Saturday, September 7th marked the second home game for the University of Oklahoma Sooners football team. This also meant it was the second time the school and football program would pay tribute to the late, great Toby Keith.

In August, the program announced it would be honoring the “Big Dog Daddy” at every home football game this season during the break between the third and fourth quarter. This new tradition kicked off during Week One on August 30th. The stadium went dark and 85,000 fans all turned on their phone flashlights and raised them as high as possible while “Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue” rang through the stadium.

Not only does one of Keith’s most famous songs play for the fans to sing along, but there is also a short video tribute before the song.

At the game on Saturday, September 7th game, former OU head coach Bob Stoops gave a short speech in between the video tribute and the playing of “Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue.”

Bob Stoops was the head coach for the Sooners from 1999-2016.

He is considered a legend at OU, being one of four coaches to win over 100 games for the university. Under his leadership, the team won a national championship in 2000 and ten Big 12 titles. He is the only coach in the “BCS era” to win the Rose Bowl, the Orange Bowl, the Fiesta Bowl, and the Sugar Bowl.

He retired from coaching after the Sooners’ 2016 season but three years later accepted the head coaching position of the Dallas Renegades of the XFL. The league filed for bankruptcy in April 2020 but resumed play in 2023. The team was renamed the Arlington Renegades, and Stoops led them to the championship game, which they won.

In 2021, he served as the interim head coach of OU football for the Alamo Bowl, where the team won 47-32.

Stoops could be seen getting a bit emotional after his speech and during the Toby Keith tribute.
“From our troops overseas, to fellow Oklahomans like Jax and Olivia, no one served others like Big Dog Daddy, Toby. This one’s for Big T,” Stoops said as he raised one fist in the air.

Then, the stadium went dark and began playing “Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue.”

Stoops stood on the field as the tribute rang out and at the end, he was taking it all in and got emotional once again. We’re sure he misses his friend Toby Keith.

Fans in the stadium were all singing every word and honoring Toby Keith, who was one of the biggest supporters of OU in all aspects. So much so that two months after Keith’s February 2024 death, OU painted his name and image on their field.

Keith himself did not attend OU, but all three of his children – Shelly, Krystal, and Stelen – did. Keith was a supporter of all their sports and even showed up at the OU softball after party when they won the College World Series in 2023. Keith was also awarded an honorary degree earlier this year, which Krystal accepted on his behalf.