Rick Bryan was the ultimate “good old boy’’ at the University of Oklahoma.

The two-time All-American defensive tackle (1982-83) who died Saturday night of a heart attack, never swayed from his “Tater Hill’’ (Coweta) roots.

He was a country boy and proud of it. He was a gentle giant — the fiercest of competitors on the field, but the nicest of guys off.

His exploits might have been even better appreciated had OU been a little more successful during his career.

The Sooners had three four-loss seasons during Bryan’s tenure. OU coach Barry Switzer would admit to the team having some “cancers’’

Bryan was always up front with the media, whether it was a loss or a win. You enjoyed talking with him.

Switzer told various media outlets “no one out-worked’’ Bryan. He only wished Bryan could have played on a national champion.

One lasting memory of Bryan was him chasing Texas’ Edwin Simmons while the latter was running for a touchdown in the Longhorns’ 28-16 victory. He never gave up the chase until Simmons scored.

Quit wasn’t in his vocabulary

Bryan might have been OU’s second best defensive tackle next to Lee Roy Selmon.

Take a look at what he did in the big games:

• 18 tackles against Southern California in 1982.

• 16 tackles against Texas in 1981.

• 15 tackles against Texas in 1983.

Bryan did this despite playing in constant pain. Then OU trainer Dan Pickett told the Daily Oklahoman in 1983 he never saw anyone who could play in as much pain as Bryan could.

Bryan went on to an outstanding career with the Atlanta Falcons, who made Bryan their No. 1 draft choice in 1984. Injuries would shorten his career, but wouldn’t dim his determination.

Falcons team doctors advised Bryan to quit after he was diagnosed with a spinal nerve injury in 1989. He didn’t miss a start the next two seasons, having a career-best 131 tackles in 1991.

In a story in Monday’s Tulsa World, it was recalled Bryan once said his back pain was so severe he couldn’t tie his own shoes.

One could take Bryan out of the country, but they couldn’t take the country out of him.

After football, he returned to his beloved Coweta where he served as a part-time assistant football coach on the high school team while running a cattle farm.

He told the Tulsa World a few years ago he wanted to give back to football. He described himself as “a guy who grew up out on a farm, and got lucky and got 10 years of pro football. The Lord has taken care of me, and He has let me do what I want with my life.’’

He said farming was a “hard way to make a living’’ but he enjoyed it because it was the way he was brought up.

His daughter, Jenni, told the Tulsa World in 2008 about the time a bale of hay weighing more than 1,000 pounds fell on her.

“He hit the round bale so hard that it came off the ground by a half a foot,’’ she said. “It came right off me.’’

He is one of the many losses our state has endured recently. Like fellow Sooners Wayman Tisdale, Jack Mildren, Jack Mitchell, Eddie Crowder and Jim Owens, he will be missed.



Campbell is a News & Eagle sports writer.