Reggie Donner didn't start his football career at the University of Central Oklahoma but that, along with a three-year hiatus, became a small footnote in an illustrious body of work that will now be called a Hall of Fame career.
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UCO announced last month its Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2020 and Donner, who is originally from Eagle Lake, Texas and played football for the Bronchos from 1997-99, was named one of two football players being inducted this year. He joins former teammate Dee Dee Carter (1999-2003) in this year's class.
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Donner first played college football for Texas A&M Kingsville using a redshirt year in 1992 and finding plenty of playing time in 1993. He tallied up 374 yards and five rushing touchdowns in his stint there. But when faced with his first off the field hurdle, Donner said Kingsville, in lieu of helping him overcome, said he could transfer wherever he wanted. Just wash their hands of him, Donner saw it. Then after a hiatus that would be considered an eternity today, Donner found his way to Edmond.
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"I packed my bag, bought a bus ticket, and took the last $90 I had and I was coming," Donner said.
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He got to Edmond and rang the Central football staff from a payphone to find his way to campus. Former UCO football coach Gary Howard gave Donner a shot to walk-on during training camp and soon after, offered the hard-charging Texan a scholarship.
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Donner, admitting how an adjustment to the speed of the game was a factor, showed flashes of brilliance in what was his sophomore season. He rushed for 90 yards in the season-opener before missing two games with a shoulder injury. He returned with four-straight 100-yard games before another injury. In the season finale, Donner posted 85 yards and two second-half touchdowns to help Central beat rival Northeastern State and win the President's Cup.
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Then there was the 1998 season.
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1998 would be different, as it was for everyone at Central. Donner helped the Bronchos to what is arguably one of the best season's in school history. UCO had an undefeated regular season and was No. 1 in the country for most of the year. The team was upended in the national quarterfinals of the NCAA Division II Playoffs, and by Kingsville of all schools, but was later awarded a victory following a forfeit by Kingsville for having used 23 ineligible players.
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Central finished 13-0 in 1998 and Donner was the standout of the offensive unit. He was named a finalist for the Harlon Hill Trophy, given annually to the best football player in Division II.
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Donner rushed for 1,546 yards – still to this day the second-most in any single season in school history – on 271 carries that season. He scored 19 touchdowns for the Bronchos that year. Those 114 points still rank seventh on the school's best single season list. And he would also earn All-Lone Star Conference honors, All-Region honors, and All-American honors following the season.
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In 1999, primed for an even bigger year, Donner went down with a season-ending knee injury after playing in five games. He still had 300 yards rushing and three rushing touchdowns. But after the injury he never suited up for the Bronchos again. His memory today of his time in Bronze & Blue still holds as some of the best years of his life.
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"It was more of the philosophy for me and to watch that come through," Donner said. "A lot of people can tell you what we're going to do and tell you how we're going to do it but there are very few teams that I've ever been on where we can actually execute that. And that was in all phases of the game not just offense. They preached what we were going to do. And they preached that if we do X, Y, and Z, then we would be successful and what comes with that success? Singing that song at the end of the game."
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And on that relationship 20 years later …
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"Once a Broncho, always a Broncho," Donner said. "That brotherhood, they didn't forget about us. Even though they have evolved and really changed the face and taken UCO to the next level to be competitive they also didn't forget about all the guys that put the blood, sweat and tears into UCO athletics.
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Donner got the phone call a few weeks ago informing him of his soon-to-be induction into the UCO Athletic Hall of Fame.
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"My son was over here and we were talking about football, that's all we do," Donner said. "I don't know who was more excited, him or me. He was jumping and clapping all hard and came over there and hugged me really hard. I was in disbelief and shock. Then I got excited and then I calmed back down. It was like a roller coaster ride. My emotions were all over the place. I didn't know what to think. It caught me off guard. That was a very special moment."
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Nothing ever came easy for Donner. But at every obstacle, like his style of play, he ran right through whatever was in his way. Donner finished his career at Central with 424 carries for 2,608 yards and 31 rushing touchdowns. Worthy of the UCO Athletic Hall of Fame.
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