Celebrating a Legend

WATCH: Thurman Thomas Meets With Media

STILLWATER – NFL Hall of Famer Thurman Thomas will be honored Saturday when he'll become the first player inducted into Oklahoma State's football ring of honor. His name and No. 34 be unveiled at the top of the west end zone in Boone Pickens Stadium at halftime of the Cowboys' game against West Virginia.

"I'm excited to get back," Thomas said. "A couple of my kids are coming and they never experienced that so it will be something different for them and to see where everything started with me and my wife 33 years ago at the game against Wyoming in 1987 when we met. It's been great and I'm excited to be a part of it."

Thomas has been a vocal supporter of Oklahoma State athletics since leaving Stillwater. He attended the softball team's tournament in Clearwater, Florida last year, has traveled to the NCAA Wrestling Championships in St. Louis, Missouri to support the Cowboys and said he was cheering hard for former OSU golfer Matthew Wolff to win the U.S. Open last weekend.

"I love my athletics, I love my school and even though I'm up here in Buffalo, I do whatever I can to keep that brand out there," Thomas said. "It was great for me and I'm happy to do that anytime."

Being first into the football ring of honor, Thomas has plans to make the honor special for himself and the members who join him in the future.

"When they told me I was going to be the first one to go on the ring of honor it really hit me hard that I'm going to be first, but what am I going to do with this?" Thomas said. "I'm going to get there and start bringing the university together. I'm going to start doing a lot more things for Oklahoma State to be the first and hopefully the guys who follow me will continue to do the same things that I'm doing."

Thomas' legacy begins his freshman season when he was on the 1984 team that was the first Cowboy team to win 10 games. By the time he finished his career, he rushed for more than 5,000 yards and was a three-time All-American.

"I feel very honored that I'm one of the guys who elevated the program," Thomas said. "That's what you want to do. Any football player coming out of high school is going to a college trying to elevate that program, I just happened to be on that first team that got 10 wins and kind of carried it for the next three years. Then Gundy took over and got one in 2011 and carried it on, but we got more. That's the way it is supposed to be."

The all-time leading rusher in a program filled with historically great running backs, Thomas believes Oklahoma State is at the top of the list of programs that produce NFL-caliber backs.

"Oklahoma State can very easily be Tailback U," Thomas said. "I know when you talk about that you talk about Barry Sanders, myself and Chuba Hubbard now, but before us there was Ernest Anderson who led the nation in rushing. We've had a number of great running backs that have come through and I think that needs to continue."

Saturday in Stillwater will be dedicated to Thomas. Oklahoma State will wear throwback uniforms that he wore in his last game as a Cowboy in the Sun Bowl against West Virginia.

He just has one wish for the Cowboys on his day.

"I want it to end with a win, that's all I care about… It's going to be special to see it and my family and I are really looking forward to it"

Oklahoma State University Athletics

Players Mentioned

Chuba Hubbard

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