Hart Lee Dykes Goes In Hall of Honor as Barry Sanders Returns to Honor His Teammate
STILLWATER – Oklahoma State celebrated a new class of inductees into the Athletic department’s Hall of Honor on Friday night and receiving great Hart Lee Dykes was the headline inductee representing a tremendous era of football success from 1985-86. Dykes was the pass catching third of offensive triplets in that era that was first Mike Gundy at quarterback, Thurman Thomas at running back, and Dykes. When Thomas moved onto the NFL then Barry Sanders moved in at running back and in part thansk to Gundy, Dykes and the War Pigs on the offensive line won the Heisman Trophy.
Sanders returned to Stillwater on Friday night to stand by his teammate going into the Hall of Honor. Sanders’ number is retired and in the Boone Pickens Stadium Ring of Honor. Dykes No. 11 will likely join it at sometime. Former Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy called Dykes and had a long conversation with his former receiving target but after being dismissed this week as OSU head coach after 20 plus seasons, Gundy did not attend the banquet.
Dykes was emotional the entire evening with the honor and his chance to join teammates in that celebration.
“This place means so much to me,” Dykes told the crowd. “I came here as a kid and I left as a young man. “Now, as an old man, I cherish this place even more. This is home for me. I grew up here, and I am just really happy. I think like the work I did on the field, I am being honored for. That means the world to me and to my family. It has been a long time coming.”
Dykes finished his career with 203 receptions for 3,171-yards, 29 touchdowns, and a per catch average of 15.6-yards. He was a consensus two-time All-American and a three-time All-Big Eight player. Dykes also played one season of baseball for Gary Ward at Oklahoma State.
Dykes was joined in going in the Hall by Arlen Clark (men's basketball), Alex Dieringer (wrestling), Jaime Foutch (softball), Viktor Hovland (men's golf) and Earl McCready (wrestling).
