Oklahoma Sooners star turns tragedy into triumph, goes out on top despite College Football Playoff loss
Deion Burks left everything he had on the field to cap off his final game as an Oklahoma Sooner.
The Oklahoma Sooners 2025 season has come to an end after a heartbreaking 34-24 loss to the Alabama Crimson Tide in the first round of the College Football Playoff. A winnable game fell apart in what felt like Murphy’s Law taking a sledgehammer to the Sooners’ momentum.
However, if one thing did go right for the Sooners, it was the play of wide receiver Deion Burks. After a frustrating 2024 season both on and off the field for Burks, it’s only fitting that he ended his Sooner career with the most memorable game of his career.
Deion Burks overcame adversity to cap off career
Last season didn’t go the way Burks hoped it would after transferring to the Sooners. Burks played in only five games after suffering an injury early on in the season. Despite the limited appearances, he still led the team in touchdown receptions and finished second on the team in catches and third in receiving yards. While he was battling struggles on the field, he went through problems off the field, as his family home burned down the same day he suffered a different injury against Missouri. He elected to return to the Sooners, bringing a key leader back for Oklahoma heading into this season.
Despite all the setbacks, Burks showed up when it mattered the most for Oklahoma against the Crimson Tide to end his career in Norman. He finished with seven receptions for 107 yards and a touchdown, leading the team in every receiving category.
After the game, quarterback John Mateer spoke about how proud he was of Burks:
“He’s been through a lot,” Mateer said. “If he shared his story, you’d probably be like, ‘dang, I didn’t know that.’ There have been a lot of things that tested him as a person this year and last year. Even when things weren’t going right, he did everything he could. He’s super consistent, and I told him I was proud of him….He’s going to be playing football for a long time moving forward. I’m just glad I could get him the ball a couple times tonight.”
Despite the tough loss, Burks can hold his head high for a successful 2025 year, rebounding from the disaster of 2024. He finished the season with 58 receptions for 617 yards and four touchdowns, and saved the best for last after dicing up a strong Alabama defense all night long.
I, for one, am thrilled he got to go out on his terms.
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