Bob Fenimore Being Honored with Ring of Honor on Saturday

STILLWATER – There are more than a few people that I know, even Oklahoma State family members or former family members that scoffed when the American Football Coaches Association presented Oklahoma State as their 1945 National Champion. You see the AFCA began awarding the top team in their coaches poll each season in 1950 and the AFCA decided to go back and examine previous seasons and try to catch up with the only organization that has been awarding college football national championships longer, the Associated Press. The AFCA panel examined results, statistics, and even watched any film available and awarded that 1945 Oklahoma A&M team the title. They were unbeaten at 9-0 beating Arkansas, SMU, Utah, TCU. A good Tulsa team, and Oklahoma 47-0 before beating St. Mary’s (California) 33-13. The star of that team was Bob Fenimore, the Blond Bomber from Woodward, Okla. Fenimore, who would have turned 97 earlier this week, will be represented by his two daughters and their families on Saturday when he joins Thurman Thomas and Barry Sanders in the Ring of Honor in Boone Pickens Stadium.

Just like Fenimore going into the Ring of Honor at Boone Pickens Stadium, that signage in the stadium noting his team in 1945 as National Champions is real and deserving.

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The official announcement of Bob Fenimore into the Ring of Honor.

Fenimore finished third in the voting for the Heisman Trophy that 1945 season. He led the nation in both rushing and total offense was ranked in the top 15 in rushing yards, passing yards, scoring, and punting. That was 1945 alone. Overall, Fenimore was a two-time All-American, consensus in 1944 and unanimous in 1945. He was Oklahoma State, then Oklahoma A&M’s, first All-American. He was later inducted into the Cotton Bowl Hall of Fame, The Oklahoma State Hall of Honor, and the College Football Hall of Fame (1972).

The leader of OSU teams that went 8-1 with a Cotton Bowl victory in 1944 and a perfect 9-0 with a Sugar Bowl win in 1945 and a ranking of fifth in the final Associated Press poll, Fenimore’s play was legendary.

From his halfback position, he established himself as one of the nation’s finest players. The numbers speak for themselves. In 1944, he led the nation in total offense (1,758 yards), was third in rushing (899), eighth in passing (997), ninth in scoring (77), and 13th in punting (37.3).

In OSU’s undefeated 1945 season, he was the national leader in both total offense (1,641), and rushing (1,119), while ranking seventh in punting (39.0), and 13th in scoring (72). His 18 interceptions during his OSU career remain a school record, and his 4,627 career yards of total offense were not eclipsed until Mike Gundy came along more than 40 years later.

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Fenimore (right) with good friend and fellow All-American Neill Armstrong.

“The big difference in the way they play football now and the way we played in 40’s was we played both ways,” Fenimore said in a 2000 interview with Oklahoma State. “When the other team got the ball, we just went over and played defense. You had to kind of pace yourself because you had 60 minutes to go. We only played maybe 16 football players and we had a squad of probably 40 and 16 did all the playing unless someone got hurt. That made a big difference and athletes could do it today, if they had to. Fortunately, it is not necessary.”

Because of injuries, Fenimore played sparingly in the 1946 season, but he was still the No. 1 overall selection of the 1947 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears. He played 10 games for the Bears in 1947 and then left football and settled with his wife, Veta Jo, in Oklahoma City and had a long career working for Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance before retiring to his college home in Stillwater.

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The jersey Cowboys players will wear on “The Walk.”

“The desire is the same now as it was in our day,” Fenimore said of his time in that interview. “They have more coaches and that helps. It’s been so long ago that I’ve forgotten but I think the student then liked the athletes and supported the athletic program.”

His jersey No. 55 is one of four no longer in use at Oklahoma State. It will be seen a lot tomorrow as the Cowboys players will wear commemorative Fenimore jerseys on the walk before the game and the players will keep those as a momento of being on the team the year Bob Fenimore went into the Ring of Honor. Those jerseys are being sold at the Student Union Student Store. There will also be a special patch on the game jersey’s celebrating Bob Fenimore into the Ring of Honor as there was with Thurman Thomas and Barry Sanders.