If one did not think that college football was a business before 1982, the Marcus Dupree story should clear that up right away. Marcus Dupree was a phenom from Philadelphia, Mississippi, that virtually every NCAA program wanted on their team. The process was written about by Willie Morris in his book The Courting of Marcus Dupree.

To say that there was a lot of hype about Dupree in the final recruiting days would be an understatement. Oklahoma sent assistant coach Lucious Selmon to stay in Philadelphia and recruit Dupree. Selmon was there for six weeks; additionally former Sooner player and Heisman Trophy winner Billy Sims flew in by private plane to add to the Oklahoma sales pitch. During the final weeks of the recruiting period Dupree’s high school coach Joe Wood was receiving more than 100 phone calls per day.

Dupree chose Oklahoma as his college, and for the first part of the season Dupree was languishing in Barry Switzer’s offense. Switzer scrapped the wishbone after a 1-2 start. Dupree would score his first college touchdown against the hated rival Texas Longhorns on a 63 yard fake reverse. Dupree would finish his freshman campaign with 1,144 yards and 13 touchdowns, and would be named second team All-American and First Team All-Big 8 and the Big 8 newcomer of the year. Dupree’s numbers are even more impressive because he did not start until the seventh game of the season.

The Sooners met the Arizona State Sun Devils in the Fiesta Bowl on 1 January 1983. Dupree rushed for 249 yards, both Oklahoma and Fiesta bowl records in a 32-21 loss. Switzer was very critical of Dupree for not being in shape and not practicing hard. Switzer openly stated afterward that Dupree could have rushed for 400 yards had he been in shape.

Dupree started off the sophomore season with less than stellar statistics and suffered a concussion against Texas. Marcus Dupree disappeared for a week and showed up back in Mississippi. Dupree announced he was leaving OU and transferring to Southern Miss. He left after three months.

Dupree was signed by the New Orleans Breakers of the United States Football League in 1984. He rushed for 684 yards, but spent a lot of the season injured. In 1985, the Breakers moved to Portland, and in the opening game Dupree  was severely injured. He had surgery on the injured knee, but his USFL career would be over. The USFL would close down and would win its suit against the NFL, but  the monetary damages would not allow the USFL to continue as a football league.

Dupree would meet NFL great Walter Payton, who urged Dupree to get into shape and try out for the NFL. Dupree did so and was able to play a couple of seasons with the Los Angeles Rams.

The Marcus Dupree story was told again during the ESPN series 30 for 30. Filmmaker Jonathan Hock’s film The Best that Never Was, introduced Dupree to a new generation of fans. It was arguably the best entry of the 30 for 30 series.