View source for Jack Mildren

{{Refimprove|date=March 2007}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|name             = Jack Mildren
|image = Jack Mildren.jpg
|office           = 13th [[Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma]]
|governor         = [[David Walters]]
|term_start       = January 14, 1991
|term_end         = January 9, 1995
|predecessor      = [[Robert S. Kerr III|Robert Kerr]]
|successor        = [[Mary Fallin]]
|birth_date       = {{birth date|1949|10|10}}
|birth_place      = [[Kingsville, Texas|Kingsville]], [[Texas]], [[United States|U.S.]]
|death_date       = {{death date and age|2008|5|22|1949|10|10}}
|death_place      = {{nowrap|[[Oklahoma City]], [[Oklahoma]], [[United States|U.S.]]}}
|party            = [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|alma_mater       = [[University of Oklahoma]]
|module           = {{Infobox gridiron football person
|embed            = yes
|image            =
|position1        = [[Quarterback]]
|college          = [[1971 Oklahoma Sooners football team|Oklahoma]]
|NFLDraftedYear   = 1972
|NFLDraftedRound  = [[1972 NFL Draft#Round two|2]] / Pick 46
|playing_years1   = 1972–1973
|playing_team1    = [[History of the Indianapolis Colts|Baltimore Colts]]
|playing_years2   = 1974
|playing_team2    = [[1974 New England Patriots season|New England Patriots]]
|DatabaseFootball = MILDRJAC01}} <!--|nfl=2521165 |pfr=MildJa20 -->
}}
'''Larry Jack Mildren''' (October 10, 1949 – May 22, 2008), was an [[1971 College Football All-America Team|All-American]] [[quarterback]] at the [[Oklahoma Sooners football|University of Oklahoma]], and professional [[American football|football player]] with the [[1972 Baltimore Colts season|Baltimore Colts]] and [[1974 New England Patriots season|New England Patriots]]. A native Texan, he was later an oil company owner, elected as the [[Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma|13th Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma]], and enjoyed a career as a successful bank executive in [[Oklahoma]].

==Early years==
Born in [[Kingsville, Texas]], Mildren played [[High school football|football]] at [[Cooper High School (Abilene, Texas)|Cooper High School]] in [[Abilene, Texas|Abilene]], set passing records, and graduated {{nowrap|in 1968.<ref name=thokobt>{{cite news|url=https://newsok.com/article/3249087/mourners-remember-jack-mildren |work=The Oklahoman |location=(Oklahoma City)|last=Talley |first=Tim |title= Mourners remember Jack Mildren |date=May 27, 2008 |accessdate=December 23, 2018}}</ref>}}

==College football==
Mildren is perhaps best known as the "Godfather of the [[wishbone formation|Wishbone]]" going back to his days as quarterback at the [[Oklahoma Sooners football|University of Oklahoma]] {{nowrap|(1969–71).}} Introduced at OU in [[1970 Oklahoma Sooners football team|1970]] by head coach  [[Chuck Fairbanks]], the success of "The Bone" depended on a [[quarterback]] with a rare combination of quickness, strength, and intelligence. Posting a mediocre 6–4 record in Mildren's sophomore year in [[1969 Oklahoma Sooners football team|1969]] and off to a lackluster 2–1 start in 1970, Fairbanks' [[Oklahoma Sooners football|Sooners]] installed the option offense during the two-week period between a {{nowrap|23–14}} home loss to {{nowrap|[[1970 Oregon State Beavers football team|Oregon State]],<ref name=bknfsonr>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=SLRVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=VOEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3188%2C5616652 |work=Eugene Register-Guard |location=(Oregon) |title=Beavers knock off Sooners, 23-14 |date=September 27, 1970 |page=1B}}</ref>}} and the annual [[Red River Showdown|Red River Rivalry]] clash against arch-rival [[1970 Texas Longhorns football team|Texas]]. Despite losing {{nowrap|41–9}} to the Longhorns (who had run the wishbone to a national title the {{nowrap|[[1969 Texas Longhorns football team|previous season]]),<ref name=txdmps>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=RalVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=4uADAAAAIBAJ&pg=4824%2C2058114 |work=Eugene Register-Guard |location=(Oregon) |agency=Associated Press |title=Texas dumps Sooners, 41-9 |date=October 11, 1970 |page=6B}}</ref>}} Oklahoma quickly turned their season around, going {{nowrap|5–2–1}} in their final eight games, and also ushered in a period of rushing dominance seldom seen before {{nowrap|or since.}}

