There, fourth-ranked Tulsa was finally defeated, 14–7, by the seventh-ranked favorites, Tennessee under head coach Robert Neyland.
His recruiting strategy focused in part on luring to Oklahoma veterans who had played for the school's rivals before the war.
[7] That made Paine part of Tatum's star-studded (and only) recruiting class at Norman, which included nine All-Americans.
[6] In March 1948, Wilkinson accused a scout from the Brooklyn Dodgers of the All-America Football Conference of attempting to sign three of his players: center John Rapacz, guard Buddy Burris, and Paine.
[15] In a pessimistic assessment of Oklahoma's 1949 prospects, coach Wilkinson feared the loss of Paine, among other veterans, to graduation "could easily prove disastrous.
[1] After his playing career, Paine moved back to Enid, Oklahoma, and became manager of the Johnston Grain Company terminal elevator.