Standout WVU WR Oscar Patrick Passes Away
August 03, 2020 01:43 PM | Football, Blog
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Former West Virginia University wide receiver Oscar Patrick died July 20, 2020, in San Diego, California, according to a Facebook post made recently by WVU teammate Randy Flinchum.
No cause of death was revealed.
Patrick, from Coalwood, West Virginia, was the first Mountaineer player to record 50 receptions in a season when snared 50 passes for 770 yards and five touchdowns as a junior in 1968. His reception total ranked 18th in the country that season.
The 6-foot-4, 200-pounder's best game was a 10-catch, 190-yard, two-touchdown performance in West Virginia's 31-20 loss to Penn State in 1968.
The Big Creek High standout was headed for another outstanding season in 1969 when he severely injured his knee during the Mountaineers' 35-17 victory at Tulane. He tried to play the following week against Penn State but reinjured his knee during pregame warmups.
That was West Virginia's only loss during a 10-win campaign that included a victory over ACC champion South Carolina in the Peach Bowl.
Carlen, in 2009, thought Patrick's injury cost WVU a chance of defeating Penn State and earning a bid to the Orange Bowl.
"We should have beaten Penn State and went undefeated," the late Carlen recalled. "That was the first time we had as good of players. We worked on throwing the ball all week and in warmups Oscar Patrick hurts himself in a warmup drill and he's finished for the year.
"I couldn't adjust to losing Oscar Patrick as a wide receiver because we were going to throw the ball," Carlen added. "We had to run the ball because we couldn't throw a lick without Oscar."
Carlen did adjust for the Peach Bowl when he surprised South Carolina by installing the wishbone offense before the game. He ordered offensive coordinator Bobby Bowden to go down to Texas and learn the wishbone because the Mountaineers had an exceptional stable of running backs, but lacked wide receivers due to Patrick's injury.
Patrick caught 78 career passes for 1,193 yards and nine touchdowns during his three varsity seasons for the Mountaineers from 1967-69.
Patrick was part of the second wave of African-American players to attend West Virginia University in the mid-1960s after Dick Leftridge and Roger Alford had successfully integrated the football program in 1963.
Patrick attended all-black Excelsior High in 1965 before desegregation enabled those students to attend Big Creek High in 1966.
During the late 1960s, West Virginia enjoyed a good run of Big Creek players that included Patrick, Flinchum and standout running back Bob Gresham, all coached by WVU graduate Joel Hicks.
Following his senior season, Patrick had tryouts with the Washington Redskins and Cincinnati Bengals, but his knee wasn't sturdy enough to withstand the rigors of professional football.
Patrick moved to San Diego in 1972 where he worked in the insurance business and also refereed high school and college football games.
In 2008, Patrick was inducted the West Virginia All-Black Schools Sports and Academic Hall of Fame and in 2013 he was inducted into the McDowell County Sports Hall of Fame.
He is survived by companion Elida Chavez, son Michael, daughter Adina and numerous nieces and nephews.
He was 72.
No cause of death was revealed.
Patrick, from Coalwood, West Virginia, was the first Mountaineer player to record 50 receptions in a season when snared 50 passes for 770 yards and five touchdowns as a junior in 1968. His reception total ranked 18th in the country that season.
The 6-foot-4, 200-pounder's best game was a 10-catch, 190-yard, two-touchdown performance in West Virginia's 31-20 loss to Penn State in 1968.
The Big Creek High standout was headed for another outstanding season in 1969 when he severely injured his knee during the Mountaineers' 35-17 victory at Tulane. He tried to play the following week against Penn State but reinjured his knee during pregame warmups.
That was West Virginia's only loss during a 10-win campaign that included a victory over ACC champion South Carolina in the Peach Bowl.
Carlen, in 2009, thought Patrick's injury cost WVU a chance of defeating Penn State and earning a bid to the Orange Bowl.
"We should have beaten Penn State and went undefeated," the late Carlen recalled. "That was the first time we had as good of players. We worked on throwing the ball all week and in warmups Oscar Patrick hurts himself in a warmup drill and he's finished for the year.
"I couldn't adjust to losing Oscar Patrick as a wide receiver because we were going to throw the ball," Carlen added. "We had to run the ball because we couldn't throw a lick without Oscar."
Carlen did adjust for the Peach Bowl when he surprised South Carolina by installing the wishbone offense before the game. He ordered offensive coordinator Bobby Bowden to go down to Texas and learn the wishbone because the Mountaineers had an exceptional stable of running backs, but lacked wide receivers due to Patrick's injury.Patrick caught 78 career passes for 1,193 yards and nine touchdowns during his three varsity seasons for the Mountaineers from 1967-69.
Patrick was part of the second wave of African-American players to attend West Virginia University in the mid-1960s after Dick Leftridge and Roger Alford had successfully integrated the football program in 1963.
Patrick attended all-black Excelsior High in 1965 before desegregation enabled those students to attend Big Creek High in 1966.
During the late 1960s, West Virginia enjoyed a good run of Big Creek players that included Patrick, Flinchum and standout running back Bob Gresham, all coached by WVU graduate Joel Hicks.
Following his senior season, Patrick had tryouts with the Washington Redskins and Cincinnati Bengals, but his knee wasn't sturdy enough to withstand the rigors of professional football.
Patrick moved to San Diego in 1972 where he worked in the insurance business and also refereed high school and college football games.
In 2008, Patrick was inducted the West Virginia All-Black Schools Sports and Academic Hall of Fame and in 2013 he was inducted into the McDowell County Sports Hall of Fame.
He is survived by companion Elida Chavez, son Michael, daughter Adina and numerous nieces and nephews.
He was 72.
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