Oklahoma State football: Thurman Thomas goes home
Houston’s Willowridge High School opened in 1978, in the Fort Bend school district. It serves the suburbs of Fort Bend and Missouri City. Willowridge’s most acclaimed alumnus is Thurman Thomas.
Thomas was back at his alma mater on Monday, part of the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s and Allstate Insurance Company’s “Hometown Hall of Famers” program, which honors the roots of football’s greatest player with special ceremonies and plaque dedications.
Thomas, who went on to Oklahoma State University and the NFL’s Buffalo Bills, talked about what Willowridge meant to him.
“I still feel a great link,” said Thomas, who led Willowridge to a state football championship in 1982. “Some of my teachers I had, they’re still there. I communicate with them a lot. The past two years, I’ve gone back, we’ve had 100, 150 alumni come back for a weekend party we throw. It’s something I’m very proud of, being part of Willowridge.”
Thomas’ mother still lives in the area.
“What shaped me, I had a great supporting system at home,” Thomas said. “I had a great support system in the community, through the Willowridge teachers, coaches. That really helped me get to where I am today.
“A lot of the teachers and coaches helped me get through a lot of process. Especially the recruiting process. ‘Hey, you have to do this, have to get this grade point average.’ Even going back to days at Missouri City Junior High. It was a tight-knit community.
“I had older players that saw something in me. ‘Hey, you’re a special young man.’ When you hear stuff like that, have people taking care of you, being part of their lives, there’s only one way to go, and that’s up.”
Brandon Weeden: Cleveland Browns’ old man rookie
Brandon Weeden just got drafted by the Cleveland Browns. And of the 76 players on the team, only 15 are older. Sixty Browns are younger than Weeden, who is 28 and was born in October 1983. Of the 15 Browns that are older, five also are 28.
I don’t know if that’s good or bad. It might be an advantage for Weeden. Most rookies are hard-pressed to take command, even if they’re the starting quarterback. But a 28-year-old, soon-to-be 29-year-old, rookie quarterback is different. He’ll be older than most of the men in his huddle.
For the record, the five Browns who also are 28 but older are receiver Josh Cribbs, linebacker D’Qwell Jackson, defensive back Dimitri Patterson and defensive linemen Frostee Rucker and Brian Schaefering.
The 10 Browns 29 or older are defensive back Shelden Brown, kicker Phil Dawson, linebacker Scott Fujita, punter Reggie Hodges, defensive end Jaqua Parker (another Oklahoma State product), defensive lineman Scott Paxson, tight end Alex Smith, defensive back Ray Ventrone and tight end Ben Watson.
So Weeden is going to a team, as a rookie quarterback, that will have just three offensive players older than him — Cribbs (28), Smith (29) and Watson (31).
Weeden will be the leader of the team in no time.
Bedlam football: What did Todd Monken mean about Landry Jones?
I don’t know what OSU offensive coordinator Todd Monken meant when he talked sort of crazy about OU quarterback Landry Jones.
Todd Monken, OSU offensive coordinator
The quote, from an espn.com story that really had nothing to do with Jones, said:
“It didn’t take long when ol’ (Ryan) Broyles went down and (OU) started running the (Bell)dozer to think, ‘Do we have our guy?’ That didn’t take long. Landry Jones went from like, ‘I’m the man,’ to all of a sudden, ‘I haven’t thrown a touchdown pass, I’m fumbling it over my head at Oklahoma State. I gotta go back and see my quarterback guru.”
You can read the full story here.
Monken I’m sure feels bad about what he said. He issued an apology later Friday. “I want to apologize to Landry Jones and to the Oklahoma football program for using them as a specific example to illustrate a point concerning how quickly an injury to a key player can impact how a team plays. While speaking to a visiting member of the media about the importance of a quarterback’s confidence and demeanor and about how quickly things can change in football, I made the mistake of making a specific reference to illustrate my point.”
A few things to ponder.
1. Monken sometimes just talks in free thought. Did he rip Jones? Absolutely. Did he rip OU? Yes. Was that his intention? No. Monken doesn’t have a lot of filters. Are we certainly accustomed to filters in football today.
