is rated the best Oklahoma high school team of the post-war era. He played center and linebacker for Oklahoma from 1951 to 1954, was a consensus All-American in 1954, and finished second in the Heisman voting. Cleveland drafted him in the first round, 13th overall, in 1955, but he played in Canada and won the 1955 Grey Cup with Edmonton. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1960 and later worked in oil drilling. He died on July 21, 1999. The Daily Oklahoman wrote on December 5, 1954 (NewsBank page 49): "The only unanimous choice was Oklahoma's all-American center, Kurt Burris, who also easily won the "most outstanding lineman" nod. The team also includes ends Max Boydston and Carl Allison of Oklahoma."