Mildren set records in his senior season in [[1971 Oklahoma Sooners football team|1971]] that have since been exceeded. The Sooners posted an {{nowrap|11–1}} record, with the wishbone averaging over 472<!--.4--> yards rushing per game. Mildren set records for most rushing yards in a season (1,140<!--; 1971-->), most career touchdown passes (25), and season passing efficiency (209.0<!--; 1971-->) record. OU won its first nine games and fell just short of a [[College football national championships in NCAA Division I FBS|national championship]], losing {{nowrap|35–31}} at home in [[Norman, Oklahoma|Norman]] on [[Thanksgiving (United States)|Thanksgiving]] to eventual champ [[1971 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team|Nebraska]], billed as the [[1971 Nebraska vs. Oklahoma football game|Game of the Century]]. The defending national champion Cornhuskers gambled defensively by taking halfback [[Greg Pruitt]] out of the action and forced Mildren to defeat them virtually on his own; he threw for two touchdowns and ran for {{nowrap|two more.<ref name=erghdsnrs>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=8NlVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=7uADAAAAIBAJ&pg=4996%2C6335645 |newspaper=Eugene Register-Guard |location=(Oregon)|agency=Associated Press |title='Huskers dump Sooners|date=November 26, 1971 |page=3B}}</ref><ref name=klnetri>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=NPAjAAAAIBAJ&sjid=BO0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=6956%2C4144969 |newspaper=Spokesman-Review |location=(Spokane, Washington)|agency=Associated Press |title=Kinney leads Nebraska triumph |date=November 26, 1971 |page=42}}</ref><ref name=bbbatop>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=bTQVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=BfgDAAAAIBAJ&pg=1916%2C1950443 |work=The Bulletin |location=(Bend, Oregon) |agency=UPI |title=Battle for top spot reveals a pair of winners |date=November 26, 1971 |page=8}}</ref><ref name=nrdeshi>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.si.com/vault/1971/12/06/615048/nebraska-rides-high|magazine=Sports Illustrated |last=Jenkins |first=Dan |authorlink=Dan Jenkins |title=Nebraska rides high |date=December 6, 1971 |page=22}}</ref>}}

Mildren was named both [[1971 College Football All-America Team|All-American]] and Academic All-American his senior season. He was also named the [[1972 Sugar Bowl (January)|Sugar Bowl]] MVP after the Sooners' {{nowrap|40–22}} victory over #5 [[1971 Auburn Tigers football team|Auburn]] in [[New Orleans]] on [[New Year's Day]], a game OU led {{nowrap|31–0}} {{nowrap|at halftime.<ref name=tnsrpt>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=2xAdAAAAIBAJ&sjid=KZwEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6974%2C157966 |work=Tuscaloosa News |location=(Alabama) |last=Darling |first=Ed |title=Sooners rip Tigers, 40-22 |date=January 2, 1972 |page=1B}}</ref><ref name=szpeag>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=1u9LAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Xe0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=4348%2C916908 |work=Spokesman-Review |location=(Spokane, Washington) |agency=Associated Press |title=Sooners zap Eagles 40-22 |date=January 2, 1972 |page=1, sports}}</ref>}} Mildren's 1971 single-season record for yards rushing by a quarterback (1,140) was broken three seasons later by [[Freddie Solomon]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://web1.ncaa.org/web_files/stats/football_records/DI/2009/2009FBS.pdf|title=2009 Division I Football Records Book: Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) Records|accessdate=2010-07-09|publisher=[[National Collegiate Athletic Association]]|page=35}}</ref>

