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Stockpiling success
Sooner quarterback Bradford adds another award to his arsenal.

Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford poses with the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award on Monday in Fort Worth, Texas. Bradford is returning to the Sooners for his junior season even though he was eligible for the NFL draft after a standout sophomore year. Tony Gutierrez/Associated Press

 
By JOHN E. HOOVER World Sports Writer
Published: 2/17/2009  2:22 AM
Last Modified: 2/17/2009  3:29 AM

 FORT WORTH Sam Bradford, this time without a crimson cast over his thumb, can actually take home the Davey O'Brien Trophy.

He won it back in December at an awards show in Orlando, but had to give it right back. On Monday, during a banquet at the downtown Fort Worth Club, he formally took ownership of the trophy as the nation's best quarterback for the 2008 college football season.

"A huge honor," he said.

The new trophy eventually will sidle up alongside Bradford's Heisman Trophy and, presumably, his Sammy Baugh Award (that national quarterback trophy was presented last week in Columbus, Ohio, but he said he hasn't seen it yet) and will commemorate one of the greatest seasons ever by a quarterback: OU school records of 4,720 yards and 50 touchdowns (with just eight interceptions), a .679 completion percentage and a 180.84 efficiency rating, along with a 12-2 record, a Big 12 Conference crown and an appearance in the national championship game.

But few outside the OU program realize that long before he began clearing a spot for all his hardware from 2008, Bradford already had resumed an intense offseason regimen in preparation for 2009.

Spring football practice starts in two weeks, and Bradford already is building a rapport with his new corps of wide receivers.

"I think spring ball's going to be probably more important this year than it has the past couple years," Bradford said, "just because we do have a lot of new guys that are going to play for us."

The Sooners
graduated Juaquin Iglesias (74 catches, 1,150 yards, 10 touchdowns), Manuel Johnson (42-714-9) and Quentin Chaney (29-504-2) as well as four starting linemen. Not only will Bradford have to develop good chemistry with a new posse of receivers, but he'll have a new security detail protecting him while he does.

Aside from slot receiver Ryan Broyles (46-687-6), the most experienced perimeter players from last season are Adron Tennell, Brandon Caleb, Jameel Owens and Dejuan Miller. Between them, that's 19 receptions for 178 yards and zero touchdowns in 2008.

"I feel like our wide receivers, we've already made a lot of progress," Bradford said. "We've already started throwing, the week we got back to school. We've been at it going four days a week, and I feel like there's already some chemistry developed between all of us."

Bradford, dressed in a black tuxedo with a gold "8" lapel pin (O'Brien's jersey number when he played at TCU, given for the first time this year to past O'Brien winners), talked about a Sunday night conversation he had with former Notre Dame and NFL quarterback Joe Theismann — this year's O'Brien Legends Award winner — and was stricken by his own place in history.

"After my conversation with Mr. Theismann last night about how prestigious this honor truly is, and all the past winners, last night I just came home and sat in my hotel room and just looked at the list of previous winners and it was really humbling. It almost took my breath away," Bradford said. "It was hard for me to comprehend (joining) a list of football players that I idolized growing up."

Bradford is the third Sooner to win the O'Brien Award. Halfback Billy Sims won it in 1978. The award was made to honor solely quarterbacks beginning in 1981, and former Sooner Jason White won it in 2003 and 2004.

White, married with two young children and living in Tuttle, also attended Monday night's banquet.

Troy Aikman, a Sooner in 1985 who later transferred to UCLA, also won the O'Brien in 1988 as quarterback of the Bruins. Chuck Long, who became an OU assistant and was among the first to recruit Bradford out of Putnam City North, won the award in 1985 with Iowa.

"Well, it's one thing to recruit him, and I enjoyed getting to know him and his family through that process," Long said. "But it's quite another to coach and develop him, and Josh Heupel has done a wonderful job with him. A great job. I think Josh is the up-and-comer in our business. But I have enjoyed watching Sam progress."

Sam’s hardware



Awards won by OU quarterback Sam Bradford in 2008:

  • Heisman Memorial Trophy

  • Associated Press National Player of the Year

  • Chic Harley National Player of the Year (Touchdown Club of Columbus, Ohio)

  • CBS National Player of the Year

  • Davey O’Brien QB Award

  • Sammy Baugh QB Award

  • Consensus First-Team All- American (AP, Sporting News, ESPN, CBS, Rivals)

  • Second-Team All-American (Sports Illustrated, Walter Camp Foundation)

  • Big 12 Conference Offensive Player of the Year (coaches)

  • First-team All-Big 12 (coaches, AP)




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

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COMMENTS 
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8 comments have been made for this team so far. Tell us what you think below!
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Report Comment
Graybeard, Tulsa (2/17/2009 7:19:47 AM)
Great athlete, great student, great young man. All of Oklahoma is proud of you, Sam!
Report Comment
deejay, Claremore (2/17/2009 8:54:21 AM)
Certainly not a flattering picture of an honored football player.
Report Comment
Navin Johnson, (2/17/2009 9:08:18 AM)
Dear Sam,

Please get a haircut. You look like a girl.

Thanks...
Report Comment
Arbythree, Tulsa (2/17/2009 9:15:47 AM)
Sam thanks for being such a fine role model. You deserve all that you are receiving.

BOOMER SOONER!
Report Comment
ForWhatIt'sWorth, (2/17/2009 1:56:04 PM)
You mean Billy Simms isn't a good enough ambassador? I thought bad barbeque and acting like a juvenile at an awards ceremony was more than fitting...
Report Comment
SS_Hippy, Tulsa (2/17/2009 3:10:24 PM)
Sam is old school and obviously was raised right by his parents. i never thought for a minute he would leave OU without graduating first.
Oh, and i like Billy Simm's BBQ
Report Comment
Frites and Mayo, Tulsa (2/17/2009 3:14:28 PM)
That thar boy needs him a haircut. Can't be reprasentin' lookin' like a hippy.
Report Comment
Arbythree, Tulsa (2/17/2009 3:17:10 PM)
AND, ForWhatIt'sWorth..............BOOMER SOONER!!
 

 
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