Bradford on the firing range at the Sun Bowl
Published: 12/29/2009 6:07 PM
Last Modified: 12/29/2009 6:30 PM
EL PASO -- Just watched Oklahoma football players participate in a
marksmanship simulation during a break from Sun Bowl preparations.
The players (no coaches) were part of a tour of nearby Fort Bliss.
Sam Bradford didn't look all that comfortable with the M4 rifle in his
hands -- again, an electronic simulation -- and during his second
round of urban troop assault scored a 2.2 percent hit rate.
For the record, Bradford offered up that he was ''getting better'' --
his shoulder, not his aim.
Tackle Trent Williams fired his weapon 150 times but didn't score a hit.
''I told em I was just trying to clear the block,'' Williams said. ''I
wasn't trying to kill nobody.''
Guard Tyler Evans, a self-proclaimed country boy from rural Missouri,
was among the highest scorers in the troop assault. (Some simulations
included tanks and troops. The troop assaults, like Bradford's, are
more difficult and yield lower scores. One sim features assault
turkeys. Yes, turkeys.)
Also among the highest scoring shooters were placekicker Jimmy Stevens
and punter/kicker Tress Way. Make of that what you will.
Players are now practicing on an M1 tank simulator.
In the armored Humvee sim, it took a while to locate hostiles, but
when the group -- a driver, three passengers armed with M16s and a
gunner on the roof with an M60, -- the weaponry was useless because
driver Joseph Ibiloye ran over all the enemies. Then he flipped the
Humvee.
Later, players jammed themselves into M1 tank simulators. Tight fit
for some of the linemen, but Stevens slapped on a helmet and slid
right in.
No wonder America seems so safe with our armed forces today. This
video game generation has got this stuff down pat.
-- John E. Hoover
Written by
Patrick Prince
Assistant Sports Editor
