Dusty Dvoracek shares amazing fishing story involving late Oklahoma superfan Toby Keith

Country music star Toby Keith died following a battle with stomach cancer on Monday. With that have come numerous tributes and memories to him, including from broadcaster Dusty Dvoracek.

A former Oklahoma player, Dvoracek was close with Keith who was a superfan of the Sooners in his life. That was part of how the two became close and in the wake of Keith’s passing, Dvoracek shared an amazing fishing story the two shared together.

“I spend a lot of time at the lake in the summer,” Dusty Dvoracek said. “He’s got a lake house very close to where we are. I hadn’t seen him in a while and I’m at the checkout line, and I looked across and I barely even recognized him. He had lost, I bet, 80 pounds but he sounded good. He said, ‘Hey, boy.’ Went over, started hugging on him and he’s like let’s go fishing this weekend. So, we did.”

It was a Memorial Day fishing trip and by the sound of how Dusty Dvoracek described Toby Keith, the musician was already battling his illness. Still, that didn’t stop him from going out and doing the things he loved, like fishing with friends.

“I met up with him on Memorial Day morning and he loves to fish. He actually has got a line of lures and tackle and all that stuff. Anyway, we go fishing. It’s him. It’s one of his good friends who’s kind of a fishing guide there at the lake and I think his nephew and me. We go crappie fishing. We’re sitting in the stall of like a slip and nothing’s biting. He’s telling me, ‘There’s gonna be fish everywhere.’ Nothing’s biting,” Dvoracek said.

“This is probably 9, 10 in the morning on Memorial Day. He’s got the local Grove, Oklahoma country music station on, and out of nowhere, they start playing one of his songs. He says, ‘Oh, looky there. Captain America’s on the radio.’ I think it was Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue and he starts singing it, and I swear if I’m lying I’m dying. Bam. Fish on within 20 seconds. I’m like, you gotta be kidding me. So, he pulls out a fish and first fish we catch with his song playing on Memorial Day, Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue.”

Dvoracek was emotional while telling this story and got more so after sharing what Keith meant to him.

“I hate to be somber and I’m not trying to be because the man lived a blessed and great life and did a lot of awesome things for a lot of people, myself included. I just really appreciate him, my relationship with, experiences I got to have with him and so many people I know that he touched and helped. Man, cancer sucks.

Brent Venables honors Toby Keith

Following his death, Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables posted a photo alongside Toby Keith and Bob Stoops on Twitter, along with the caption, “WE are all Better, for knowing Toby…An Amazing Man who GAVE to so many. RIP brother. All love & [prayers] For His Family.”

Toby Keith was 62 years old.