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Steve Bontrager


Cletus

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I read today on an email from ORU that Steve Bontrager will be placed in the ORU Hall of Fame class.

My memories of him were:

  • good foul shooter
  • smart player
  • I think he was one of the players who boycotted when Ken Hayes was fired-Steve was upset
  • after leaving ORU played for Atheltes-in-Action. i remember they came to Mabee Center to play and he was on the team
  • he was Mennonite-on senior night his parents were there-his mother had a head veil
  • seemed like a good all-around guy- stand up person

I'm going back almost 30 years in my mind and memory so I hope all this information is correct.

 

He deserves the honor.

 

 

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Steve had ice in his veins. Fearless player. He was money on the free throw line and was the kind of player that made everyone around him better. Congratulations to Steve and thanks for the memories.

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Steve is a very nice guy, but he's kind of been on-again, off-again with ORU and the basketball program. Years ago he did color on the radio broadcast with local sports guy Al Jerkens, and he was great doing color. Al told a story of them killing time waiting for a game to start, and Steve started shooting free throws. As I remember the story, he said that Steve made over 140 FTs before he missed one. Great news to hear he's being inducted into the HOF.

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I was pretty young when Steve played at ORU (but as my father was an ORU professor, I didn't miss many home games between the mid-70s through my own graduation in '93). But I do remember being quite impressed when at one game (pre-game or halftime) he made 10 foul shots in a row blindfolded.

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  • 5 weeks later...

a very good read and video...

 

Battling skin cancer, Steve Bontrager savors induction into ORU Athletic Hall of Fame

By BILL HAISTEN World Sports Writer |

 

 

Before signing with ORU, Bontrager considered scholarship offers from the University of Tulsa, Iowa, Iowa State, Nevada and New Mexico.

 

“I was probably going to sign with TU – until Oral Roberts visited my house,†Bontrager said, referring to evangelist and ORU founder Oral Roberts. “The last 12 games I played in junior college, ORU had coaches there. The last game, Oral Roberts was there. He sits down in my mom and dad’s house and says, ‘We want your son.’ When a man like Oral Roberts is in your house and says something like that, I had no choice. I signed with ORU.â€

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Friday's Tulsa World story, already online.

Good stuff - I did not realize what Trigger had been going through. Tough battle.

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  • 6 years later...

Hayes was fired in 1982. Steve was not on the team. We threatened to boycott and the school threatened to take away our scholarships.

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2 hours ago, Lance williams said:

Hayes was fired in 1982. Steve was not on the team. We threatened to boycott and the school threatened to take away our scholarships.

Right cause in 81 AIA came to ORU to play ORU in an exhibition game in the fall

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On 8/7/2021 at 7:34 PM, Lance williams said:

Hayes was fired in 1982. Steve was not on the team. We threatened to boycott and the school threatened to take away our scholarships.

Which current ad campaign is it that features outrageous situations that are overlooked in favor of the sponsor's mundane product?

Kind of like this post:  the resurrection of a SIX-YEAR OLD thread by another former ORU Titan sharp-shooter who hasn't been heard from in decades, and the sole response is merely on topic?

Allow me to share "the rest of the story":  welcome to the discussion (and the message board), Lance Williams - the pride of the Edison Eagles, and one of the greatest shooters to ever call the Mabee Center home. 

If only there had been a 3-point line in the early 80's, right Lance??

Such a kick to see so many former players returning to the fold in the afterglow of the Sweet Sixteen run.  Here's hoping the improved basketball product continues to encourage similar pilgrimages, to the program in general and this message board in particular! 👏

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On 8/7/2021 at 8:34 PM, Lance williams said:

Hayes was fired in 1982. Steve was not on the team. We threatened to boycott and the school threatened to take away our scholarships.

Just to add another perspective on the coach Hayes firing. He was a really good guy and all the players liked coach Hayes, he recruited me out of high school and when I transferred to ORU(I'll note here that Coach Acres was my high school coach and I transferred to ORU because of my long time friendship with Mark & Jeff Acres and utmost love and respect for coach Acres) and coach Hayes was fired during my redshirt year. 

But, I think Coach Hayes' fate was decided long before he was fired. There was an SI article about ORU basketball in 82' or 83' maybe, and it mentions the Acres family and that OR got personally involved in Mark Acres recruitment. Then; just like now, a McDonald's All-American ( I believe Mark is ORU's only McDonald's All American)  with a 6'9" brother (who was an outstanding player in his own right) is a very valuable commodity. I don' t think OR got involved to explain to Mark the advantages of playing for Coach Hayes over Dean Smith or at UCLA, I'm just guessing, but I think OR got involved to let Mark know he would be playing for his dad!

From my recollection of the events of the time, not all the players threatened to boycott, and as harsh as it may sound, Oral Roberts and ORU were willing to release those that did to keep those that didn't. 

 

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27 minutes ago, ORU40 said:

Just to add another perspective on the coach Hayes firing. He was a really good guy and all the players liked coach Hayes, he recruited me out of high school and when I transferred to ORU(I'll note here that Coach Acres was my high school coach and I transferred to ORU because of my long time friendship with Mark & Jeff Acres and utmost love and respect for coach Acres) and coach Hayes was fired during my redshirt year. 

But, I think Coach Hayes' fate was decided long before he was fired. There was an SI article about ORU basketball in 82' or 83' maybe, and it mentions the Acres family and that OR got personally involved in Mark Acres recruitment. Then; just like now, a McDonald's All-American ( I believe Mark is ORU's only McDonald's All American)  with a 6'9" brother (who was an outstanding player in his own right) is a very valuable commodity. I don' t think OR got involved to explain to Mark the advantages of playing for Coach Hayes over Dean Smith or at UCLA, I'm just guessing, but I think OR got involved to let Mark know he would be playing for his dad!

From my recollection of the events of the time, not all the players threatened to boycott, and as harsh as it may sound, Oral Roberts and ORU were willing to release those that did to keep those that didn't. 

 

"It's complicated"...

Too many chiefs, and too much hubris:  President Roberts had his reasons, Provost Jim Winslow had his reasons, my dad the AD had his reasons, etc., etc., etc.

But none of them realized how the season ticket holders and media in Tulsa would have the ultimate say, which was:  "WHAT KIND OF CHRISTIAN SCHOOL FIRES AN ALL-AROUND GOOD GUY A WEEK BEFORE CHRISTMAS???"

Sam, you and I should enjoy an adult beverage and compare notes whenever you're in town again...

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17 hours ago, Old Titan said:

"It's complicated"...

Too many chiefs, and too much hubris:  President Roberts had his reasons, Provost Jim Winslow had his reasons, my dad the AD had his reasons, etc., etc., etc.

But none of them realized how the season ticket holders and media in Tulsa would have the ultimate say, which was:  "WHAT KIND OF CHRISTIAN SCHOOL FIRES AN ALL-AROUND GOOD GUY A WEEK BEFORE CHRISTMAS???"

Sam, you and I should enjoy an adult beverage and compare notes whenever you're in town again...

Sounds good OT, we'll have to make that happen! 

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