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Plain English

Big 12 preseason defensive player of the year Auston English signs autographs in Norman on Wednesday. SHANE BEVEL/Tulsa World

By JOHN E. HOOVER World Sports Writer
Published: 8/7/2008 2:05 AM
Last Modified: 8/7/2008 3:02 AM

Despite Sooner star power, Auston English keeps humility and hard work at the forefront

NORMAN — They line up, they rush him, they gather around, they wait, all to enjoy a brief moment with the player who never quits.

Auston English is a fan favorite at the University of Oklahoma. Maybe not the favorite. Maybe not the guy with the longest line of fans at Wednesday's "Meet the Sooners" Day. Maybe not the autograph that draws swarms of eBay denizens. But English's fans are loyal, true to the man with the big heart and the nonstop motor.

They stand patiently, hoping just to touch their Sooner hero.

English is comfortable with it, though he says he doesn't feel in any way like a celebrity.

"I don't ever look at it as a 'me' thing. I look at it as an Oklahoma thing," he said. "People have been doing it for years and years, wanting to touch whoever wears the jersey.

"It's not an individual thing. I see it as the legacy that Oklahoma has and the aura around it."

English is an OU junior who last season led the Big 12 Conference with 9 1/2 quarterback sacks and this season was forecast by a media panel as the league's defensive player of the year.

English's reaction? Ho-hum and big deal.

"It's nice to know those things. Obviously somebody cares about you, I guess," he said. "But it's preseason. You've got a lot of things you've got to do to prove those things."

Growing up in Ireland, Gainesville, Fla., and little Canadian, Texas, as the fourth of five children of Church of Christ missionaries, English was bred humble and soft-spoken, laid-back and cool. But on the football field, English operates at a significantly different speed.

"He's special. He's a game-changer — for obvious reasons. He can get after it," OU defensive coordinator Brent Venables said. "That really gives you a lot of flexibility defensively."

Right now, English is out of practice while recovering from an emergency appendectomy.

He said he's healing fine and is able to run and condition, but after missing all of spring practice with a shoulder injury, he's ready to be unleashed. He expects to be ready when the Sooners open the 2008 season on Aug. 30 against Tennessee-Chattanooga.

That's bad news for Tennessee-Chattanooga.

"You just start to get that itch again," he said.

Said Venables, "There's no question, he's got a burning desire to be great. He plays and competes hard.

"You demand that from all your guys, and the really great ones play at a different level, the Rocky Calmuses and Teddy Lehmans and Dan Codys.

"They play at another level with their effort. That's what they do. That's who they are. That's their makeup. You'd swear it's a gene, but it's not. It's just a sense of purpose and passion that they play with. They know no other way."

John E. Hoover 581-8384
john.hoover@tulsaworld.com

ONLINE
Media Day interviews

Bob Stoops: The coach spent nearly 30 minutes in a question-andanswer session. Listen to the full conversation or just the highlights.

Sam Bradford: The sophomore quarterback has waited months to play another game since the Fiesta Bowl loss. He uses two words to describe what that’s been like. He also talks about a specific part of his game that he’s worked to improve with coach Josh Heupel.

Auston English: He’s the Big 12’s preseason defensive player of the year. What does he think of that? He appreciates the honor, but...

Kevin Wilson: The Sooners’ offensive coordinator talks about the no-huddle offense. He also has a suggestion for TV networks about how to shorten the length of games.

Brent Venables: The Sooners’ defensive coordinator talks about Ryan Reynolds, a linebacker who’s been slowed by knee injuries. What is Reynolds’ outlook for this season?

tulsaworld.com/sportsextra

By JOHN E. HOOVER World Sports Writer

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