Tag: Sam Bradford

This Sooners season listed as one of the most disappointing since 2000

Ahead of the start of the 2021 season, Bleacher Report ranked this Oklahoma Sooners season as one of the most disappointing since 2000.

The Oklahoma Sooners have had several disappointing seasons over the last couple of decades. They’ve had seasons where they lived up to the billing as national championship contenders and several seasons in which they struggled to get going out of the gate.

With the start of the 2021 college football season a week away, the Oklahoma Sooners have very high expectations being thrust upon them. Anything less than a national championship appearance would be viewed as underachieving.

Over at Bleacher Report, David Kenyon ranked the top 10 most disappointing seasons since the year 2000. The 2009 Sooners come in at No. 8 on the list.

Oklahoma fell to three ranked teams (BYU, Miami and Texas) in the first six games, and a loss to Nebraska pushed the Sooners out of the AP poll. Then Texas Tech pounded OU 41-13. The lone bright spot, perhaps, is the Sooners still smacked Oklahoma State for the seventh of eight straight wins in the rivalry.

After contending for the BCS Championship in 2008, a loss against Tim Tebow and the Florida Gators, expectations remained sky-high for Sam Bradford and the Sooners. Unfortunately, the season started with a whimper when Bradford was injured in the opener against BYU and played in two other games that season.

The defending Heisman Trophy winner was set to make another run at the title of most outstanding player and put the Sooners back in national title contention. The shoulder injury opened the door for freshman Landry Jones at quarterback, providing a glimpse of what was to come at the position.

Oklahoma Sooners’ top 12 moments in football from the Big 12 era

With migration to the SEC on the horizon, take a stroll down memory lane with the top 12 moments from the Oklahoma Sooners time in the Big 12.

One of the best things about sports, and college football, in particular, are the memories it creates for the fan that last a lifetime. In the Oklahoma Sooner’s dominance of the Big 12 since its inception, they’ve created quite a few memories.

With migration to the Southeastern Conference on the horizon, the Sooners’ reign at the top of the Big 12 will be concluding. Collecting 14 Big 12 Championships, the Oklahoma Sooners have created quite a few memorable moments along the way.

And as their future is headed to the SEC, let’s take a look back at the top 12 moments from the Oklahoma Sooners time in the Big 12 Conference.

Every quarterback commit for the Oklahoma Sooners since 2000

A look at every Oklahoma Sooners quarterback commit since 2000. Malachi Nelson ranks as the second-highest quarterback recruit at OU.

The Oklahoma Sooners just added another top quarterback commit of the Lincoln Riley era. After landing Spencer Rattler in 2019, Caleb Williams in 2021, they added Malachi Nelson for 2023. They continued the trend of taking a five-star quarterback in odd number year classes. Nelson ranks as the second-highest rated quarterback commit for OU since 2000.

Only 2004 signee Rhett Bomar of Grand Prairie was ranked higher, and by the slightest of margins. There have been plenty of notable names at quarterback since 2000 when recruiting rankings became part of the college landscape. Names such as Kyler Murray, Jalen Hurts, and Baker Mayfield won’t appear on the list.

Sam Bradford wasn’t highly-touted coming out of high school but he would eventually put his name in the Oklahoma record books.

Sooners Wire takes a look at every commit at the position. Who stayed and who transferred out since 2000:

A look at the all-time leading passers in Oklahoma Sooners history

Looking at the Oklahoma Sooners top passers of all-time in yards.

The Oklahoma Sooners have a storied history when it comes to their football program. The school has won 917 college football games, which is the sixth-most ever. Its winning percentage of 0.726 is also the sixth-best. It has seven national championships and holds the most conference championships all-time, 50.

During that time plenty of notable gunslingers have donned the Crimson and Cream. Among the top passers in Sooners’ history, you have Jack Mildren in 1969-71, Bob Warmack from 1966-68, and into the early ’90s with current assistant Cale Gundy.

