Oklahoma Wishbone Anchor: Celebrating Center Tom Brahaney

October 23, 1951  – Midland, Texas – Tom Brahaney from Oklahoma University was born. Tom played the position of center.  During the 1971 season, the Sooners led the nation in rushing, total offense, and scoring due in part to the excellent blocking by Brahaney. 

Footballfoundation.org tells us that as a senior, Tom was a finalist for the Lombardi Award and repeated as a consensus All-America choice. The National Football Foundation selected Tom Brahaney to enter the College Football Hall of Fame in 2007. After graduation, Tom entered the NFL, playing nine seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals.

Accolades and Accomplishments

College Football Career (Oklahoma Sooners)

• College Football Hall of Fame Inductee (2007): Recognized for his collegiate career (1970–1972) as the hub of the Sooners’ offensive line.
• 2x Consensus All-American (1971, 1972): Selected by multiple official selectors for both his junior and senior seasons.
• Lombardi Award Finalist (1972): Acknowledged as one of the best college football linemen or linebackers in the nation during his senior year.
• 2x First-team All-Big Eight (1971, 1972).
• Wishbone Anchor: Center for the legendary Oklahoma Wishbone Offense that set NCAA records in 1971, leading the nation in rushing, total offense, and scoring.
• “Game of the Century” Participant (1971): His one-on-one matchup with Nebraska middle guard Rich Glover was a featured storyline in the historic contest.
• Team Captain (1972): Served as captain during his senior season.

Professional Football Career (St. Louis Cardinals)

• NFL Draft: Selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 5th round (109th overall) of the 1973 NFL Draft.
• Nine NFL Seasons: Played 134 regular season games for the St. Louis Cardinals (1973–1981).