Jim Thorpe Award: Les Miles back in town
It was good to see Les Miles on Tuesday night at the Jim Thorpe Award. He told our gal Jenni Carlson that he hasn’t been back often since leaving OSU for LSU seven years ago. But as reminded the crowd in attendance at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum of what occurred while he was in Stillwater from 1995-97 and 2001-04.
The Oklahoma City bombing. 9/11. The OSU plane crash. A lot of tragic events that defined us as Oklahomans and Americans.
Miles was scheduled to be in OKC for the Thorpe Award last February, to honor LSU’s Patrick Peterson, but Miles’ son’s emergency appendectomy the day of the banquet kept Miles home in Baton Rouge, La. So he got a 2-for-1 trip this year, since another LSU player, Morris Claiborne, won the 2011 Thorpe.
Miles joked that he was given three minutes to talk about Claiborne, but he would take six, since Miles didn’t get to talk last year. Peterson was at the banquet and presented the trophy to Claiborne.
Miles said Peterson and Claiborne left their marks on the LSU program.
“Patrick Peterson (an NFL rookie sensation with the Arizona Cardinals) played with a smile,” Miles said. “Worked hard. Prepared hard. What he left was a swagger. Put in the work in the film room and the practice field, then take the field with confidence, and you are a dangerous player.”
Miles said Claiborne’s character would be remembered at LSU. Miles said Claiborne wasn’t highly-recruited, but that Miles sat in Claiborne’s home in Shreveport, La., “telling him this day might come. You could tell, his mother had prepared him for that path.”
Miles marveled at Claiborne’s demeanor upon arrival at LSU. Claiborne was asked what position he wanted to play. “What position do you need me,” Claiborne responded. Cornerback, he was told.
“Mo, he did everything you would ask a player to do, to stand for all the right things,” Miles said. He said Claiborne “represents everything that is good and right in college football … a humbleness, a patience to learn the right skills, then repeat it, repeat it, repeat it.
“Both these men had great impacts. I have to say, thank you, I am very much in in their debt.”
-------------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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