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Report: Patrick Fletcher, former Oklahoma quarterback, dies

IMG_6598by: Nick Kosko04/08/25nickkosko59
USATSI_24409553 (1)
John Reed-Imagn Images

Former Oklahoma quarterback Patrick Fletcher reportedly passed away, according to JD Runnels, a former fullback for the Sooners. Fletcher was part of the 2000 national championship squad.

“Man….I was never teammates with Patrick Fletcher, but he always made me feel like I was,” Runnels wrote on Twitter. “He will be missed, the truest Sooner.”

Fletcher had 28 games to his credit as a quarterback for Oklahoma from 1998-2000. He finished his career 23-of-41 passing for 364 yards, four touchdowns and four interceptions.

Fletcher also wrote a book Sixteen Red: Living the Dream, detailing his Oklahoma experience from 1996-2000. The final year, the Sooners were the consensus national champions, beating Florida State 13-2 in the Orange Bowl to claim the title.

“P-Fletch? Yeah, I loved him, too. Listen, you gotta know the story,” former head coach Bob Stoops told The Oklahoman in 2013. “Patrick Fletcher, we get there, is a backup quarterback, beautiful kid. Great team guy. We loved him as coaches. Everybody loved him. Team loved him. Backup QB to Josh Heupel. “We got a fake punt (actually field goal) in our first year,  homecoming, Texas A&M. We got it set up perfect. I was a little bit crazy then.

“They guard all the tight ends and the wings, they’re spread out. Sure enough, four or five guys cover ‘em all. Middle of the field is wide open. Kicker’s supposed to go right down the middle of the field. Patrick’s going to hit him. We told everybody about the fake but the kicker. It was beautiful. Parted like the Red Sea. I’m looking down, where in the heck’s the kicker? Not what I said actually.

“P-Fletch is looking around. No kicker? He runs, honest to God, he runs 12, 14 yards. It wasn’t like five. He makes a first down he has no business making. And it’s in the first half and we put it in for a touchdown after that and we end up beating ‘em 56-, to, I don’t know what, we killed ‘em (51-6).

“Every time I see him, today when I see him, I grab him, give him a big hug him, ‘you saved my butt buddy. You’re the best.’ He knows it. He’ll tell you.”