Former Oklahoma Sooners Running Back Mike Gaddis Dies at 50
Former Oklahoma Sooners player Mike Gaddis has died, according to the Associated Press. He was 50.
Barry Switzer, the former head coach of the University of Oklahoma’s football team, said that Gaddis died on Monday at his Oklahoma City home. Switzer said Gaddis’ father-in-law confirmed the news but did not share a cause of death.
Gaddis played three seasons with the Sooners from 1988 to 1991, USA Today reported. He was eventually drafted by the Minnesota Vikings, but never played in the NFL.
According to USA Today, Gaddis was working as an insurance agent with Farmers insurance when he died.
“First of all, he was a good man,” Switzer told the outlet. “He was a good person. He was raised by good parents. When you go into the home, you know what you get when you come out of there. And when you’re a parent and you have a son who carried himself the way Mike did, you’re very fortunate to have someone be a part of your team like that. I remember his smile and his Jheri curl hair.”
Sending prayers to the Gaddis family. He inspired a generation to push the boundaries of possibility. pic.twitter.com/sXX2k0WQFy
— Lincoln Riley (@LincolnRiley) August 12, 2019
Local outlet The Norman Transcript reported that Gaddis had kidney issues, but had received a transplant from his brother in 2005.
The Sooners current coach, Lincoln Riley, shared his prayers for the family on Twitter earlier this week, writing of Gaddis, “He inspired a generation to push the boundaries of possibility.”
