Tag: Sam Bradford

Six Oklahoma Sooners included in ESPN’s top 75 QB’s of the 2000’s

Six Oklahoma Sooners were included among ESPN’s top 75 quarterbacks since 2000.

Oklahoma’s history of quarterback play is well known at the college football level. Oklahoma and Notre Dame are the only schools with four Heisman trophy winners at the QB position.

The end of the century saw football as we know it change from a run-first style to a game that emphasized balance and explosive plays generated by the passing game. The late Mike Leach brought the air raid to Oklahoma, and it has permeated throughout college football.

Oklahoma’s offensive identity since the turn of the century has been dynamic and explosive. At the core was innovative play calling and extraordinary quarterback play. It should be no surprise that six Oklahoma quarterbacks are ranked in ESPN’s top 75 quarterbacks of the 2000s rankings (ESPN+).

What round Oklahoma Football stars have been drafted since 2000

A look back at where each former Oklahoma Sooner was drafted since 2000.

The Oklahoma Sooners had five players selected in the 2023 NFL draft. Led by Anton Harrison’s selection in the first round of the draft, the Sooners had a player in each of the first three rounds of the draft.

Oklahoma’s history of success has led to a rich history of draft picks over the years. Since the year 2000, the Sooners have had 19 players selected in the first round, including three first-overall picks and eight top-10 picks.

The last non-quarterback to be taken in the top 10 of the draft was Lane Johnson of the Philadelphia Eagles. Johnson also represented the last offensive lineman taken in the first round of the draft until Harrison was selected on Thursday night.

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Here’s a look at each Oklahoma Sooners draft pick since the year 2000 and what round each player was taken.

How Texans QB C.J. Stroud is similar to former Rams No. 1 overall pick Sam Bradford

There are some ways that Houston Texans QB C.J. Stroud compares to former St. Louis Rams QB Sam Bradford.

The Houston Texans grabbed former Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft Thursday night.

Taking Stroud allows for the Texans to shore up their quarterback position. There is a clear answer as to who they will build around offensively, and Houston fans can look forward to presumably stellar play under center for at least the next four years.

According to Doug Farrar from the Touchdown Wire, who wrote a complete breakdown of Stroud, the former Buckeye signal caller seems to compare best with former St. Louis Rams quarterback Sam Bradford.

NFL Comparison: Sam Bradford. We’re talking about the Bradford who would light up NFL fields occasionally with good-not-great velocity, easy movement, and ridiculous ball placement, not the Bradford who unfortunately couldn’t stay healthy. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2010 draft, Bradford had the same kinds of easy ball placement and velocity, as well as surprising mobility, that make Stroud such a compelling prospect.

The problem with Bradford was his health. The former Oklahoma quarterback started and played in 49 games of a possible 80 from 2010-14. With that much time missed, it robbed Bradford of one of the best teachers in pro football: playing time.

Bradford’s rookie season was optimistic as the Rams went from a 1-15 squad in 2009 to a 7-9 team that lost a play-in game in Week 17 at the Seattle Seahawks. Stroud could have the same effect on the Texans as a rookie, and Clutch City sports fans hope a lengthier career.

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15 trades the Vikings have made with first round picks since 2000

Since the year 2000, the Minnesota Vikings have made 15 trades involving first-round picks.

The Minnesota Vikings have been a very active team in the first round. Since the year 2000, they have made 14 trades involving first-round picks, including multiple moves in 2020, 2014, 2013 and 2012.

The majority of those trades came by moving down due to former general manager Rick Spielman’s affinity for having a high quantity of draft picks.

Since 2000, five of their 14 trades involving first-round picks involved veteran players and that could happen again this season. Here are all the trades they have made in the first round.

ChatGPT ranks the top 10 Big 12 quarterbacks of all time

Open Source AI ChatGPT ranked the top 10 Big 12 quarterbacks of all-time. Four of them were Oklahoma Sooners.

Over the life of the Big 12 conference, it’s become synonymous with high-scoring offenses and high-level quarterback play.

There have been Heisman trophy winners and first-overall picks, and the conference that’s been at the forefront of the aerial assault that’ taking college football by storm.

We’ve all spent time ranking quarterbacks, but for this version, we thought it’d be fun to let the computers do it. Using Open AI’s ChatGPT, we simply asked, “Who are the best Big 12 quarterbacks of all time?”

Its response?

These quarterbacks have all made significant contributions to their respective teams and have impressive statistics and accomplishments. However, it’s important to note that there have been many other great quarterbacks in the Big 12 who could also be considered for this list. – ChatGPT

Their top 10 is pretty solid. There are certainly arguments to be made for several others that made significant impacts or even won a Heisman trophy, but not bad from a computer-generated AI.

Here’s a look at the rankings.

Kyler Murray to be honored in Heisman Park at Oklahoma Sooners’ Spring Game

Athletic Director Joe Castiglione revealed to 94.7 The REF in Norman that Kyler Murray will get his Heisman statue unveiled at the 2023 Oklahoma Sooners Spring Game.

