National Football Foundation

Position: Running Back
Years: 1958, 1961-1963
Place of Birth: Wichita Falls TX
Date of Birth: Aug 24, 1940
Place of Death: Vietnam
Date of Death: Sep 25, 1966
Jersey Number: 33
Height: 5-9
Weight: 175
High School: Wichita Falls HS (Wichita, TX)

A gifted and versatile athlete, Jim Holder left his mark on NAIA history before giving the ultimate sacrifice in service to his country. The Wichita Falls native becomes Oklahoma Panhandle State's first College Football Hall of Fame inductee. Holder set NAIA single-season records as a senior in 1963 by rushing 275 times for 1,775 yards while earning All-America accolades. He was also 3rd in the NAIA in Total Offense that year, touching the ball 310 times for 1949 yards. He twice earned all-conference honors. A member of the NAIA Hall of Fame and the Helms Athletic Foundation Hall of Fame, Holder's jersey was the first ever to be retired by Oklahoma Panhandle State. Jim was a three sport letterman, setting school records in the 100-yard dash and broad jump while also playing on the golf team. Holder was also a commissioned officer in the school's ROTC program. Holder joined the Army after graduation and played semi-professional football for the Georgia Mustangs of the Southern Football League while stationed in Fort Benning. He was killed in non-hostile action in Vietnam in 1966. His name is immortalized on the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C.