Professional Athlete, Physician
Bill Van Burkleo’s outstanding high school athletic achievements led him to continue his education at the University of Oklahoma on a football scholarship as a pre-med student. He transferred to the University of Tulsa where he was a member of the 1964 Bluebonnet Bowl Championship team. Van Burkleo was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys and the San Diego Chargers (AFL draft), but was the Dallas Cowboys last cut in 1965. Van Burkleo played professional football in Canada before realizing his dream of a career in medicine starting his rural family medicine practice in Antlers and Colbert, Oklahoma. He transitioned to serving in emergency rooms and eventually served as Emergency Medical Director at several Oklahoma hospitals. Dr. Van Burkleo opened his own family health clinic and minor emergency room in Corpus Christi, Texas. Additional honors came from the Jim Thorpe Committee naming him as one of the All-Time Greats of Oklahoma Football from the1950’s and was inducted into the Tulsa Public Schools Athletic Hall of Fame as a Legend.
Inducted in 2025
