He was a comet, plain and simple. If you blinked, you missed it. Watching him at that time, you swore he was destined for the hall of fame. The lesson here is there are no sure things in life. With all the talent in the world, 18 and 19 year old kids still need the right people in their corner to realize that potential.
My dad and I were at the K State game. Marcus broke a long TD run and my dad described his running style as water rolling down hill. It looked effortless. It was a thing of beauty.
Once in a while the stars align in a position group. Its too bad RB is so devalued that you'd much rather want to be somewhere else. Its crazy, if you're 5'11 athlete you have to work harder to be RB and get thick, instead of taking it easier with the weights; becoming a shifty corner with a long career. Or more likely a Safety
Of all the great running backs that went to Oklahoma, he was the first running back to make Barry Switzer scrap the wishbone and go exclusively with the "I formation". That right there says it all. One of the greatest talents, to ever play that position.
There are a few moments in life that I remember. Watching Marcus Dupree for the first time is one of them. The most gifted amazing running back I’ve ever seen in my whole life
I know him personally, great guy. My brother played against him , LOUISVILLE high . We won the game 6-0 no touchdowns that night for him. My brother said head up he was like hitting a wall and stated if he ever got outside you wouldn’t catch him. They just contained him between the tackles that night. Awesome game 1981 I believe.
Video of Marcus Dupree gives me goosebumps each time I watch him. Possibly the greatest power runner in college football. He was king in Norman for a while. I met him and he's the nicest guy you'd ever meet.
Jay Gamble yes he is, when I met him I was with my preacher who’s from Mississippi and we were there eating at a McDonald’s and he started bringing out copies of his movies for us and even signed posters of him, we even had a Texas sucks chant led by him, all in a McDonald’s in crystal springs, Mississippi
Marcus Dupree is, in my humble opinion, the greatest athlete to ever play football and the greatest college football player of all time. One season, records broken, ran for around 240 yards on 19 carries in ONE HALF of the Fiesta Bowl while 10 pounds overweight and not in shape at all. That record still stands for the Fiesta Bowl. Broke Herschel Walker's record for touchdown's scored by a high school running back and the only way, the one way, any team could stop Dupree was to play dirty and try to injure him, which Texas succeeded in doing. The first time he ever touched the ball in high school (on a kickoff return) he ran for a touchdown. He was made to play the game. Watching Dupree's short highlight reel (all of his greatest plays could probably be watched in under 15 minutes) is indescribable. It's like watching an instrument created by God to play the game of football. His run looks effortless and his vision of the field (where to cut, when to sprint, etc.) is so innate that it looks like he's not even trying. At OU, he would simply outrun cornerbacks down the field like he wasn't even tired. Corners would take angles that would tackle any running back and just be left in the dust. They simply couldn't catch him, corners that ran 4'3 forties wouldn't even come close to touching his shoelaces if they dived. It's almost holy watching the amount of God-given talent he had. A lot of people have been saying that there's one Dupree every season, a plethora of high school and college kids who all could have been the greatest, but fade for various reasons. The reason why Dupree is different and is aptly titled in his 30 for 30 doc "The Best That Never Was," is because he is simply the best player who never made it big, and I think, the best athlete that ever played the game. After watching Dupree play, no other running back can really compare, in my opinion. I've simply never seen a running back run for 50 yards and smoke corners at the 20 yard line, score, and do it over and over again. The way he ran at OU and in high school is one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen in sports. Anybody says that some new up and coming running back is the greatest ever, or the next Adrian Peterson, Sanders, Payton, Smith, I might give them the benefit of the doubt. If they said Dupree, I would never believe it.
No, you're right. I've been watching college football since 1980 and he was the most naturally gifted runner I've ever seen. That's saying a lot considering the era he played in. Walker, Allen, Dickerson, Jackson, Rozier. The list goes on. Although when Dickerson broke one, that was a thing of beauty. Dupree's runs combined power and elegance. The first time I saw him was the game against Kansas. I'll never forget that 75 yard run. Those corners had the angle on him and he just obliterated it in a few strides. For that one season, he was really was something. I don't think we're ever going to see anything like that again. Not with that size and speed.
