Sneak Peak: Legends & Lore

Oklahoma football stat extraordinaire Mike Brooks highlights some of the legends and lore associated with Sooner football in his weekly O-Zone column.

Perk Alert
Antonio Perkins' performance against UCLA ranks as one of the greatest in Sooner history at Owen Field. Perkins broke two NCAA records Saturday with three punt returns for touchdowns and an unbelievable 277 yards on seven returns against the Bruins.

The OU-UCLA game marked the first time in NCAA history that an individual has returned three punts for touchdowns in the same game.

Perkins also broke the 32-year-old NCAA mark of punt return yardage in a single game by 58 yards. Golden Richards of BYU held the previous record of 219 yards which he set in 1971 against North Texas. Richards went on to have a successful professional career with the Dallas Cowboys.

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Sooner Return Great Jack Mitchell
Perkins now has six touchdown returns in his career. All have gone for over 50 yards: 91, 84, 82, 74, 65 and 51 yards. The junior from Lawton is only one touchdown shy of the all-time NCAA record for career punt returns for touchdowns (seven). That record is shared by another great Sooner return man -- Jack Mitchell.

Mitchell, who played for the Sooners from 1946-48, was an All-American quarterback for Oklahoma. He returned seven punts for scores in his career. Mitchell shares the record with 1972 Heisman trophy winner Johnny Rogers of Nebraska (1970-72) and David Allen of Kansas State (1997-99).

Mitchell, who also holds the NCAA record for career yards per return at 23.6, had seven scores on runbacks of 65, 41, 68, 60, 55, 70, and 67 yards.

"The one I remember best was pure luck," said Mitchell. "Against Oklahoma State in '46, I caught it, took one step and three guys were on me. I knew they had me. All of a sudden, they were gone -- like a tornado had swept in. I couldn't believe it -- all I could see was green grass. So I just ran (68 yards to a touchdown). The film of the game showed that J.D. Cheek, OSU's 255-pound tackle, came flying in to get me and knocked all three of 'em off me."

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