The early signing period is upon us. It’s a day when kids take the first step in realizing their dreams of playing college football. More specifically, athletes who’ve dreamt of playing for the University of Oklahoma or have been wooed by the Sooners over the last few years can start putting pen to paper today to be a part of the 2022 recruiting class.
Oklahoma’s done a great job over the years of unearthing talent and Teddy Lehman was one of those talented kids that flew under the radar according to this story from OU Insider’s Joey Helmer.
Yet, still, while some colleges sent him some letters, he “pretty much, he was an unknown,” then-head coach Lonnie Reed said in a story with The Oklahoman’s George Schroeder. Lehman then set up camps with three Big 12 schools, OU, Oklahoma State and Nebraska. He never made it to either Stillwater or Lincoln, but did make a trip to Norman and, needless to say, impressed. – Helmer, OU Insider
Getting together for Sooner Sports weekly show at Rudy’s BBQ in Norman, Chris Plank was joined by Teddy Lehman, Bob Stoops, and Brent Venables to discuss a variety of football things. But out of it came this gem of a story, which Oklahoma Football shared via their Twitter account.
𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘥𝘰 𝘐 𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘯?@TedLehman11 🤝 @CoachVenables#OUDNA pic.twitter.com/II3xkeHT6R
— Oklahoma Football (@OU_Football) December 15, 2021
Lehman, working out for the Sooners amazed with his 4.4 40-yard dash. It was so incredible that Venables didn’t believe it and made the former Sooners’ linebacker run it several more times. According to Venables, not only was it accurate, he got faster as he ran it.
Venables shared a conversation he had with Lehman at one of their recruitment camps in the early 2000s. Venables asked Lehman, “What do you think you’re going to run today? If you run 4.6, I might offer you today. He said, ‘(Speaking as Lehman) if I run 4.6, I’m gonna quit football.”
Lehman got his scholarship offer that day and the rest is history. Lehman went on to win the Butkus Award, be a two-time All-American selection, and win the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year award in 2003.
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