In the chilly November air Saturday, OU dedicated a statue to one of its most prominent sons: legendary football coach Barry Switzer.

An hour before the unveiling ceremony, fans, friends and family of Switzer had overrun the grass patch in front of his velvet-covered likeness. The bronze sculpture stands no more than 100 feet from a building that already bears his name: the Barry Switzer Center.

Switzer worked the crowd with his trademark smile and charm — the same charm that sealed so many recruits for his national championship teams — taking time to pose for pictures with anyone who knew his name.

In 1973, he was hired to replace Chuck Fairbanks, who left OU to coach the New England Patriots.

Switzer had been an assistant at OU for six years.

“I came in 1966 with Jim Mackenzie,” Switzer told the crowd of well-wishers. “Enrollment at the University of Oklahoma was 12,000, and they hadn’t beaten Texas in eight years.”

OU beat Texas that year.

Switzer started his career at the helm with a bang, leading the Sooners to back-to-back national championships in 1974 and 1975.

Switzer led the Sooners for 16 years and is the winningest coach in OU football history.

1969 Heisman winner Steve Owens, 1978 Heisman winner Billy Sims and 2003 Heisman winner Jason White made appearances in Norman for the Texas A&M game and Switzer’s unveiling.

Owens took his seat among the dignitaries during the ceremony. His praise was effusive of Switzer following the unveiling.

“I can’t say enough good things about him,” Owens said. “He influenced my life so much — not just as a player but as a friend. Everybody loves Switzer. This is just a great day for him, and I’m so happy for him.”

Sims was recruited by Switzer in 1975 and helped him win a national championship that year. He thought Oklahoma should have sculpted a statue for Switzer years ago.

“It’s about time,” he said. “I’m always proud of my coach. That’s a no-brainer.”

White is one of two Oklahoma Heisman winners who grew up in Oklahoma under the legend of Switzer’s football teams. The Tuttle High School football star said he was happy to see “The King” memorialized alongside coaches Bud Wilkinson and Bennie Owen.

“He deserves it,” White said. “He’s done a lot for the University of Oklahoma, and he’s a great coach. They have Heisman statues, but the coaches are the ones who make those players Heisman Trophy winners. It’s a great honor for him.”

Several prominent OU and college football officials attended the 12:30 p.m. ceremony, including OU athletic director Joe Castiglione, OU President David Boren, OU coach Bob Stoops and interim Big 12 commissioner Chuck Neinas.

Stoops arrived early to the ceremony — donning a white OU windbreaker, beige khakis and Nike sneakers with a crimson swoosh smacked in the middle of them — to shake Switzer’s hand and congratulate him before taking care of business later in the afternoon.

Castiglione was first up on the podium. He thanked everyone for attending while alluding to Stoops receiving a two-story bronze replica in the years to come.

Lee Allan Smith, known to many as “the best friend Oklahoma ever had,” thanked a few by name for their contributions to the university and, after an introduction by Castiglione, was followed by Boren.

The university president, in a dark suit, white shirt and candy-cane tie, praised Switzer for his abilities as a football coach and humanitarian. He spoke about Switzer’s ability to out-coach and out-love any coach he ever faced — on or off the field.

“Above all, we really honor him for the man that he is,” Boren said. “No one in the history of coaching the game has had a greater grasp of the game itself. No one has had a greater strategic mind as coach. But I think the real secret is the fact is that no coach of any sport has ever excelled better at loving his players and caring about his players.”

Neinas was the Big Eight’s commissioner at the time of Switzer’s hiring. The two have remained good friends, and Switzer asked Neinas to introduce him to the sea of crimson and cream after learning about the statue artfully sculpted in his honor.

Neinas opened his introduction with fond stories of Switzer and a poem about the legend to commemorate the occasion.

“Barry brings joy wherever he is,” Neinas told the crowd of denizens and diplomats. “If you’ve ever been in a room, and Barry Switzer comes in, the room lightens up. He just makes you feel a little bit better.”

