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Sooner celebrity: Hectic year awaits OU's Bradford

Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford signs autographs after the Red & White Game on April 11. He was the second sophomore to win the Heisman Trophy. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World

 
By JOHN E. HOOVER World Sports Writer
Published: 7/5/2009  2:21 AM
Last Modified: 7/5/2009  3:21 AM
See photos, stories and more on a site devoted to Heisman winner Sam bradford.


SAM BRADFORD has no idea.

The Oklahoma quarterback makes almost straight A's, has twice led major college football in passing efficiency and almost always says the right thing.

But when it comes to the celebrity he faces after winning the 2008 Heisman Trophy, he may be clueless about what's in store.

"You don't realize what that Heisman Trophy really is until you're done with football and you've been removed for two or three years," said Jason White, OU's 2003 Heisman winner. "It's then that you realize that it's a pretty big deal."

Bradford became the winner of the 74th Heisman last December. When he turned down a chance at the NFL, he became the fourth of the last five quarterbacks to win the award and then return to school.

White began the trend of coming back in 2004, when he finished third to USC's Matt Leinart (and behind teammate Adrian Peterson). Florida's Tim Tebow won in 2007, the first sophomore to win the Heisman, then lost out to Bradford (and Texas' Colt McCoy) in last year's balloting, when Bradford became the second sophomore Heisman winner.

White won the trophy as a fifth-year senior after passing for 3,744 yards and 40 touchdowns with just eight interceptions. His story was everything Heisman voters love: overcoming two knee surgeries to post record-shattering statistics on an undefeated team.

OU was upset by Kansas State in the Big 12 title game, but it didn't affect Heisman votes because most of the ballots had already declared him the winner. Even after losing, OU played for the national title, losing to LSU. Because of injuries, White's numbers and his performance lagged in both games.

He was granted a sixth year of eligibility in 2004 and had another statistical boom, but Peterson's phenomenal freshman season, and White's poor postseason the year before, cost him the votes he needed to repeat.

After a brief NFL experience was cut short by knee pain, White has settled into life as a former Heisman Trophy winner. He recalled a recent experience at a celebrity golf tournament that included a line of unexpected autograph seekers.

"It's just amazing," he said. "Most of them had a Texas hat on, or a Texas shirt, they were Texas fans. But they still wanted a Heisman Trophy winner's autograph."

Billy Sims was OU's third Heisman winner as a junior in 1978. He nearly repeated in '79, losing a close vote to USC running back Charles White. Sims had a furious finish to the '79 season, rushing for 282 yards against Missouri and 247 against Nebraska in the Sooners' final two games. But, by then, most voters had already cast their ballots for White.

Sims said his senior year at OU was more hectic than his junior year simply because of the hype that comes with being the Heisman Trophy winner.

"Of course, you're at OU, so everybody definitely already knows about you, everybody in the state of Oklahoma," Sims said, "but it was definitely more people wanting autographs and wanting my time. I had to definitely adjust to that, because I couldn't do everything or try to please everybody just because I had won that trophy."

White was naturally shy, so he had a hard time embracing the celebrity of just being the Sooners' starting quarterback. Then in '04, with the Heisman sitting in his home in Tuttle, that celebrity was magnified — even during a typical school day.

"I can remember just walking through campus and people stop and (say), 'Look, there's Jason White — he won the Heisman,' " White said. "You can just hear things like that. People stop and ask you about your experience, kind of what it was like."

Sims also remembers the extra celebrity of trying to be a regular student and the Heisman winner. Those were the days before ESPN, before the Internet, before Twitter, before 24-hour news. OU's games in the late '70s were only occasionally televised. The world has changed, and so has Bradford's life.

"You couldn't hide (back then), that's for sure," he said. "The way they promote it now, all the publicity and all the hype and everything, I'll be surprised if Sam has a down time at all this season."

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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6 comments have been made for this team so far. Tell us what you think below!
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Report Comment
Arbythree, Tulsa (7/5/2009 2:50:26 PM)
Have a great season Sam!!

BOOMER SOONER!!
Report Comment
Euchee1, Tulsa (7/5/2009 3:04:01 PM)
Sam is the Man, he's just missing one thing. I think its what he came back for, and I hope he gets it. With a proven leader, and supporting cast, It is our year... Boomer Sooner
Report Comment
Graybeard, Tulsa (7/6/2009 4:41:32 PM)
What a great kid. Even without the Heisman trophy, he's a honest to Pete role model for every little guy in grade school.
Have a stellar year Sam!
GO BIG RED!
Report Comment
TMS, (7/6/2009 5:21:30 PM)
He may be a 'great' kid but there are better athletes. Next year will show that.
Report Comment
CWG, Tulsa (7/6/2009 8:01:00 PM)
We will see TMS. And who will show us what next year?
Report Comment
seymore1965, Tulsa (7/12/2009 5:17:56 PM)
TMS, will you keep saying that when Sam is leaving everyone in the dust this year as he does every year?
 

 
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