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EditNEWS Release for Daryl Lynn Hunt Scholarship Fund
NEWS for release
August 16, 2011
Daryl Lynn Hunt Memorial Scholarship Fund established
Scholarship will serve as living memorial to football great
ODESSA, Texas – Family and friends of the late Daryl Hunt have established an endowed scholarship fund with Permian Basin Area Foundation, www.pbaf.org, in honor of the football star who played for Permian High School in Odessa, University of Oklahoma, and the Houston Oilers. Hunt died suddenly of a heart attack in July 2010 at age 53.
Daryl Hunt was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Walter L. Hunt. He was a student in the Ector County Independent School District (Odessa, Texas) and graduated in 1975 from Permian High School. While at Permian, he was an outstanding linebacker and tight end and played on the 1972 State Championship team.
“Education was very important to Daryl, and I am pleased to help sustain his memory through a permanent scholarship fund at Permian Basin Area Foundation,” said Elayne Hunt, mother of the OU football great who later earned his college degree from the University of Houston.
On remembering her beloved son, Mrs. Hunt recalled, “Daryl never met a stranger. He found the good in everyone he encountered. While he was an excellent athlete, he was even a greater human being. I am happy to know the principles his father and I instilled in him as a child revealed themselves as he became a man. He will be missed. “
Recruited by more than 60 colleges and universities from across the nation, Hunt decided on the University of Oklahoma and was proud to play for Coach Barry Switzer and the Oklahoma Sooners. He was named an All-American linebacker in both 1977 and 1978, received the Outland Trophy Award, and set a career record for the most tackles while at Oklahoma.
A section of the Gaylord Oklahoma Memorial Stadium is named in his honor. Hunt’s daughter, Danielle Hunt, followed in her father’s footsteps, attending and graduating from the University of Oklahoma.
After four successful years at Oklahoma, Hunt was drafted by the Houston Oilers, where he starred for six years under Coach Bum Phillips.
According to legendary Coach Bum Phillips, “Daryl was the kid that when you got on the bus, you hoped the seat next to him was open. You wanted to sit next to Daryl.”
The first award from the Daryl Hunt Memorial Scholarship will be made for the 2012-2013 academic year. Eligibility requirements include: 1) Graduating senior from an Odessa public high school, 2) minimum GPA of 2.5 for each of the last three semesters, 3) student athlete representing his/her high school in at least one sport.
“Daryl was an outstanding individual, both on and off the field,” said Guy McCrary, Foundation President and CEO. “It is an honor for Permian Basin Area Foundation to play a part in sustaining Daryl’s legacy as a great athlete and a great champion of education.”
In 2011, Permian Basin Area Foundation awarded approximately $220,000 in scholarships. To learn more about the Daryl Hunt Memorial Scholarship and other scholarships, visit the Foundation’s website at www.pbaf.org. Scholarship applications are accepted in the Foundation office from January 1 through March 31.
Permian Basin Area Foundation facilitates the creation of permanent charitable funds in partnership with many donors, and provides grants to address changing community needs and enrich the quality of life in the Permian Basin.
Additional information:
Guy McCrary Vicki Rice
President & CEO Scholarships & Development
Permian Basin Area Foundation
www.pbaf.org
432.617.3213
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