Newsmakers

Died Football player Jimmy Harris, the starting quarterback for much of Oklahoma’s record 47-game winning streak in the 1950s, died Tuesday. He was 76. Harris took over as Oklahoma’s quarterback during the 1954 season and never lost a game, leading the Sooners to national championships in 1955 and 1956.

• Royal Copeland, a star halfback who played on four Grey Cup title teams with the Toronto Argonauts, died. He was 86. The Canadian Football League team said he died Monday and had Alzheimer’s. Copeland combined with quarterback Joe Krol to form one of the CFL’s most dangerous tandems.

Interested Former U.S. soccer coach Bob Bradley ’s agent says the coach is a candidate to lead Egypt’s national team. Ron Waxman confirmed Egypt’s interest in Bradley in an email, but did not give any further details. Bradley reportedly is among three candidates to replace longtime Egypt coach Hassan Shehata, who stepped down in June.

Nominated Retired Houston Rockets center Yao Ming could enter the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as early as next year – not as a player, but as a contributor to the game. John Doleva, the president and CEO of the hall, said Yao has been nominated by a member of the Chinese media and his credentials will be considered by an international panel. As a contributor, Yao would bypass the usual five-year waiting period for retired players.

Replaced Soccer coach Martin Rennie will take over the fledgling Vancouver Whitecaps in 2012. Rennie, the coach of the Carolina RailHawks of the North American Soccer League, will take over next season. The Whitecaps fired coach Teitur Thordarson on May 30 and replaced him with director of soccer operations Tom Soehn on an interim basis.

Injured Oklahoma defensive captain and leading tackler Travis Lewis will miss up to eight weeks with a broken bone in his left foot, leaving the Sooners without one of their best defensive player for a few crucial early season games. Athletic trainer Scott Anderson said Lewis’ injury will not require surgery.