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View Full Version : Bob Fenimore, two-time All-American at OSU, dies at age 84


prerat
07-28-2010, 11:23 AM
http://www.tulsaworld.com/sportsextra/OSU/article.aspx?subjectid=93&articleid=20100728_93_0_BobFen873290

Bob Fenimore, one of the best players in Oklahoma State's football history, died today in Stillwater after a lengthy battle with cancer. He was 84.

Fenimore, who played for the school when it was known as Oklahoma A&M, was an All-American running back in 1944 and 1945.

Services will be 2 p.m. Saturday at First Presbyterian Church in Stillwater, where he had lived since 1950.

"He had a good life and a good career," said his wife, Veta Jo, who said they had been together 63 years. "He loved OSU and loved living in Stillwater.”

Nicknamed the Blond Bomber, Fenimore was one of the country’s top players in the 1940s. As a freshman in 1943, he led Oklahoma A&M in rushing, passing and scoring. The next year, he led the nation in total offense with a record 195 yards per game.

In 1945, he led the country in rushing and total offense and finished third in the Heisman Trophy voting.

Injuries marred Fenimore’s senior season, but the Chicago Bears still made him the first pick of the 1947 NFL Draft. He played in 10 games that season – his only year in the NFL – and scored three touchdowns.

He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1972. One writer at the time called him the greatest one-man offense in college football history.

Robert Dale Fenimore was born Oct. 6, 1925, in Woodward and met his wife in high school. He moved back to Stillwater after college and became a life insurance agent.

Fenimore attended OSU games regularly and was a
football season-ticket holder since his graduation. He was diagnosed with cancer two years ago and went through radiation and chemotherapy, his wife said. Two weeks ago, the family learned his cancer returned.

He is survived by his wife, Veta Jo, and his two daughters, Beth Atess and Jo Ellen Jones. Both live in Stillwater.

Read more from this Tulsa World article at http://www.tulsaworld.com/sportsextra/OSU/article.aspx?subjectid=93&articleid=20100728_93_0_BobFen873290

casdas
07-28-2010, 11:28 AM
A good photo gallery at NewsOK (http://newsok.com/osu-football-legend-bob-fenimore-dies-at-84/multimedia/photos/gallery/3480297/1/)

jbug
07-28-2010, 04:41 PM
I always thought of him as the neatest man in Stilly...never acting like a big ex-jock, and always time to visit with you. RIP Bob!

OKState918
07-28-2010, 05:09 PM
I always thought of him as the neatest man in Stilly...never acting like a big ex-jock, and always time to visit with you. RIP Bob!

I had a chance to meet Mr. Fenimore my freshman year (so Fall 2003), and I will honestly say I've never met a more gracious or humble man.

He was at a fundraiser I attended and was one of the guests of honor, but most of the people there were around my age, so I don't think many really understood his place in Oklahoma State lore.

I went over to shake his hand and said something like, "You must be the Blond Bomber", and he laughed and says, "That's what the newspapers called me. My friends call me Bob, so you can call me Bob."

We chatted for a few minutes and I told him that I'm somewhat of a history buff - particularly for things pertaining to Oklahoma A&M - and that I would have loved to have seen him play. Anyway, he acted like I'd told him he'd won a million dollars. I don't remember what he said verbatim, but it was something like, "Nothing makes me more proud of my accomplishments here at OSU than meeting people your age who also take pride in them."

Truly, the King of Tailback U.

Verb
07-28-2010, 10:16 PM
The end of an era.

Rest in peace, Cowboy.

OKState918
07-28-2010, 11:07 PM
OSU has posted a few videos of Mr. Fenimore, including a couple interviews on its YouTube page.

http://www.youtube.com/osuathletics#p/u/0/fO-XCcsWcRs

Definitely worth watching.