2. Was Monken correct about the coaches’ confidence? No. First, the timeline. OU went to the Belldozer before Broyles’ injury, which is not how Monken presented the events. The Sooners were having trouble producing in short-yardage situations and found a remedy. Heck, OSU had its struggles in short-yardage situations. That’s a natural byproduct of the spread offense, including Mike Leach’s. Second, coaches’ confidence in Jones. No one on the coaching staff asked, “Do we have our man?” Not even privately. Coaches’ confidence in Jones is absolute. The fan base might waver from time to time, but in the Switzer Center, there’s no doubt about it.
3. Was Monken correct about Jones’ self-doubt? Maybe. I don’t know. Neither does Monken. Maybe not even Jones knows for sure. But the lack of touchdown passes down the stretch indeed became an issue, and Jones didn’t play well in Bedlam (the fumbles off sacks that Monken referenced), and Jones did spend his spring break with quarterback guru George Whitfield Jr., which appeared to be an affront to the OU coaches, though they declared it fine after the fact.
So what was Monken doing, bringing an opposing quarterback’s trials and travails into a conversation about the OSU quarterback derby? Monken could have just been pointing out that even established QBs have rocky roads, so don’t expect whoever the Cowboys select to have a smooth path. But Monken went too far in personalizing the downside of Jones’ season.
Monken and Mike Gundy have a strong relationship. Their friendship extends beyond football. But in whatever form their communication takes — butt-chewing or a simple “what are you doing?” — Gundy will or already has told Monken to cool it.
Oklahoma's Landry Jones
Not because it gives the Sooners extra incentive. Talk doesn’t affect football games. Talk doesn’t make anyone try harder or work harder. Any player that has room to work harder or play harder wasn’t giving maximum to start with, and there aren’t many of those guys at this level. But Monken’s comments reflected poorly on OSU. Talking bad about an opponent, particularly a classy opponent, which Jones is on every front, makes the Cowboys look bad. It’s unnecessary.
Monken clearly could have made his point still using Landry Jones. Say something like, “even veteran, decorated, well-established quarterbacks can struggle. Landry Jones struggled after losing Ryan Broyles. It can happen.” That’s basically what Monken meant. But what he said was much more cutting.
Monken never has struck me as a needler. A guy who says something just to get under opponents’ skin. Steve Spurrier is that way. The Ryan brothers. Heck, old adversaries Les Miles and Mike Stoops were/are that way in a certain sense, Miles never uttering OU’s name or Mike Stoops calling the Cowboys “Okie State.” Monken’s volatile statements are not premeditated, I don’t think.
And frankly, needling an opponent, the program or even the coach, is OK. But not an individual player. Zinging Landry Jones was not cool. And I think Monken knows it.
Oklahoma State football: Wes Lunt starting means many things
OSU's Wes Lunt drops back to pass during Oklahoma State's spring football game at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Okla., Saturday, April 21, 2012. Photo by Bryan Terry, The Oklahoman
The news is in: True freshman Wes Lunt is Oklahoma State’s starting quarterback. The guy who is one month and one day shy of his high school graduation now quarterbacks one of college football’s most potent offensive traditions. Lunt has won a derby that included junior-to-be Clint Chelf and redshirt freshman J.W. Walsh. Here are my thoughts:
* Mike Gundy and Todd Monken both said they didn’t want to get away from the offensive identity started by coordinator Dana Holgorsen in January 2010 and established by quarterback Brandon Weeden the last two years. And they lived up to it. Walsh, an effective run/pass threat, would have harkened back to the Zac Robinson/Larry Fedora style of offense. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. But the classic, pocket passing offense perfected by Weeden is what Gundy said he wanted to continue. Selecting Lunt shows Gundy meant it.
* Gutsy, gutsy decision. Not too many coaches would go with a true freshman quarterback. But if you believe he’s the best, it’s the proper decision.
