If Whaley got a scholarship, 'bills would be getting paid; everybody would be happy'
Published: 9/27/2011 7:40 PM
Last Modified: 9/28/2011 3:01 PM
Dominique Whaley runs by Florida State's Mike Harris. STEPHEN PINGRY/Tulsa World
Our man Dave Sittler pressed Stoops on what Stoops called his policy regarding walk-ons, whereby a walk-on has to start for a season, and not just because someone else was injured (that explains why tight end Trent Ratterree is only now getting a scholarship though he started the previous two seasons; though weirdly, now that Ratterree is on scholarship, he’s been relegated to third team. But anyway, back to Whaley. . . . )
Stoops was asked why he can't make an exception for an exceptional player like Whaley, who leads OU in rushing and scoring and projects to have a statistically historic season. Stoops said no exceptions.
I thought it an appropriate day to ask Whaley himself about it tonight after practice.
What do you have to do to get that scholarship?
“I guess I gotta continue to keep pushing, keep driving and never give up. Keep doing what I’m doing and show I deserve one.”
What would it feel like for you and your family and anyone else who’s helping pay for you to go to OU?
“Getting a scholarship? It’d be great. We’d be excited, happy. Bills would be getting paid. I feel like everybody would be happy.”
Has Bob Stoops talked to you about when you’ll get one?
“I had some conversations about it with him about things like that.”
Did he have an answer?
“I don’t know if he’d really want me to discuss that.”
He told us today about his policy about starting, beating out other guys, being a projected starter.
“Right, OK. Well then, yeah. That’s what he said. I was told I have to prove myself, start and be proven to play as a playmaker before I get one.”
You know, today he compared some of your numbers (like combine measurables) to those of Adrian Peterson.
“I’m hearing a lot of those. Like I said, I’m just waiting.”
What’s it like to be out there on Saturday nights, a walk-on who plays like anything but? “It’s humbling, and it lets me know . . . that it feels good that I’m being prepared to people that high. It lets me know I’m almost where I want to be. I mean, I still got a long ways to go, and once I get there, I’m not gonna stop. But I’m almost to the point where I want to be.”
Is it tough to do what you do, to have to work in the summer to make ends meet and do everything else that scholarship players and students do?
“It’s not as tough as a lot of people like to think it is. I don’t want to make it seem like I’m just dying out here and struggling. I’m pretty sure the normal student lives life as hard as I do. Because I’m not the only one that pays for school. Right? I’m not the only one who takes out a couple loans to pay off their stuff. More than half the students at this school have to take out loans and pay for things, and they’re still trying to pay off those loans. The lucky thing about me is I might not have to do that any more. The students here are probably doing it for the next four years, probably.”
— John E. Hoover
Written by
John E. Hoover
Sports Columnist