With A great offensive line! Even I could have run through some of those holes! He had a very poor work ethic. But was very impressive in yards after contact. He trusted and listened to too many people that didn't have his best intrest at heart. Like the show said, the best that never was.
Marcus was AD part 1, a mack truck that could run like a Ferrari, I read that he was a Mommy's boy, he was homesick and he really missed his mother. I don't mean that in a negative way, the coaches and even Barry tried to help, once Marcus shut down, that was it. What might have been....
@@feulman65 it was hard to stay in touch with family back then. Thirty miles was considered long distance and the calls probably cost 50 cents per minute when minimum wage was $3.35. No such thing as the internet and people still sent letters to each other back then. Times have changed.
I watched him when he was a young boy in Philadelphia, Mississippi. He was participating in the, "Ford, Pass, Punt and Kick," competition. Everyone was standing around and talking about how special he was, even then.
Jeff Davis Joe Don Looney was another one that was the “Greatest that never Was”. He had unlimited talent I saw him play at Cameron Junior College I also worked with him during the summers at a moving company in my hometown.
No way. Barry Sanders was far and away the most talented. To do what he did at his size was incredible. Marcus Big and Fast. Bo bigger and faster than them all. Barry' had better one season numbers than them all his Heisman year.
Greatest running back of all time in my opinion. I played running back through college football so I know a little something about the position. That's just my opinion
I knew then I would never see another like him.. and I never have NEVER 😐 not at that size with that speed and quickness as well those moves and most of all GREAT PERSONALITY 💜
There haven’t been a lot of failures as a coach by Barry Switzer, but I think Marcus Dupree was his biggest, and most regrettable. There was plenty of blame to go around on both sides of the ball, but today, I think Marcus Dupree respects and appreciates Coach Switzer every bit as much as Coach Switzerland appreciates and respects Marcus Dupree. Marcus Dupree truly was the best that never was. And he will always, ALWAYS be a member of Sooner Nation and our OU family.
I always gone back & forth with Marcus Dupree vs Bo Jackson vs. Hershel Walker. I've always been a Big Back fan. Imagine if all 3 came out in the same draft!!!!!!
The smiles and excitement he was able to make people have was the best thing!!! His linemen doing cartwheels and shit as he accelerated away towards the end zone was awesome!!!!
The amount of legendary running backs we bared witness too in the early 80's was astounding. We still haven't seen anything like that since. Bo Jackson, Hershel Walker, and Dupree were specimens with unmatched balance, speed, and power. Traits, that i've come to realize at 53, that are very very rare. We also had Eric Dickerson at SMU, Mike Rozier at Nebraska, and Marcus Allen from USC. What an amazing array of talent.
I was at the Missouri game at 2:54 in this video. From my seat I could see that hole open and that poor linebacker tried to fill only to get planted. The DB was all ready at speed but still couldn’t catch Marcus. That’s when I knew I was watching the best running back OU ever had.
I remember seeing that run against Kansas live on TV. I was a kid and had just started watching football. Even watching it now, it's hard to wrap my ahead around how someone so big could run that fast. He just shifts into another gear after the 50. That is unreal. I still haven't seen anything like him since.
Marcus and Hershel were the best college RBs I ever saw. But what is crazy is, look at how the Oklahoma O line just decimates these defenses. Marcus is like a freight train with Ferrari speed. And he can change direction on a dime. Thanks for posting the video.
I was about 4 when Dupree was a freshman at OU so I obviously don't remember it. But the best freshman back I've ever seen was another guy from OU. A guy they called "All Day." Best I've seen... and I'm a Bama fan.
@@s.hudson7524 Fun to watch, all of them. My favorite Heisman? Steve Owens. In pee-wee football, I got to try to throw a block on Steve. He said, ''damn boy''. I hit him as hard as I could!
An amazing runner, faster than Dickerson and he get up to top speed in a blink of an eye, and also had excellent vision. I rmember seeing an ESPN special on him after his career and it sounded like injuries did him in. If I recall correctly they pointed out how he had an amazing growth spurt and implied that his knees were his weak link.