It might feel like a bit of recency bias when you bring up the names of Sam Bradford, Kyler Murray, Baker Mayfield, Landry Jones or even Jason White. However, they are among the very best due to the modern era of college football. Just look at the current head coach that loves to throw the ball around. Lincoln Riley learned from another OU assistant, Mike Leach.

Currently, the starting quarterback, Spencer Rattler is putting up big numbers. So much so that after just one season, he was cracked the top 15 in school history. Provided he replicates last season’s success, the former Gatorade Player of the Year could climb as high as the top five.

Sooners Wire breaks down the top 20 passes in Oklahoma football history:

Where former No. 1 overall picks ranked as recruits

Where former No. 1 overall picks ranked as high school recruits.

It isn’t where you started but what you do when you get the opportunity. Not every player that is selected No. 1 overall in the NFL draft is a highly touted recruit coming out of high school. While we can be infatuated with the numbers and recruiting rankings, they don’t mean everything. Player development and their own drive are the keys.

While the NFL draft is just a week away, ESPN looked at where former No. 1 overall picks were ranked as recruits (subscription required). Three of those picks were former Oklahoma Sooners quarterbacks. It started with Sam Bradford in the 2010 NFL draft.

Sam Bradford (Three-Star)

Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports

Bradford was just a three-star prospect when he came out of high school. He would become the Heisman Trophy winner in 2008 and would find his way to the podium as the top selection. What plagued him in college would follow him through his nine-year career in the NFL.

Despite rehabbing a shoulder injury, he was drafted first overall and earned Rookie of the Year honors. Talent was never a question. When healthy, Bradford showed flashes of why he was so highly touted coming out of college. But he could never shake the injury bug, starting all 16 games in a season just twice in his nine-year career.

Baker Mayfield (Three-Star Walk-On)

(AP Photo/Ron Schwane)

Mayfield never received any major offers but decided to head to Texas Tech to learn from Kliff Kingsbury. After just one season, he left for Norman, Oklahoma. He would be coached by Kingsbury’s former backup in Lincoln Riley. Despite being a walk-on, Mayfield did what he always did in proving doubters wrong.

He ultimately walked on at Texas Tech, where he proved detractors wrong, making several starts and earning Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year honors. Mayfield transferred to Oklahoma and blossomed there, leading the Sooners to three straight conference titles, setting several school and conference records and departing college with over 14,000 yards passing. As history has shown, Mayfield has proved skeptics wrong and made it clear he was one of the top prospects in class.

Kyler Murray (Five-Star)

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Murray was a completely different story than that of Bradford and Mayfield. He was a five-star prospect and the No. 1 overall dual-threat quarterback of the 2015 recruiting class. After transferring to Oklahoma from Texas A&M, Murray would win the Heisman Trophy and prove he was worth the hype as he was taken by the Arizona Cardinals in the draft.

A high-level two-sport athlete, Murray was named an Under Armour All-American in both football and baseball, finishing the 2015 cycle as the top-rated quarterback in his recruiting class. He signed with Texas A&M and contributed as a freshman, but transferred the next year to Oklahoma, where he initially sat behind Mayfield and then demonstrated why he was so highly ranked coming out of high school, earning the Heisman Trophy in 2018. Murray was also a first-round pick in the 2018 MLB draft, but has gone on to have success under center with the Arizona Cardinals.

Where Oklahoma quarterbacks rank among the best of the 2000’s

ESPN recently released their list of top 60 quarterbacks since the year 2000. The Oklahoma Sooners dominated with six selections.

There is a reason that the University of Oklahoma is referred to as Quarterback U. When it comes to producing NFL quarterbacks and Heisman Trophy contenders, the Oklahoma Sooners and head coach Lincoln Riley are one of the best. Since the start of the century, quarterbacks wearing crimson and cream have won four Heisman Trophies and another was a finalist.

