Prentice Gautt

Prentice Gautt was born in Oklahoma City. At Douglass High School he was the first Black player in Oklahoma's all-state game, and he was its MVP. In 1956 he became the first Black football player at Oklahoma. When Bud Wilkinson was pressured not to give him a scholarship, a group of Black doctors and pharmacists paid his way; within a year he earned a scholarship and the money went to another Black student. He was first-team All-Big Eight in 1958 and 1959 and an Academic All-American. Cleveland drafted him in the second round, 19th overall, in 1960. He played a year there and six seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals, totaling 2,466 rushing yards. He later earned a Ph.D. in psychology and was a Big Eight and Big 12 administrator. He died on March 17, 2005. Pro Football Reference has a player page for him (linked below), but its stats weren't pulled for this bio. Draft note: Pro Football Reference's OU draft table also lists him as a 1960 AFL pick of the New York Titans, with no round or pick shown. The Daily Oklahoman (June 26, 1960, NewsBank page 63) reported that he "has signed with the Cleveland Browns."