Oklahoma RBs coach DeMarco Murray suspended 1 game

Field Level Media|published: Tue 27th August, 13:22 2024

Oklahoma's DeMarco Murray, running backs coach, before a college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the West Virginia Mountaineers at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla., Saturday, Sept. 25, 2021. Oklahoma won 16-13. Lx10208

The NCAA issued a one-game suspension to Oklahoma running backs coach DeMarco Murray on Tuesday for recruiting violations.

Murray, a former NFL rushing champion and three-time Pro Bowl selection, joined the Sooners' coaching staff in 2020.

According to a report from the NCAA Committee on Infractions, Murray made impermissible contact with 17 prospects over a 16-month period. That included 65 phone calls and 36 text messages, which the university discovered during a routine review of phone records.

Murray, 36, who starred at Oklahoma from 2007-10, presumably will sit out the Sooners' season-opening game on Friday night against the visiting Temple Owls.

The NCAA investigation determined that Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables "was not personally involved in the violations and demonstrated that he promoted an atmosphere of compliance."

The Dallas Cowboys drafted Murray in the third round in 2011. He earned All-Pro first-team honors in 2014 after leading the NFL with 1,845 rushing yards and 13 rushing touchdowns in 16 starts for the Cowboys.

He retired after the 2017 season with 7,174 rushing yards and 49 touchdowns plus 2,165 receiving yards and six scores in 99 games (86 starts) with the Cowboys (2011-14), Philadelphia Eagles (2015) and Tennessee Titans (2016-17).

--Field Level Media