85,000 University Of Oklahoma Fans Honor Toby Keith With Stadium Singalong During Season Opener
The University of Oklahoma honored late Oklahoman and longtime fan Toby Keith with a singalong during Friday night’s football season-opening game.
The University of Oklahoma announced in August that they would be starting a new tradition of honoring Toby Keith between the third and fourth quarters of every home game. The tradition kicked off Friday night and did so in epic fashion.
Toby’s family took the field at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium during the Oklahoma Sooners versus Temple Owls game to invite the crowd to join them in singing Keith’s hit song, “Courtesy Of The Red, White, And Blue.”
Fan video captured the moment more than 85,000 fans, many with “RIP Toby Keith” signs, sang along enthusiastically with the country hit.
The singalong marks the latest in a series of tributes the university has paid to Toby. Two months after his death in February 2024, the school painted a “TOBY” logo on the 25-yard line of Owen Field. The logo depicts Keith raising his fist as if cheering on the team he loved.
Tonight OU started a new tradition of singing Toby Keith to start every 4th quarter
RIP to a true legend
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) August 31, 2024
Toby Keith’s affinity for OU athletics, especially football, dated back to his childhood.
In an interview shortly after Toby Keith’s death, his daughter Krystal shared that her dad sold soft drinks as a kid to raise money to attend OU games, a fact confirmed by OU athletic director, Joe Castiglione.
Although Toby didn’t attend the University of Oklahoma, he encouraged his children to go, and they did. All three, Shelley, Krystal, and Stelen, are proud OU graduates.
The school gave Toby Keith an honorary degree during their 2024 commencement exercises. His daughter, Krystal, accepted it on his behalf. During her speech she shared that her dad had learned about the honorary degree several months before his death and was “excited” and “proud.”
“When he learned, last fall, that he was being inducted to Sooner Nation on this high of a level, he was so excited and he was so proud. I actually made a joke about how many hours I spent here getting my bachelor’s degree, and he joked that he didn’t have to work that hard to get his,” Krystal told the crowd. “But we all know he earned it and spent many more hours dedicating his life to earning it this way. He loved his family (he loved all of us), God, our country, and Sooner Nation!“
Hear Toby Keith’s kids talk about his life and legacy in the interview below.
Source: https://classiccountrymusic.com/
