Buddy Burris Paul " Buddy " Burris ( 1923 – 2007 ) was an American football player . He played college football for the Golden Hurricane at University of Tulsa , and after a hiatus to serve in the Second World War , for the Sooners at the University of Oklahoma . Burris was the first Oklahoma player to earn All - America honors in three years . After college , he played professionally in the National Football League ( NFL ) for three years with the Green Bay Packers . Early years . Burris was born on January 20 , 1923 in Nowata , Oklahoma . He was raised in Muskogee , Oklahoma by farmer Paul " Pop " Burris . He had five sisters and five brothers . All of his male siblings also played football , with the first three earning letters at Oklahoma : Kurt , Bob , Lynn , Lyle , and Don . Buddy Burris attended Muskogee Central High School where he played football . There in 1939 , he participated in the football team ' s 12 – 0 " Indian Bowl " victory over Daniel Webster High School of Tulsa , Oklahoma . College and military service . In 1942 , Burris enrolled at the University of Tulsa . There , he played football for the Golden Hurricane under the head coach Henry Frnka . Burris played in the 1943 Sugar Bowl loss to sixth - ranked Tennessee . In 1943 , Burris enlisted in the United States Army and served in the Second World War in Europe and Japan . While in the service , he achieved the rank of staff sergeant . After the war , Burris returned home with the intent of resuming college . At Tulsa , head coach Frnka had moved onto Tulane and had been replaced by Buddy Brothers . Burris said he liked Brothers , but was angered by one of his assistants who told him he had an obligation to return to Tulsa . Instead , Burris went to Norman , Oklahoma to watch the Oklahoma Sooners practice . First - year head coach Jim Tatum sent Burris onto the practice field where he blocked three punts . Tatum was impressed enough to offer Burris a scholarship the following week . From 1946 to 1948 , Burris played offensive and defensive guard . He was one of many returning war veterans to join the team and among eight future All - American s in the 1946 recruiting class . Burris became the first Sooner to be named an All - American all three years at Oklahoma . In 1948 , he was named a consensus All - American . He was also the first Sooner inducted into the Helms Athletic Foundation Football Hall of Fame . Burris graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a bachelor ' s degree in business administration . In March 1948 , Oklahoma head coach Bud Wilkinson accused a scout from the Brooklyn Dodgers of the All - America Football Conference of attempting to sign three of his players : Burris , center John Rapacz , and tackle Homer Paine . The scout denied the charge , and insisted his visit to Oklahoma was licit and at the behest of Burris who wanted to discuss his potential for a future professional career . Professional career . Burris was selected in the fifth round of the 1947 NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers ( 31st overall ) . He played with the Packers for three seasons . In 1949 , he saw action in ten games and recorded one interception and recovered one opponent fumble . In 1950 , he played in nine games and return ed three kickoff s for 18 yards . In 1951 , he saw action in seven games and recovered one own team fumble . After his football career , Burris worked for the Dow Chemical Company . He later took a job as a contracting administrator at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma City , Oklahoma . He worked for the federal government until his retirement , and he also owned and ran his own landscaping and tree surgery business , Burris Services . Burris died of natural causes on January 20 , 2007 in Norman , Oklahoma .