Tulsa World: Former Red River rivals to catch up over dinner

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Former Red River rivals to catch up over dinner

By JIMMIE TRAMEL World Sports Writer
Published: 10/1/2008 2:09 AM
Last Modified: 10/1/2008 2:23 AM

The Red River War arrives next week and verbal shots will be fired when former football coaches and players from Oklahoma and Texas reunite for a Tulsa Sports Charities Legends in Sports Rivalry Dinner, scheduled Monday at SpiritBank Event Center.

Former OU linebacker Jimbo Elrod, who will be among the celebrity guests, began disliking Texas before he ever played against the Longhorns. Why? He played in the Oil Bowl, an all-star game featuring Texas and Oklahoma high school players, following his senior year of high school. And things turned nasty.

"We had a riot start on the sideline," Elrod said. "Texas, they won by, like, one point, and at the end of the game they were just lollygagging around with a couple of minutes to go and I leveled one of their linemen over by our sideline... We had a big brawl. From that day on, I really loved playing Texas."

Elrod said he intercepted two passes by Texas quarterback Marty Akins in the Oil Bowl. Elrod continued to terrorize Akins and UT. The Sooners went 4-0 against the Horns during Elrod's four seasons, a stat that will likely be repeated during the Legends dinner.

Elrod said he has rooted for Texas to win a football game just once.

"That was when they were playing USC in the national championship game," he said. "The only reason I rooted for them is not because of the Big 12 and all that. Oklahoma's 47-game winning streak was kind of on the line, so I just wanted to make sure that got stopped with USC and so be it that Texas was the one to stop it for us."

Elrod said he has respect for Texas. He even roomed with former UT guard Bob Simmons at an NFL training camp and became good friends with Simmons and other ex-Horns.

"But on that Saturday (when OU and Texas play), you have got to be like old Boz where orange makes you puke and you really want to beat them," Elrod said. "It is about state pride and we are the little old school up here in Oklahoma that steals a lot of their players and goes back down there to Texas and kicks their butt."

Thirteen former Horns, including Peter Gardere and coaches David McWilliams and Fred Akers, are expected to attend the dinner. More than 30 ex-Sooners are on the guest list, including Barry Switzer, Joe Washington and Greg Pruitt.

What: 2008 Tulsa Sports Charities Legends in Sports Rivalry Dinner

When: 6 p.m. Monday.

Where: SpiritBank Event Center, 106th and Memorial

Tickets: Tables and individual tickets available. Call Tommy Thompson, 645-4905

jimmie tramel 581-8389
jimmie.tramel@tulsaworld.com By JIMMIE TRAMEL World Sports Writer

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