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Time for Alabama football to properly recognize John Mitchell Jr. and Wilbur Jackson

Before he became a five-time Pro Bowl running back, two-time first-team NFL All-Pro, NFL Most Valuable, NFL Offensive Player of the Year and a Pro Football Hall of Famer for the Buffalo Bills, Thurman Thomas was a star at Oklahoma State.

He was twice named first-team All-American (1985, 1987) and ended his career with 4,595 rushing yards, 5,146 total yards and 43 touchdowns for the Cowboys in the Big 8 Conference; however, Thomas also knew that a legend paved the way for him.

He does not go into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2008, if not for Chester Pittman breaking the color barrier in 1957 at Oklahoma State.