TOP ATHLETES OF THE PAST 30 YEARS: NATHAN ALLEMAN (BARTLESVILLE)

By Mike Tupa

Sept. 17, 2025

BARTLESVILLE AREA SPORTS REPORT

During his nearly 30 years of covering area high school sports for either the Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise or the Bartlesville Area Sports Report, Mike Tupa has enjoyed the opportunity to observe some incredible athletes.

This is an ongoing series highlighting each few days one of those athletes from the 1996-97 school year through the present. The list is not in chronological order. The athletes are presented in random sequence.

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TODAY'S SPOTLIGHT

NATHAN ALLEMAN (Bartlesville)

Multiple sports (early 2000s)

There have been some rugged, fierce and tough athletes that have populated the rosters of local high school teams the past 25 years.

None that come to mind have equaled the incredible victory of heart and character of Nathan Alleman.

It’s almost the stuff of a “Twilight Zone” episode — or “Ripley’s Believe it or Not!”

How many former student-athlete greats can say they starred in a Bruin football game 17 years apart at Custer Stadium?

But that’s getting ahead of this interesting chronicle.

It was in the fall of 2001 that Alleman lie in a hospital bed at Jane Phillips Medical Center facing the possibility he might never walk — or at least walk normally — again. 

The upper-end prognosis seemed to be high-level sports competition would not be in his future.

This is a little hyperbole. 

Regardless of what any health specialist might have said, Alleman believed in his heart and soul he would bounce back from devastating injuries suffered in an early-morning vehicle accident on his way to a pre-school Monday workout.

Alleman was just a junior then — and an incredibly valuable member of the Bartlesville High football team. He kicked, he punted, he played defensive back and he caught passes. In other words, Alleman seldom came off the field between opening and ending buzzers.

He would eventually rise from that hospital bed to become one of the top college kickers in the nation — and more than a decade after that his toe would earn him $10,000 at a contest on Custer Field.

Alleman’s tremendous bounce-back story began on a Monday around mid-September 2001 while he was hurriedly driving to school to try to overtake the clock.

He had a before-school weight room appointment that he was eager to keep. He never did — at least not that morning.

The roads were slippery due to light morning rain — his Bronco slammed into the back of a utility truck. Rescuers had to cut him out of his car. Alleman remained conscious through it all. His well-ordered life had been literally turned upside down.

He was zipped to the hospital after suffering a broken right leg — which was his kicking leg — along with an injured left leg and a sore — possibly broken — jaw.

The accident took place during the early part of the 2001 football season.

Alleman’s first comment when head coach Rich McGuire visited him in the hospital was that he wouldn’t be able to kick the next game.

At the time it seemed possible Alleman wouldn’t kick again.

But in just six months, Alleman made his amazing return as a Bruin soccer player. In fact in one of his first games he blasted a goal during a 2-1 victory against Tulsa Memorial.

It was in football, however, where Alleman drew the biggest spotlight.

He was part of a mighty flock of seniors that propelled the 2002 Bruin team to its winning record (6-5) and first playoff appearance in 10 years.

Alleman’s surgically-repaired leg proved as strong — or stronger — than before. But the most impressive thing was he had the courage to trust in the surgery and healing he had endured.

In his first semi-official action since his mishap, Alleman booted two extra points in a scrimmage loss in August 2002 to Claremore. His PAT tied the game, 14-14, with 5:008 left. Claremore won, 17-14.

In the 2002 season opener, Alleman nailed two field goals — one a 41-yarder — and got off some booming punts in a 34-7 dismantling of Sand Springs. He also hauled in two catches for 16 yards, one of them to set up a touchdown.

Had Nate Alleman’s story ended with his senior year at high school it still would have been a tale of an extraordinary odyssey.

But then he signed to play football for Pittsburg (Kan.) State.

As soon as he became the main kicker Alleman began piling up the points — and the records.

In 2006, Alleman notched an incredible 70-out-of-70 extra points for a perfect percentage.

In 2004, Alleman ripped 13 extra points in a single game (vs. Missouri S&T).

For his career (2003-06) he fashioned a better-than-96-percent number on PATs (314-of-326), including a team record of 123-straight extra point kicks without a miss.

Alleman’s 326 PATs attempted is still the NCAA Division II record nationwide.

When it came to field goals Alleman knocked in 11-of-13 in 2005 for 85 percent.

He made 29 career field goals ranks No. 3 all-time for Pitt State.

Put it all together and Alleman finished with 401 points for his career — the most in Pitt State history by a margin of more than 100 points.

All this within five years after Alleman lay in a hospital bed sidelined with a compound-fracture in his kicking leg and only family love, faith, optimism and determination to lean on.

Fast forward to 2019. For a few years Sutterfield Financial sponsored a punt, pass and kick contest during halftimes of home Bartlesville games — with a $10,000 payoff (half ear-marked for Bartlesville High athletics) at stake to anyone who successfully kicked the field goal.

The contestant was picked by a drawing. In November 2019, Alleman’s name was picked and he strolled onto the field where more than 15 years before he had worn a jersey numbered No. 28 and earned the cheers of thousands.

His contest performance began in the north end zone, from where Alleman flung a 40-yard pass. Next up, he booted a 47-yard punt down to the 23-yard line outside the south end zone. Alleman then lined up for the kick with Trevor Sutterfield family acting as the holder.

Alleman split the uprights to earn the big money — and once again earn the adulation of a Bruin football crowd. On hand to watch were his children, including Maci, who is a kickoff specialist this season for Bartlesville.

As an aside, Alleman’s grandma was Belva Hively, the beloved organist for Bartlesville American Legion Baseball for more than 30 years. Hively passed away in 2010 and the Bartlesville Legion organization renamed the Glen Winget Memorial Most Valuable Player Award in her honor.

In July 2020, Alleman was on hand after the Winget final to hand out the trophy to the honoree. It might not be an extraordinary observation that perhaps Belva had put some heavenly wind behind Alleman’s throw and kicks at the contest.

Whether that was so or not, Alleman remains as one of the best and most unique athletes during the past 30 yards in the Bartlesville area.

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This series has included the following athletes, who are listed in no particular order.

-Jena’ Williams, Bartlesville

-Eric Rolfs, Bartlesville

-Chris Smith, Caney Valley

-Jill Bryan, Copan

-Barron Tanner Jr, Bartlesville

-Hailey Tucker, Bartlesville

-Jeremy Dunkle, Dewey

-Whitney Metcalf, Bartlesville

-Tim Hamilton, Bartlesville

-Danielle Koster, Bartlesville

-Carson LaRue, Dewey

-John Hamman, Wesleyan Christian

-Jamie Elam, Caney Valley

-Sam Mitchell, Bartlesville

-Karissa Jones, Dewey

-Noah Hartsock, Bartlesville

-Tiffany Paper, Copan

-AJ Parker, Bartlesville

-Tiffany Eden, Caney Valley

-Henry Williams, Bartlesville

-Markell Carter, Bartlesville

-Rebecca Schluter, Wesleyan Christian

-Adam Hibdon, Barnsdall

-Tishuana Hunter, Nowata

Nathan Alleman

Nathan Alleman