The list: Best OU backup tailbacks
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Published: November 9, 2006
Allen Patrick is not the first backup Sooner ballcarrier thrust into the spotlight. The five best backup tailback seasons in OU history:
5. Roy Bell 1971: Bell was the odd man out in the epic OU backfield that included
Greg Pruitt and
Joe Wylie as wishbone halfbacks. But Bell played enough to get two 100-yard games that season, against
Missouri and OSU.
4. Dewell Brewer 1989: An injury to
Mike Gaddis and
Ike Lewis' suspension brought Brewer to the lineup, and he did an Allen Patrick impersonation, with a 38-carry, 187-yard day vs. K-State and 137 yards vs.
Nebraska on 27 carries.
3. Ron Shotts 1967: Senior gave way to sophomore stud
Steve Owens, but Shotts remained effective. Rushed for 129 yards against
Maryland, 122 vs.
Kansas State and 108 yards against OSU.
2. Earl Johnson 1983: Stuck behind
Marcus Dupree and
Spencer Tillman on the depth chart as a redshirt freshman, playing time seemed limited. But Dupree left the squad, and OU turned more and more to Johnson. He ran for 258 yards against
Colorado, 143 vs.
Tulsa, 110 vs.
Iowa State, 105 vs. OSU and 103 vs. Kansas.
1. DeMond Parker 1996: James Allen was a solid tailback and the starter. But Parker was a home-run hitter off the bench. Parker had six triple-digit games, including 244 yards at
San Diego State, 166 at OSU and 151 vs. Nebraska.