After the crowd was settled and the dignitaries had described the living legend, “The King” stepped up to the lectern before the huddled masses. He told stories about the day he was hired, about his players, about his staff, about his family.

He ended his speech by thanking everyone for coming and gave them all a cheer.

“I just want to say thank you for being here,” Switzer said. “It’s a great day for me and my family. We’ll treasure it the rest of our lives. I love you.”

Switzer descended from the podium to the sound of cheers, but the bronze likeness of him will silently stand tall on campus forever.

Sooner fans reminisce about Switzer

Hours before the statue dedication, the streets of Jenkins, Imhoff and Lindsey were filled with Oklahoma fans who were eager to share in the revelry of game day. Brothers and sisters in name of all things Sooner ate and drank in anticipation of an Oklahoma win.

The opponent: Texas A&M. The Aggies beat the Sooners, 33-19, in College Station the previous season, and the 2011 Aggies were supposed to be much better their record indicated.

Oklahoma prevailed with 41-25 demolition of Texas A&M in front of a record crowd of 85,709 at Owen Field. David Foley and his 7-year-old daughter, Kylie, were among those who witnessed the victory.

Before watching the team of his youth do battle on the gridiron, the Yukon native and his daughter celebrated the legend of the living. Foley held Kylie’s hand as they made the trek down Jenkins toward Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.

Kylie was shy to speak but eager to get into the stadium. Foley, 31, said his first memories of Oklahoma football involved legendary coach Barry Switzer, and Saturday’s game was the first he and Kylie attended together.

“Game day’s awesome,” Foley said. “I love coming down here. I get to bring her to her first game today against Texas A&M. My dad, he brought me to my first game when I was 6 or so. To bring her to her first game when she’s 7, it’s is unbelievable. It’s awesome.”

Foley was born an OU fan into an Oklahoma family. He was happy to hear Switzer was being awarded a statue.

“I think it’s awesome,” he said. “I think it’s long overdue. Him and Bud (Wilkinson) both have three titles, Bob (Stoops) has one. I think it’s time for him to get recognized as probably the greatest coach in OU history.”

Foley was one of many who attended Oklahoma’s game against Texas A&M who remembered the Switzer years.

Melinda Dexter, 53, has been a season-ticket holder since 1985. She was among a large contingent of OU fans waiting to get a signed autograph from former OU quarterback Jason White in the Sports Illustrated tent, where the Heisman Memorial Trophy was on display.

Fans were encouraged to touch and have their picture taken with the trophy, but Dexter decided to skip that part of the “Heisman Tour.” A photo with a piece of metal was not what she was there to obtain.

The tent was located west of the Everest Training Center and just in front of the John Jacobs Track Complex. Fan who dared to venture toward the circus-sized tent were greeted by vendors with a special issue of Sports Illustrated — compliments of Nissan — with a cover graced by Sam Bradford.

Dexter, 53, wasn’t interested in the magazine as much as she was another white book she clutched in her hands, which was full of former Sooner football greats. She thumbed its pages as she spoke.

“I get autographs in my book, and Jason’s one of them I don’t have,” she said.

She was determined to get it — and she did. Occasionally, the Ponca City native rolled her eyes as the tent’s announcer rewarded fans for knowing the most elementary Sooners’ football facts.

Of course all true OU fans know who won the Heisman Trophy in 2008. Of course they know Switzer’s last national championship came in 1985.

Dexter, too, has been an OU fan all of her life. She said she would attend Switzer’s ceremony and liked that OU saw fit honor him.

“I think that’s cool,” she said.

Gerald Krows thought it was cool, too. Krows is one of many men and women who work the many open concrete spaces and patches of grass that function as parking lots on fall Saturdays on around OU’s campus.

Krows, 69, lives in Moore and is old enough to remember a few of Wilkinson’s teams. He’s watched OU football since 1954 and can’t remember ever not rooting for the Sooners.

“I was a fan for all of the time that Barry (Switzer) was here — and before,” Krows said as he waved in those willing to pay a price to park in the St. Thomas More parking lot. “He’s done a great deal for OU — no question about it.”