Jay Wilkinson

(1942– )

The son of legendary Oklahoma football coach Bud Wilkinson, Jay has written extensively about his father over the years, most recently in Dear Jay, Love Dad (2012). The memoir is based on letters the elder Wilkinson began sending Jay shortly after he left for college. Though Jay soon became a football star in his own right, the letters reach beyond that shared interest to address such wide-ranging topics as spirituality, literature, and politics.

Jay, a successful businessman and popular motivational speaker, has been featured on several national television programs, including Charlie Rose.

Related listings: Clifton Taulbert and Jim Stovall

Did You Know...

In 1963, Jay Wilkinson, a former college football player, finished eighth in the Heisman Trophy balloting.

Getting Started with Jay Wilkinson

Selected Works

Bud Wilkinson: An Intimate Portrait of an American Legend, 1994
Dear Jay, Love Dad: Bud Wilkinson’s Letters to His Son, 2012

Also: An Autumn Remembered: Bud Wilkinson’s Legendary ’56 Sooners by Gary T. King and Barry Switzer, 2006

Find Out More
OU Press