It all started with Jason White in the early part of the century. He led the Sooners to a BCS National Championship appearance, unfortunately, it didn’t go the way of Oklahoma. Sam Bradford, Baker Mayfield, and Kyler Murray all joined White as quarterbacks to raise that trophy at the end of the season. The next on this list very well could be current front runner Spencer Rattler.

The question isn’t that if these quarterbacks were great at the collegiate level, it is where do they rank among the best in college football. ESPN ranked the top 60 quarterbacks*, Sooners Wire breaks down where OU passers sit.

Editor’s Note: The article requires a paid subscription to ESPN+

Vikings RB Dalvin Cooked named NFC Offensive Player of the Week

It’s the second-straight week Cook has won the award.

After running for a career-high 206 yards in the Vikings’ Week 9 win over the Lions, running back Dalvin Cook has been named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week.

If it seems like this is familiar news, it’s because it is. Cook was also named the NFC’s Offensive Player of the Week for Week 8 after piling up more than 225 total scrimmage yards in a win over the Packers.

It’s the fourth time in his career Cook has won the award. The last Viking to win the award other than Cook was Sam Bradford all the way back in 2017.

Cook leads the league with 858 rushing yards and 12 rushing touchdowns. He also has 16 catches for 173 yards and a touchdown to go with that.

Oklahoma’s Gerald McCoy injured in Dallas Cowboys’ practice, per report

Former Oklahoma and current Dallas Cowboys DT Gerald McCoy suffered an apparent leg injury during practice Monday, per NFL’s Ian Rapoport. 

Former Oklahoma and current Dallas Cowboys DT Gerald McCoy suffered an apparent leg injury during practice on Monday, per NFL’s Ian Rapoport.

The six-time Pro Bowler has dealt with a handful of injuries throughout his career, including a knee injury toward the end of the 2014 season.

He spent the first nine seasons of his career in Tampa Bay before being released in May 2019. He was signed by the Carolina Panthers two weeks later.

He enjoyed a resurgent season in Carolina, racking up 37 tackles and 5 sacks. He also played in all 16 games for the first time since 2013.

On March 31, McCoy signed a three-year deal with the Cowboys.

McCoy recorded 83 tackles, 33 TFL and 14.5 sacks while at OU from 2007-09. He was drafted with the third overall pick of the 2010 draft. He was joined in the top four by OU teammates Sam Bradford and Trent Williams.

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Where do Rams players rank among No. 1 overall picks since 1970?

Orlando Pace is the only former No. 1 overall pick by the Rams to make the top 25.

Having the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft is a huge benefit for the team that owns it. Not only do you get the pick of the litter among all draft prospects, but you can also use that pick as leverage to trade down and stockpile selections later in the draft.

Picking first overall isn’t a surefire way to land a future Hall of Famer, though. In fact, countless players taken with the first pick have turned into busts.

The Rams have had the No. 1 selection three times since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970, selecting Orlando Pace in 1997, Sam Bradford in 2010 and Jared Goff in 2016. Pace turned into one of the best left tackles in NFL history and made the Hall of Fame, while Bradford is viewed as a bust for St. Louis.

The jury is still out on Goff after four seasons, but considering the contract Los Angeles gave him, the team clearly views him as a successful No. 1 pick.

Luke Easterling of Draft Wire puts all of these picks into perspective by ranking every first overall selection since 2017. Here’s where each of the Rams’ picks checked in.

4. Orlando Pace, 1997

26. Jared Goff, 2016

36. Sam Bradford, 2010

The only players ahead of Pace are Peyton Manning, John Elway and Bruce Smith, who were No. 1, 2 and 3 on the list, respectively. Troy Aikman and Eli Manning are right behind Pace, followed by Earl Campbell, Terry Bradshaw, Lee Roy Selmon and Cam Newton to round out the top 10.

Goff still has a chance to rise on this list if he turns things around in 2020 and turns into one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, but that’s not certain to happen. After struggling in 2019, Goff has to play more like the way he did two seasons ago if he wants to take the next step as a potential All-Pro.

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