Bradford: Big arm, big potential
Published: 8/27/2007 10:31 PM
Last Modified: 8/27/2007 10:31 PM
In case you're wondering how Kevin Wilson and Bob Stoops and even Josh Heupel could have intimated that the winner of the 2007 OU quarterback derby – Sam Bradford, in this case – will bring a greater upside to the position than Paul Thompson did in 2006, here's some pretty strong evidence for their case.
Wideout Malcolm Kelly was asked Monday, does Thompson's deep ball compare with Bradford's?
"Paul had more of a – not just straight up in the air, but almost every ball was a jump ball. Which, I mean, was OK, because he put it in a good spot. But Sam can kind of, he can read the difference between, `Hey, I need to throw it up in the air so you can get it,' and `I need to throw it out there so you can run and go get it.' That's about the difference."
I got the feeling several times last season that Kelly was not Thompson's biggest fan. But I don't think Kelly was knocking Thompson here. Thompson valiantly returned to the position last August and quarterbacked the Sooners to a Big 12 title. He's on the verge of being the first Sooner quarterback – ever – to make an NFL roster as a quarterback. The Green Bay Packers say they love his arm.
But Bradford's potential to be successful in the long-term seems to be in place, based on the words everyone has spoken. OU fans and everyone else will find out for certain on Saturday.
– John E. Hoover
Written by
Guerin Emig
Sports Writer
