Lepak's latest feat: Academic All-American
Published: 11/23/2010 11:33 PM
Last Modified: 11/25/2010 6:19 PM
If it's Bedlam, Brian Lepak must be doing something important.
Last year, the walk-on lineman from Claremore made his first Oklahoma start against Oklahoma State. He replaced injured center Ben Habern as the Sooners rolled 27-0.
Saturday night, you'll see Lepak on the OU offensive line again. He's a reserve guard who should get his share of snaps to rest starters Tyler Evans and Gabe Ikard.
If that doesn't sound like headline material, perhaps this does: Lepak is OU's representative on ESPN the Magazine's Academic All-American Team. He is one of just five Big 12 players so honored, and the only player from an Oklahoma college.
Consider it a nice way to go out for a student with a 3.86 grade point average in Finance. Whose mother taught business law at OU in the 1980s, and whose four older siblings all earned degrees at the university. And who still gets goosebumps remembering what it was like as a kid to watch the Sooners upset Florida State for the 2000 national championship.
One of my favorite stories involving an OU player: When Sam Bradford returned from the '08 Heisman ceremony, Lepak serenaded him with "New York, New York," spotlight and all, at the team's banquet.
Dude can really sing, apparently. And study, obviously.
You probably won't notice the football Lepak plays in Saturday's Bedlam showdown. It's not in a lineman's nature to get recognized, unless he's doing something wrong.
Rest assured, though, Lepak has done very well for himself the past couple years. In a lot of ways.
-- Guerin Emig
Written by
Guerin Emig
Sports Writer
