'Just worked hard:' Sperry man now second Oklahoman to be voted into the Barbecue Hall of Fame

A Sperry man is excited after learning he's been voted into the Barbecue Hall of Fame.

Donny Teel's only the second Oklahoman ever to receive that honor.

A career filled with winning

Before Donny's Buffalo BBQ Food truck popped up in Sperry 18 years ago, he was taking his barbecue all over the country to compete, and he won more than 100 competitions.

"We went to our first contest. There's like, 35 teams. I told my wife I just don't want to come in last; we came in 17. So went to the next contest and almost won it," said Teel.

That was nearly three decades ago, and Donny still loves to compete because he loves the people.

"The family barbecue circuit's a big family. You get to pick your family out there, but there isn't anything anybody out there wouldn't do for anyone. I mean, unless you ask them for a recipe," said Teel.

A leap of faith

Donny was competing and working as an electrician when he decided to open a food truck and work it full-time. 

"I thought, here's my chance to jump, and I jumped. It was scary. Anytime you leave a regular paycheck, to not knowing if you're going to get a paycheck, put your heart and soul into something and cross your fingers that it flies," said Teel. 

Buffalo BBQ is still on Highway 11 in Sperry and is usually open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. unless Donny Teel runs out of food, which is often.

"You know you can't please everybody that comes to that window, but you do your best, and you know, if you could please everybody, you'd be a millionaire," said Teel. 

 Donny may not be a millionaire, but he has hit the jackpot after earning the highest honor in the barbecue industry.

Donny Teel, Hall of Famer

Donny Teel was a finalist for the last three years and was finally voted in this year.

"My phone went nuts, and it's been going nuts all day. People from all over the country just non-stop, it's just crazy, really crazy," said Teel.

He doesn't know who nominated him, but he's honored.

He says he's loved barbeque as long as he can remember, and never thought it would lead to this.

"I never, never even thought of it, 29 years ago. I just wanted to cook barbecue, you know, just worked hard, cooked, and got very fortunate, won a lot," said Teel. 

Donny has competed in more than 800 contests in the past three decades and won 100 championships, but he made some mistakes along the way.

"You need to know how your cooker cooks. I mean, that's the biggest key, and fire management. Those are the two biggest things that will make you or break you," said Teel. 

No matter how many championships, awards or successes are on his resume, Donny stays true to himself.

"I mean you pour your heart and soul, just be humble, remember where you came from."

What's next?

Donny will be inducted on November 8th in Kansas City, during the American Royal, the biggest barbeque competition in the nation, something Donny has won several times.

Paul Schatte from Ponca City will also be inducted posthumously into the Barbeque Hall of Fame. He passed away five years ago. He became the general manager of Head Country Food Products and mentored barbecue competitors while serving his local community.