By Bruce Campbell Commentary

Malcom Kelly broke a record of one of Oklahoma’s most colorful characters Saturday in the Sooners’ 59-0 victory over Middle Tennessee.

His 134 yards in receptions in the first quarter broke the old record set by John Flynn (128 yards) against Colorado in 1962.

If you don’t remember Flynn, you’ll remember his running buddy Joe Don Looney, who lived up to his name both with the Sooners and in the National Football League.

Flynn wasn’t too far behind.

In his book “When All the Laughter Died in Sorrow,’’ former OU star Lance Rentzel told of Flynn’s exploits at the Orange Bowl after the Sooners won the Big Eight title in 1962.

The rest of his teammates, Rentzel said, were going to bed exhausted because of the demanding workouts of OU coach Bud Wilkinson.

Not Flynn, Rentzel wrote. He would party all night, just coming in time for practice. Sooner coaches begged him to get a good night’s sleep before the game with Alabama.

Flynn, Rentzel wrote, laughed and poured himself a drink. While President John F. Kennedy was visiting the Sooner dressing room before the game, Rentzel said Flynn’s “regular pre-game retching supplied grotesque background to this moment.’’

Flynn made 10 unassisted tackles in the game, but the Sooners still lost to the Tide and Joe Namath 17-0.

“I was proud to play on the same team as a man like that,’’ Rentzel wrote.

Flynn and Looney, Rentzel wrote, befriended him when he was being ostracized by most of his Sooner teammates early in his career. Rentzel said they saved him from self-destruction.

Flynn was eventually suspended from school for failing to attend class.

J. Brent Clark, in his biography of Looney “Third Down & Forever,’’ wrote Flynn helped keep Looney from quitting in his early days at OU.

Flynn and Looney, Clark wrote, never saw Wilkinson as a God as many did

Another thing Looney and Flynn liked to do, Clark wrote, was to call General Jack’s Pizza Parlor and order a pizza to be delivered to the Lincoln House dorm across the street from the athletic dorm.

Looney, Flynn and teammate Geary Taylor would hide in the bushes next to Lincoln House. When the delivery man started up the sidewalk, Flynn and Taylor would jump him and Looney ran off with the pizza.

Looney was dismissed from the team after OU’s 28-7 loss to Texas in 1963. Clark wrote Wilkinson wanted to dismiss Flynn, too, privately berating him and suggesting he leave the team.

“Flynn was playing well, and he wasn’t about to let Bud have the satisfaction of seeing him quit,’’ Clark wrote.

Jay O’Neal, an assistant coach during Looney and Flynn’s time, was quoted in the late Harold Keith’s book “47 Straight,’’ Looney wasn’t good for Flynn. The players knew Flynn didn’t train.

“But the players liked and respected Flynn for the great job he did on Saturday,’’ O’Neal said.

As the promos at OU today would say “There’s only one John Flynn.’’



Campbell is a News & Eagle sports writer.