Oklahoma punter Michael Turk proposes to Sooners softball star Grace Lyons after Bedlam win

NORMAN, Okla. — When the clock struck zero on Bedlam, with OU securing a 28-13 win over Oklahoma State, Michael Turk took off on a dead sprint.

He had more pressing matters than to celebrate the victory.

The Sooners’ punter made a beeline for his locker, hurriedly grabbed the small box and sprinted right back onto the Owen Field turf.

Turk was one of the stars of OU’s Bedlam win, but his biggest moment came afterward when he proposed to his longtime girlfriend, Sooners softball star Grace Lyons.

Lyons, the Sooners’ shortstop who has played big roles in helping OU win the last two Women’s College World Series, said yes.

“She’s awesome,” Turk said afterward. “I get to marry the woman of my dreams and that’s by the grace of God for sure.”

Turk didn’t tell many people his plans.

His fellow specialists and wide receiver Marvin Mims, whose locker is nearby Turk’s, were some of the only teammates who knew the proposal was coming.

Turk initially planned to do the proposal without his teammates around, but as he ran back onto the field, he called an audible.

He got several of his teammates, including linebackers David Ugwoegbu and Danny Stutsman and wide receiver Drake Stoops, to join him.

Before every game, Lyons hands Turk a card with a Bible verse on it.

On the back of Saturday’s card, he wrote, “I have a question for you, will you be my wife?”

Lyons looked up after reading the card and Turk verbalized the question.

“Will you marry me?” he asked.

She said yes.

“Proud of him, happy for him,” Sooners coach Brent Venables said. “Congratulations to him and his future bride-to-be.”

On the field after OU’s loss to Baylor on Nov. 5, Turk found Lyons’ father to ask him permission to marry his daughter.

“He’s an awesome guy,” Turk said. “He served in the Air Force as well, so I’ve got a lot of respect for him.

“He’s a great guy and thankfully he respects me enough to say yes, so I’m definitely thankful.”

Turk has been a critical piece for OU since arriving just before last season as a transfer from Arizona State.

He’s never been more important than he was Saturday night, when he had a career high 11 punts for a 49-yard average.

Eight of those punts came in the second half, when the Sooners’ offense struggled. They punted on all but one drive after halftime — the last series when Dillon Gabriel just had to take a knee to end the game.

“Turk’s been a monster, man,” Venables said. “He had a couple of just bombs. … He was huge tonight.

“He was Schmidty built. He was outstanding. Great job.”

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The last OU punter to have 11 punts in a game was Jeff Ferguson against North Carolina in 2001.

Turk’s two 60-plus yard punts Saturday tied him with Jack Jacobs for the second-most punts of at least 60 yards in OU history with 14.

Tress Way holds the program record with 16 such punts.

Before the game, Turk went back and forth over where to store the ring.

He thought about storing it in the kicker’s bag that stays on the sidelines.

“But I thought that was a bad idea,” Turk said.

So he kept it in a locked compartment in his locker, hoping he’d have a chance to retrieve it and share that moment with Lyons after the game.

First, Turk helped ensure that result with his play, then he took off like crazy to get back onto the field in time to make it happen.

"I knew that if I was going to propose, I had to have a good enough game," Turk said. "So that was extra motivation for sure."

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma's Michael Turk proposes to Sooner softball star Grace Lyons