Tulsa World: OU's Bradford wins Heisman

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OU's Bradford wins Heisman
The Sooner quarterback beats out Colt McCoy and Tim Tebow.

University of Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford speaks after winning the Heisman Trophy on Saturday in New York. Kelly Kline/Associated Press

By JOHN E. HOOVER World Sports Writer
Published: 12/14/2008 2:40 AM
Last Modified: 12/14/2008 2:41 AM

NEW YORK — Just 16 months after being named the starting quarterback at Oklahoma, Sam Bradford is the toast of college football and the king of New York.

Bradford on Saturday won the 74th Heisman Trophy, the bronze sculpture awarded to the nation's most outstanding college football player.

He becomes OU's fifth Heisman winner, joining Billy Vessels (1952), Steve Owens (1969), Billy Sims (1978) and Jason White (2003). All but Sims spent their childhood in Oklahoma and cut their teeth on Sooner football.

When the announcement was made, Bradford first shook hands and hugged Florida quarterback Tim Tebow, who was seated beside him. He then shook hands with Texas quarterback Colt McCoy, who was also seated up front. Bradford won the award with a total 1,726 points. McCoy was second at 1,604, and Tebow was third with 1,575.

Bradford then walked to his parents and hugged his mother, Martha, and his father, Kent. After a hug from OU head coach Bob Stoops, Bradford proceeded to the stage to Sims' shouts of "Boomer." Bradford responded, "Sooner." Sims was joined onstage by several other Heisman winners.

When Bradford reached the podium, he first thanked God. Then he recognized his parents: "From a young age, they pushed me, they pushed me for greatness," Bradford said during the ESPN telecast. "I can't thank them enough for everything they've done."

Bradford then thanked his coaches, including Stoops and offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson. He gave a special thanks to OU assistant coach Josh Heupel, who was a Heisman runner-up in 2000 as a Sooner quarterback.

"He was one of my heroes growing up," Bradford said during the ESPN telecast. "I dreamed about playing for Oklahoma and watching him play when I was younger. Now, to call him my coach, and learn from him every day and everything he does for me, I can't thank him enough."

Bradford also thanked his teammates, taking time to mention almost every position on the team, and saying that he wished they could be there with him to accept the award.

As he thanked his teammates, he said, "Those guys make me look good."

Bradford posed for the traditional shots with the statue and wore a crimson cast on his surgically repaired left thumb. Bradford injured the thumb early in a win against Oklahoma State, but played through the injury against the Cowboys and in a Big 12 Championship win over Missouri on Dec. 6. Bradford expects to resume practicing in approximately a week and has said he doesn't expect the injury to affect him.

Bradford outscored the two other quarterbacks in nationwide balloting by 926 voters. Among those voters was last year's winner, Tebow.

Tebow had the most first-place votes, receiving 309. Bradford received 300 first-place votes and McCoy received 266.

Bradford won on the strength of second-place votes. He received 315 second-place votes. McCoy had 288, and Tebow had 207.

First-place votes are worth three points in the balloting. Second-place votes are worth two points, and third-place votes are worth one point.

In a breakdown of voting by region, Bradford won the Northeast, the Mid-Atlantic, the Southwest and the West. McCoy won the Midwest and Tebow won the South.

It's the first time in the history of the award that the top three contenders are underclassmen.

Bradford is a 6-foot-5, 217-pound third-year sophomore from Oklahoma City. His signing was almost an afterthought by recruiting analysts — he was the No. 17 QB in the nation and the No. 6 player in Oklahoma — but with Rhett Bomar's dismissal from the team in 2006, Bradford began an unlikely quest toward football immortality by beating out two teammates for the starting job less than two weeks before the 2007 season opener.

Bradford leads the nation in passing efficiency and is on pace to set an NCAA record. He also leads the country in touchdown passes (48). He's passed for an OU single-season record 4,464 yards. He's led an offense that has scored an NCAA record 702 points. The Sooners have scored more than 60 points in their last five games.

McCoy's Longhorns (11-1) defeated Bradford's Sooners (12-1) during their annual Red River Rivalry in October, but it was Bradford who won the Big 12 championship and gets to play Tebow's Gators (12-1) on Jan. 8 in the national championship game.

Bradford is the second Heisman winner under Stoops. He joins 2003 winner Jason White, who was in New York for Saturday night's ceremony and was on stage when Bradford accepted the award. Stoops also coached a pair of Heisman runners-up: Heupel and Adrian Peterson in 2004. Stoops is the first coach in OU history with two Heisman winners.

John E. Hoover 581-8384
john.hoover@tulsaworld.com By JOHN E. HOOVER World Sports Writer

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	Report Comment forreall, Tulsa (12/14/2008 7:28:23 AM) Way to go Bradford! That must have felt unreal.
	Report Comment droopy, wagoner (12/14/2008 7:33:29 AM) Great job Sam, and also Mr. Stoops, and especially Josh Heupel.
	Report Comment highhopes, Tulsa (12/14/2008 8:01:09 AM) Great year you gave us Sam, thanks.
	Report Comment online predator, muskogee (12/14/2008 8:42:06 AM) Congratulations Sam great job
	Report Comment Few Clothes, Austin, TX (12/14/2008 8:45:08 AM) This is wonderful! The people here must be whining and moaning about their QB not winning the trophy. I have always rooted against the horns and Cowboys and will continue to do so.
	Report Comment Jt4OU, mohnton (12/14/2008 1:16:59 PM) great for sam and the state of Oklahoma, go.. OU, OSU, and Tulsa
	Report Comment pogo_mom, Right Here (12/14/2008 9:58:13 PM) Awesome!
	Report Comment skinsfan2126, Enid (12/15/2008 9:19:10 AM) WTG SAM! BOOMER SOONER 4 LIFE!! TIME FOR SOME GATOR SOUP. ANYONE HUNGRY FOR SOME GATOR SOUP??
	Report Comment Fred, (12/15/2008 2:13:48 PM) Way to go Sooners and Sam. Now comes the tough part. Defeating the Heisman Curse. No team has ever had a Heisman Award Winner and then went on to win the NCAA National championship! And with the game on that nasty Orange Bowl rain slop soil, with an equally nasty crowd, played against a team that is mad as hell with a quarter back that has a good chance at showing the Heisman voters that they had made a mistake, I wish the OU Sooners more than luck aka, "Sooner Magic". I wish them a miracle.
	Report Comment kyote, (12/15/2008 5:50:27 PM) OK OK he got it, get over it, did OJ simpson had one also and looked what happened to him. What does Mr stoops have to do with it.

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