[autotag]Kyler Murray[/autotag] will be getting his statue added to Oklahoma’s Heisman Park this April at the OU Football Spring Game, Athletic director Joe Castiglione told The REF on Thursday.

Castiglione confirmed the news while on the “T-Row in the Morning Show” with the voice of the Sooners, Toby Rowland. Murray’s likeness being added to Heisman Park will, for now at least, complete the collection of OU’s Heisman Trophy winners outside of [autotag]Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial[/autotag] Stadium.

Last year’s “Pack the Palace” campaign for the 2022 spring game, which involved the unveiling of Baker Mayfield’s statue, was a huge success. Giving Murray his statue a year later as Brent Venables tries to build momentum for his program is a no-brainer.

The 2022 spring game was a good get-right moment for both the football program and its fans. Both of which were still feeling the effect of Lincoln Riley’s departure for USC. That game was the first time a lot of OU fans became reacquainted with Venables since his return to Norman.

Mayfield was on the verge of being traded during his statue unveiling, and Kyler Murray will still be recovering from an ACL tear sustained last December while playing for the Arizona Cardinals.

A former two-sport star at Oklahoma, Murray attended last year’s spring game in an OU Baseball jersey. Murray will be immortalized alongside past Heisman winners Mayfield, [autotag]Sam Bradford[/autotag], [autotag]Jason White[/autotag], [autotag]Billy Sims[/autotag], [autotag]Steve Owens[/autotag], and [autotag]Billy Vessels[/autotag].

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Contact/Follow usย @SoonersWireย on Twitter, and like our page onย Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Ben on Twitter @bendackiw.

Every season-opening game for Eagles since 2010

With Philadelphia heading to Detroit to face the Lions on Sunday, we look back at every season opener for the Eagles since 2010.

The Labor Day holiday is here, so it’s officially game week for the Eagles and 31 other teams around the NFL.

Philadelphia will hit the road for a matchup against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field, and it’ll be the second matchup in less than 12 months.

Over the years, the Eagles have had great success in Week One, and a strong start on Sunday could catapult the team to postseason success in late January.

With preparation for the Lions underway, here’s a recap of every season opener since 2010.

Every Oklahoma Sooner to win Big 12 Athlete of the Year

From football to softball, basketball to gymnastics, here are the 15 athletes who have won Big 12 Athlete of the Year.

With Jocelyn Alo taking home the Big 12 Female Athlete of the Year award, that makes 15 Sooners who’ve been recognized as the Big 12’s best.

Football leads the way with six awards, followed by softball with four. women’s gymnastics has recorded three Big 12 Athlete of the Year awards, while men’s and women’s basketball each has won the award once.

Josh Heupel got the ball rolling back in 2000-2001 after helping the Oklahoma Sooners win the 2000 national championship. Jocelyn Alo is the most recent recipient of the athlete of the year award after a dominating season at the plate for Oklahoma.

With Alo bringing home another Athlete of the Year award, let’s take a look at every Sooner to win the Big 12’s award.

ChampU BBQ: Who’s coming to Norman for the Oklahoma Sooners mega recruiting event?

The ChampU BBQ is right around the corner and with the Oklahoma Sooners hosting several top prospects, hereโ€™s a running list of who will be coming to Norman.

The ChampU BBQ has been extremely kind to the Oklahoma Sooners these last few years and it figures that as long as they keep hosting it, it will always remain that way. Generally, the Sooners’ have an absolutely elite collection of talent in Norman during the summer at a time when school is no longer a factor and prospects are focusing on recruiting.

Last year, the Sooners had flashy luxury cars and every notable Oklahoma player of the past that they could find in attendance.ย Adrian Peterson was there. Kyler Murray was there. CeeDee Lamb was in attendance. Samย Bradford and Lane Johnson were in the building.ย Roy Williams was there. Marquise Brownย andย Billy Sims joined the party. Kenneth Murray and Trent Williams were in attendance.

The event serves as the Sooners’ premier recruiting event of the calendar year and every year it seems to deliver as commitments follow shortly after.

Will this year under a new regime bring the same results? We don’t know but what we do know is who will be in attendance for this mega event.

We’ve taken the liberty of chronicling every confirmed ChampU BBQ visitor below.

A look back at how Oklahoma finished in ESPN’s FPI each season since 2005

Take a look back at how the Oklahoma Sooners have finished each season in ESPN’s Football Power Index since 2005.

The Oklahoma Sooners have been one of the most consistent teams in college football since the turn of the century. Though they haven’t reached the pinnacle and won that eighth national championship, they’ve been in contention several times and been a dominant force in the Big 12 since their last national title.

The Football Power Index is a predictive rating system designed to measure team strength and project performance with the aim of correctly predicting games and season outcomes. The ESPN FPI runs 20,000 simulations and updates them each week throughout a season using data collected as the season goes on.

In the last 17 seasons, the Sooners have finished outside the top 10 in ESPN’s Football Power Index just five times.ย The Sooners have been inside the top five seven times since the ESPN FPI came into existence in 2005 and finished as the No. 1 team in the index in 2007.

Take a walk through time to see how the Oklahoma Sooners finished in ESPN FPI since 2005.