‘Made me cry’: Lifelong Sooner fan diagnosed with cancer gets unforgettable surprise during OU-Texas
By Emma Burch
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OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma (KOCO) — A group of University of Oklahoma fans is showing one Sooner that he doesn’t have to fight alone.
Rusty Weller has spent his life cheering on the crimson and cream through the highs, lows and everything in between. As he battles cancer, a little Sooner magic and a lot of heart made this year’s Red River Rivalry one he will never forget.
Weller’s home looks like a museum of OU memorabilia. From ceiling to floor, he has decked out his home in crimson and cream, and he is known as a “Senior Sooner.”
“I started just adding and adding and adding. Some people donated a lot of it,” Weller said.
Weller has been a fan since childhood, even attending OU in the 1960s and earning a degree in journalism.
He went on to be a sports reporter, following the Sooners for years.
“Oh, up and down, I’ve seen them go bust. I’ve seen them go great. You know, there’s some dark days in the past, but I’ve been enjoying it,” Weller said.
After his wife died in 2018, he became even more invested in the team, which is evident from his home to his OU uniform that he wears to every game he attends.
“I mean, people wear jerseys and shorts. White shorts. Well, what’s the deal? I mean, well, then I added pads, and it got a little more serious,” Weller said.
He posts on Facebook about the games but also about his battle with cancer. That’s where Landry Smith, who didn’t know Weller, knew there was something she could do.
She went on Facebook to see if other Sooners could help put a get-well basket together.
“We went and filled up his gift basket with some more goodies, nuts, and some lotion and lip balm and stuff that he might need during treatments,” Smith said.
The basket also included another item: a visor signed by former OU head football coach Bob Stoops.
“They got him set up to come down there. Within 48 hours, he had signed all of his merch for him, signed a get well soon card, the classic legendary Bob Stoops white visor,” Smith said.
On Saturday, during the Red River Rivalry game, Smith gave the basket to Weller.
“Well, the visor is what made me cry. That meant something,” Weller said.
As Weller got the only autograph he has ever had and watched OU beat the Texas Longhorns, he said it was a Red River Rivalry that he will never forget.
“Well, to have that basket just with all the autographs and other things. That wasn’t all. That cheered me up something fierce,” Weller said.
Smith said Weller is a person that she will never forget.
“It brought a smile to his face, and it kind of got a story out there, and so it’s just been special to witness,” Smith said.
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