Marcus Dupree was the most physically gifted running back I've ever seen. 6'3 230 and blazing fast!! Ran a 4.3 or maybe faster! He reminded me of Bo Jackson combined with Eric Dickerson!
Even an old, but good, VHS tape. You can see the speed and acceleration of Dupree. Billy Sims had just left in "80. Very sad story after football but he's alive and healthy enough to work. God is STILL GOOD
When you see guys like Jackson Dupree and Walker it let's you know its a higher being that created us. 230 plus with speed of guys half his size. It's a thing of beauty
I remembered Marcus, he was a great player who was searching for guidance. Too bad he didn't received it. He would have been the best like Herschel, and Bo
His only year at Oklahoma. One and done should be consider for CFB players like him. Marcus Dupree was a grown man amongst boys….again he’s only 18 yrs old in these clips.
I've watched videos of all the great college running backs.If Marcus and Switzer could have seen eye to eye,he could have sat records that would have never been broken,he was the biggest and the best of all the backs,Bo,Walker and Dickinson were great but Marcus was special
They said dude speed was was under 10 sec. flat in high school...ran 4.2 40s in college practice..and he was 230 lbs..dude was a trackstar for a freshman too
Yes.switzer just did not know how to coach this kid. A poor kid from Mississippi with lack of a father and Switzer was a hard ass on him.Maybe he needed a different type of comfort level from all the Ou coaches.
I got a chuckle out of the punt return against Colorado, because Dupree didn't ordinarily return kicks. Barry Switzer just decided to see what would happen, and Dupree took it 77 yards to the house!
People in the comments talking about how stupid he was and talking about wasted talent. He made some dumb choices, who hasn't, but ultimately it was injuries that ended his career, not his choices.
At 6-3 230, MDP was Lawrence Taylor with the football in his hands. DuPree and Taylor together in the NFL at the samectime makes me imagine the possibilities. Met DuPree at a music conference in the late 89s when he was promoting a rap group from Mississippi.
Still to me is the best running style I’ve ever seen. He looked like he had skates on. For someone to be that fast, big, strong and to be so graceful was amazing. Unfortunately, super human athletes have a short shelf life.
Dupree was the most physically gifted running back I've ever seen until this day! He was 6'3 230lbs and ran a 4.29. Just unbelievable speed for a guy 230. Bo Jackson is the only guy I can compare him to as far as the size and blazing speed.
Marcus well clearly an incredible but give credit to the OU offense for being able to successfully switch over to a different offensive scheme so quickly.
I must admit when I was young and I first saw him play in a game.. my thought was he is the 1 he is a superhuman running back the best I had ever seen 🙂
One of my favorite 30 for 30's he Is a very inspiring guy. These are the reasons why I look to sports, not because of stupid gambling or just for entertainment or other dumb stuff.
Smith may have the NFL rushing record but everyone knows Barry Sanders would have crushed that record if he hadn’t retired. Imagine Barry running behind that Dallas line. He did all he did in Detroit mostly running for his life.
i will not call him the best running back i've ever seen in college because of his heart, he quit when his team needed him. and if he would have stayed, he would have had a national championship and an amazing pay day at the next level, which is what he always wanted.
They best I have ever seen .........too bad he just wasn't ready to be on his own. Norman is a unique atmosphere. All the great backs out of OU this dude had it all. I am a Viking fan so seen plenty of AP but no comparison in my mind.
My personal favorite back of all time!! A really kind human being, Switzer should be ashamed of himself and how he failed to support a generational talent that was just a kid at the time!!!
Dupree had 17 carries for 239 yards against ASU, before getting hurt and not playing almost the entire 2nd half. As outstanding as those numbers are, Dupree was out of shape by that point. He broke into the clear twice against ASU for what looked like easy touchdowns, but both times an ASU player ran him down and tackled Dupree from behind. That would have never happened earlier in the season, and Barry Switzer was quick to publicly point it out after the game. Switzer should have kept the criticism private (and he has since admitted that), but he was trying to inspire Dupree to work harder. Instead, Dupree got his feelins hurt and eventually quit.
If you go back to 1977-78, and compare Marcus Dupree’s running style to Tx’s Earl Campbell, you’ll notice that they have very similar running style; same build with same ability of running over opponents.
