The Kid hits the road
Kid Nichol has left the OU football program, and for those who say it was a wise decision, I counter with this. Would you rather be the starting quarterback for two years at a Cincinnati or three years at a Western Michigan, or be the starting quarterback at OU for one season?
Of course, there’s no assurances that any of those options are in Nichol’s future. He’ll have a hard time starting in Division I-A, because most everyone has a hard time starting at QB in Division I-A. It’s not an easy club to crack.
But if Nichol can find the right fit, he can play. Heck, maybe he’ll be the Michigan quarterback. New Wolverine coach Rich Rodriguez has scrapped the offense that has been turning out an assembly line of NFL quarterbacks and needs some run-pass guys.
But Nichol also had a very good chance to quarterback the Sooners some day. Yes, it might have been just for one year, Nichol’s season season, after Sam Bradford’s departure. And yes, Landry Jones and who knows who else would have been scratching for playing time, too.
But here’s why the Kid would have been the heir apparent to Bradford. Bob Stoops always gives the nod to the more experienced quarterback. Anytime there’s a sliver of debate over the QB, Stoops picks the most-known commodity.
The only possible exception was in 2002, when Stoops chose Jason White over Nate Hybl; Hybl had a slight edge in playing experience and was a year older, having started his college career at Georgia during White’s senior year at Tuttle High School. But Stoops’ decision was based mostly, I believe, on what he saw during the 2001 season, when both White and Hybl played.
Think about it. When Josh Heupel arrived, there was no decision to be made. But after that, the coaches started earning their checks.
2001: Stoops picked Hybl over White in a very tight race. Like I said, Hybl was slightly more experienced.
2003: White over Brent Rawls. Easy to laugh at this one now, but in spring 2003, anyone who watched the two scrimmage would take Rawls in a heartbeat. Of course, Rawls was a knucklehead, the coaches knew it and went with the more trusty hand in White.
2005: Paul Thompson over Rhett Bomar. A fourth-year junior over a redshirt sophomore. Tall Paul’s debut was a disaster, and Stoops made a switch in Game 2, but he initially gave Thompson the chance to win the job.
2006: Thompson over Joey Halzle. When Rhett Bomar was summarily dismissed from the squad, Stoops summoned Thompson back from receiver duty over the new juco transfer. Thompson was the ultimate experience pick; a bird in the hand was Stoops’ belief.
2007: Bradford over Halzle and Nichol. This one goes against the theory a little, but Bradford and Halzle both arrived on campus in 2006. Halzle’s experience edge, discounting junior college which I think Stoops does, was minimal.
2007 Texas Tech: When Bradford went down with a concussion after making like Ray Nitschke, Stoops turned to Halzle over Nichol. Again, experience over potential.
I don’t know if Kid Nichol ever would have been the OU quarterback. But after Bradford’s departure, Stoops would have given Nichol every chance, including at least one start, to claim the job.
So the question is really up to Nichol. Two or three years as a starting quarterback at a Mid-American Conference school, or one year leading the Sooners.
-------------Berry Tramel can be heard Monday through Friday from 4:40-5:20 p.m. on The Sports Animal radio network, including AM-640 and FM-98.1. You can e-mail him here and follow him on Twitter @BerryTramel. Visit Berry's website here.
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Comments
No doubt if it was my kid and my advise. Take a starting job at another school. As you know if you go to other parts of the Country, the average spots fan, (not sports writers) says, “Oklahoma who?”
Barry, some of the quarterback decisions made (your article in the oklahoman) by Stoops and the staff were difficult to swallow at the time (I wanted Nichol during the Tech game). But after looking back I would say they made the right decision every single time… even the Paul Thompson start over Bomar. But with Nichol I just had this feeling that he was one of those that might not blossom with the blue practice jersey on but put him in a meaningful game and see.
Charles Augustus Nichols (September 14, 1869 – April 11, 1953), better known as Kid Nichols, was a Major League Baseball pitcher at the turn of the 20th century. Admired for his steadfast consistency year-in and year-out, Nichols amassed 361 wins over his 15 year career, the 7th highest total in major league history. Nichols is the youngest pitcher to win 300 games, reaching that milestone at age 30. Hall of Fame, 1949.
now that he has transferred, can we retire the name “kid nichol”?
it was funny the first time. and that was a loooooong time ago.