Former OU player and head coach John Blake died of a heart attack. He was 59.
Blake had a career in football few can replicate, which included a four-year career at OU under Barry Switzer, becoming the first Black head coach in any OU sport and multiple assistant coaching roles in the NFL.
Here is a timeline on the highlights of Blake’s career:
1979-82: Nose guard at OU
Switzer recruited Blake out of Charles Page High School in Sand Springs, where he played fullback and nose guard. Blake played nose guard at OU, and the Sooners went 36-11-1 during his playing career.