==Pro football==
Mildren was selected in the [[1972 NFL Draft#Round two|second round]] of the [[1972 NFL Draft]] (46th overall) by the [[1972 Baltimore Colts season|Baltimore Colts]] and joined the ranks of the pros for three seasons, playing [[defensive back]] for the [[History of the Indianapolis Colts|Colts]] and [[1974 New England Patriots season|New England Patriots]].

==Political career==
In 1990, Mildren was elected the 22nd [[Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma]]. In 1994, Mildren was the Democratic nominee for Governor of Oklahoma,  losing to Republican [[Frank Keating]] by approximately 17% of the popular vote (in a three-way race; narrowly coming in second place against independent gubernatorial candidate [[Wes Watkins]], a former Democratic Congressman who later become a GOP Congressman). Although Mildren was at first the frontrunner in the Governor's race, [[United States gubernatorial elections, 1994|1994]] was a strong year for the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican party]] while President [[Bill Clinton]] was controversial nationally and unpopular in Oklahoma. The Republican congressional landslide of 1994 included the historic takeover of both houses of the U.S. Congress.

==Career in banking==
Mildren served as the Vice-Chairman for the Arvest Bank Group, and as an announcer for Jox 930 [[WKY]] – Oklahoma's oldest radio station – which is an all-sports radio station in [[Oklahoma City, Oklahoma|Oklahoma City]]. He was also a regular contributor on WWLS The Sports Animal, having a regular segment with Al and Jim (The Total Dominance Hour).

==Personal life==
Mildren had three children; Leigh Woody (married to Russell Woody), Lauren Buchanan (married to Brad Buchanan) and Andrew Mildren (married to Caroline Mildren). His lineage now includes grandsons: Jacob Mildren Woody, Christopher Russell Woody, Jack Culver Mildren and Lucas Taylor Buchanan; and he had two granddaughters Elizabeth Grace Mildren and Olivia Claire Mildren. He is survived as well by his wife Janis.

==Death==
Mildren died of [[stomach cancer]] at age 58 in <!--on May 22,-->2008.<ref name=thokobt/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://newsok.com/ou-great-mildren-dies-at-58/article/3247501/?tm=1211559388|title=OU great Mildren dies at 58|date=23 May 2008|publisher=|accessdate=7 September 2016}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==External links==
*{{C-SPAN|jackmildren}}
*{{Footballstats |nfl=2521165 |cfl= |afl= |espn= |cbs=  |yahoo= |fox= |si= |pfr=MildJa20 |dbf= |rotoworld=}}
*{{Find a Grave|27012454}}

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{{s-bef|before=[[Robert S. Kerr III|Robert Kerr]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma]]|years=1991–1995}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Mary Fallin]]}}
|-
{{s-ppo}}
{{s-bef|before=[[David Walters]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] nominee for [[Governor of Oklahoma]]|years=[[1994 Oklahoma gubernatorial election|1994]]}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Laura Boyd]]}}
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{{Oklahoma Sooners quarterback navbox}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mildren, Jack}}
[[Category:1949 births]]
[[Category:2008 deaths]]
[[Category:American athlete-politicians]]
[[Category:American football quarterbacks]]
[[Category:Baltimore Colts players]]
[[Category:Deaths from stomach cancer]]
[[Category:Lieutenant Governors of Oklahoma]]
[[Category:New England Patriots players]]
[[Category:Oklahoma Sooners football players]]
[[Category:People from Kingsville, Texas]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Abilene, Texas]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Oklahoma City]]
[[Category:20th-century American politicians]]
[[Category:Deaths from cancer in Oklahoma]]