Greg Pruitt
Encyclopedia
Gregory Donald Pruitt is a former American football
running back
in the NFL from 1973 through 1984. He was selected to five Pro Bowls, four as a member of the Cleveland Browns
and one as a member of the Los Angeles Raiders, the last one as a kick returner
. He was also part of the Raiders' Super Bowl XVIII
winning team.
Pruitt was an All-American at the University of Oklahoma
in 1971
and 1972
, Greg was All-Big 8 as well in '71 and '72. He ranks third among Sooners in career all-purpose yards. Pruitt gained 3,122 rushing yards, 491 receiving yards, 139 yards on punt returns and 679 yards returning kickoffs. Pruitt scored 41 career touchdowns as a Sooner.
In 1999 he was inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame
.
The Greg Pruitt rule established tear-away jerseys as illegal. Pruitt purposely wore flimsy jerseys that ripped apart in the hands of would-be tacklers.
In 1979, Pruitt won ABC
's Superstars
, an all-around sports competition that pits elite athletes from different sports against one another in a series of athletic events resembling a decathlon
.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
in the NFL from 1973 through 1984. He was selected to five Pro Bowls, four as a member of the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and one as a member of the Los Angeles Raiders, the last one as a kick returner
Kick returner
In American and Canadian football, a kick returner is the player on special teams who is primarily responsible to catch kickoffs and attempts to return them in the opposite direction. If the ball is kicked into his own endzone, he must assess the situation on the field while the ball is in the...
. He was also part of the Raiders' Super Bowl XVIII
Super Bowl XVIII
Super Bowl XVIII was an American football game played on January 22, 1984, at Tampa Stadium in Tampa, Florida, deciding the National Football League champion following the 1983 regular season. The American Football Conference champion Los Angeles Raiders defeated the National Football Conference...
winning team.
Pruitt was an All-American at the University of Oklahoma
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its...
in 1971
1971 College Football All-America Team
The 1971 College Football All-America team is composed of various organizations that choose College All-America teams that season. The organizations that chose the teams were Associated Press, United Press International, Newspaper Enterprise Association, Football Writers Association of America,...
and 1972
1972 College Football All-America Team
The 1972 College Football All-America team is composed of various organizations that choose College All-America teams that season. The organizations that chose the teams were Associated Press, United Press International, Newspaper Enterprise Association, Football Writers Association of America,...
, Greg was All-Big 8 as well in '71 and '72. He ranks third among Sooners in career all-purpose yards. Pruitt gained 3,122 rushing yards, 491 receiving yards, 139 yards on punt returns and 679 yards returning kickoffs. Pruitt scored 41 career touchdowns as a Sooner.
In 1999 he was inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
.
The Greg Pruitt rule established tear-away jerseys as illegal. Pruitt purposely wore flimsy jerseys that ripped apart in the hands of would-be tacklers.
In 1979, Pruitt won ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
's Superstars
Superstars
Superstars is an all-around sports competition that pits elite athletes from different sports against one another in a series of athletic events resembling a decathlon....
, an all-around sports competition that pits elite athletes from different sports against one another in a series of athletic events resembling a decathlon
Decathlon
The decathlon is a combined event in athletics consisting of ten track and field events. The word decathlon is of Greek origin . Events are held over two consecutive days and the winners are determined by the combined performance in all. Performance is judged on a points system in each event, not...
.