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Brent Venables: More Bad News for Oklahoma WR Deion Burks

In addition to suffering another injury in Saturday's loss at Missouri, Burks found out his parents home burned down.

John E. Hoover

Nov 9, 2024; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Oklahoma Sooners wide receiver Deion Burks (6) is tackled by Missouri Tigers safety Daylan Carnell (13) during the first half at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images
Nov 9, 2024; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Oklahoma Sooners wide receiver Deion Burks (6) is tackled by Missouri Tigers safety Daylan Carnell (13) during the first half at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images / Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images
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After missing the previous five games with an injury, Oklahoma wide receiver Deion Burks was apparently reinjured on Saturday night at Missouri. 

And that wasn’t the worst of the news for Burks and his family.

Sooners head coach Brent Venables said Burks was injured on a big hit late in the Sooners’ 30-23 loss in Columbia — a 5-yard reception on which he was sandwiched between two defenders with 19 seconds to play and was reportedly being evaluated for a concussion.

“We’ll see about Deion,” Venables said on his postgame show, “Sooner Football With Brent Venables,” which was recorded minutes after the game in Columbia and aired on Sunday night. “He took a great shot.”

Venables then revealed the worst of it.

“Found out his parents’ home was burned down here tonight as well,” Venables said. “Just real tragic. So our prayers are out to him and his family.”

Deion Burks Oklahoma Sooners
From Deion Burks IG / From Deion Burks IG

Burks posted a photo on his Instagram story depicting a burned out house. 

Burks is second on the team with 31 catches in five games this season, leads the Sooners with three touchdown catches and is third with 245 receiving yards. He missed the last five games with what Venables called a “soft tissue” injury.

Burks transferred to OU from Purdue and immediately stood out as a star in the Oklahoma Red/White Game, catching five passes for 166 yards and two long touchdowns.

Before the season, Burks signed an NIL deal with Rob’s Ranch, a local men’s rehabilitation organization, to donate $50 for every catch he makes this season — an effort that has been matched by literally dozens of local businesses.

This story will be updated as details become available.

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John E. Hoover
JOHN E. HOOVER

John is an award-winning journalist whose work spans five decades in Oklahoma, with multiple state, regional and national awards as a sportswriter at various newspapers. During his newspaper career, John covered the Dallas Cowboys, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma State Cowboys, the Arkansas Razorbacks and much more. In 2016, John changed careers, migrating into radio and launching a YouTube channel, and has built a successful independent media company, DanCam Media. From there, John has written under the banners of Sporting News, Sports Illustrated, Fan Nation and a handful of local and national magazines while hosting daily sports talk radio shows in Oklahoma City, Tulsa and statewide. John has also spoken on Capitol Hill in Oklahoma City in a successful effort to put more certified athletic trainers in Oklahoma public high schools. Among the dozens of awards he has won, John most cherishes his national "Beat Writer of the Year" from the Associated Press Sports Editors, Oklahoma's "Best Sports Column" from the Society of Professional Journalists, and Two "Excellence in Sports Medicine Reporting" Awards from the National Athletic Trainers Association. John holds a bachelor's degree in Mass Communications from East Central University in Ada, OK. Born and raised in North Pole, Alaska, John played football and wrote for the school paper at Ada High School in Ada, OK. He enjoys books, movies and travel, and lives in Broken Arrow, OK, with his wife and two kids.

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