Hall of Fame
Position: Center
Years: 1951-1954
Place of Birth: Nowata, OK
Date of Birth: Jun 27, 1932
Place of Death: Billings, MT
Date of Death: Jul 21, 1999
Jersey Number: 51
Height: 6-1
Weight: 209
High School: Muskogee, OK (Muskogee HS)
Kurt Burris played center in a time when centers also played defense as linebackers. His skill as a blocker and tackler helped Oklahoma to a 4-year record of 35-4-2. Burris was consensus All-America in 1954. Kurt grew up in Muskogee, Oklahoma, in a family of 11 children. The parents were Paul and Myrtle Burris. Kurt had 5 brothers-Paul, Lynn, Robert, Lyle, and Don, and 5 sisters-Martha, Pauline, Bobbie, Vera, and Patsy. All the boys played college football. Their schools were Oklahoma, Tulsa, and Northeastern State. In 1954 Kurt Burris finished second to Alan Ameche of Wisconsin in the Heisman vote. The Helms Foundation named him Player of the Year, and the Philadelphia Sports Writers Association named him Lineman of the Year. After the regular season Burris played in the North-South Game and was captain of the South team. He moved to Billings, Montana, and became president of the Cardinal Drilling Co., involved in oil and gas development. He became involved in civic enterprises and was appointed a trustee of Rocky Mountain College. He was born June 27, 1932, in Nowata, Oklahoma. He died July 21, 1999.
