FORT SMITH (KFSM)--University of Oklahoma great Marcus Dupree was the featured guest at speaker at the annual Gordon's Youth Foudation Scholarship Banquet Saturday. The former football star provided positive encouragement for local youth in Arkansas and Oklahoma.
"It's always for guys like myself and the guy who play in the pros to always talk to kids and mentor kids," said Dupree. "Try to help them down the right path because they have some many different things in life today that can change their whole life."
Dupree was a highly sought after recruit by college football coaches from around the nation, but eventually signed with the Oklahoma Sooners. As a freshman, he earned All-American and All Big Eight Conference honors as he finished with 1,144 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns.
Five games into his sophomore season, Dupree suffered a concussion against Texas. He went home and never played another down at Oklahoma. At first he transferred to the University of Southern Mississippi but then decided to sign with the New Orleans Breakers of the USFL. He scored a touchdown on his first play with the Breakers and had a good first season. But during his second season, he suffered a knee injury that sidelined him for five years. He returned to professional football in 1990, playing in 15 games for the Los Angeles Rams.
Gordon's Youth Foundation Scholarship Banquet is an annual fundraiser which provides college scholarships to youth in our area. The foundation’s mission is to assist economically disadvantaged youth from pre-school through college serving Western Arkansas and Eastern Oklahoma. Roy Gordon, Sr. is a retired employee of Whirlpool Corporation of 37 years and a Sgt. First Class veteran of the U.S. Army, active and reserve, for 20 years. Based on the belief that every young person deserves a chance to be successful regardless of their circumstances, he founded Gordon's Youth Foundation in June 2007 to assist economically disadvantaged with money for college.