* Funny timing. Naming a starting quarterback on the day of the NFL Draft, when one of your superstar players (Justin Blackmon) will get picked in the first few selections and another (Weeden) could go later in the first round. Seems like OSU is stealing some thunder from its own ballplayers. And I say it’s Lunt stealing the thunder. I love the NFL Draft, but OSU naming a quarterback is bigger than where Blackmon and Weeden call home the next few years.
* This is a pick for the future as much as the present. If Lunt holds the job, he will enter the 2013 season as one of the Big 12′s most experienced quarterbacks. OU’s Landry Jones, K-State’s Collin Klein, West Virginia’s Geno Smith and Texas Tech’s Seth Doege all will be seniors in 2012. The Cowboys, defending Big 12 champs, don’t see 2012 as a rebuilding year, but it most definitely is a reloading year. If the Cowboys can position themselves to be fully-geared for 2013, they can live with whatever mistakes Lunt makes as a freshman in 2012.
* Weeden was born in October 1983. Lunt was born in October 1993. Ten years apart, yet a direct handoff of the OSU offense.
* J.W. Walsh absolutely will be a part of the OSU offense in 2012. I expect a substantial short-yardage package for Walsh. That was the only knock on Weeden. The Cowboys weren’t great in short-yardage or goal-line situations with the Weeden spread.
* Clint Chelf has a decision to make. Transfer and play at a smaller school, or stick with it at OSU. You never know when opportunity might come. But even being a career backup at a Big 12 school, with a degree from Oklahoma State and a mighty good name, stands for something.
* Funny, but Gundy’s stated reason for picking a quarterback this spring — so the Cowboys would have an established leader in summer workouts — doesn’t really mesh with this decision. It seems hard to picture the Cowboys rallying around an 18-year-old, at least in the summer. Guys like Shaun Lewis and Lane Taylor and Joseph Randle, be on standby.
* Lunt’s first road game will be Sept. 8 at Arizona. Don’t you know Gundy now wishes OSU had a more severe test for Sept. 1. Savannah State will not come close to replicating what Lunt will see out of Pac-12 athletes.
NFL Draft: Best-case scenarios for Blackmon, Weeden
The NFL Draft is about nine hours away, which means Justin Blackmon quickly will learn his fate. Stay tuned on whether Brandon Weeden does, too. But what are the best- and worst-case scenarios for OSU’s stars? Let’s look.
JUSTIN BLACKMON
Best-case scenario: Minnesota, at No. 3. Aside from the prestige of being the first pick past the two obvious quarterbacks, the Vikings are not a bad place to land for a receiver. Minnesota has a history of showcasing elite receivers, going all the way back to Gene Washington and continuing into the Brett Favre era with Sidney Rice. Christian Ponder actually showed some potential last season as a rookie quarterback.
Next-best scenario: St. Louis, at No. 6. The Rams have a quarterback in Sam Bradford and a desperate need at receiver. Blackmon could catch a ton of balls as a Ram. Of course, the beleaguered Ram offensive line might make it difficult for Bradford and Blackmon to connect.
Intriguing scenario: Carolina, at No. 9. Cam Newton appears to be the real deal at quarterback. Steve Smith is a quality Panther receiver, but he’s not a long-term partner for Newton. Blackmon would be.
Worst-case scenario: Uh, take your pick. Cleveland, I guess, at No. 4. The Browns have quarterback issues. Even if Weeden gets picked by the Browns and becomes Blackmon’s QB, the future isn’t bright. Cleveland is where offensive careers go to die. Not that Tampa Bay, Jacksonville or Miami would be any better. Remember when the Florida schools always had great college quarterbacks? It’s the reverse in the NFL; not a decent quarterback among the three Floridian NFL teams.
BRANDON WEEDEN
Best-case scenario: Cleveland. When you’re just trying to get a chance to play, you don’t get too worried about franchise stability. The Browns very well could give Weeden the chance to win the job. Cleveland stinks, and the weather is lousy, and there are no offensive playmakers within 100 miles of Lake Erie. But if an NFL team is willing to hand you their huddle, you graciously accept and get about the business of becoming the franchise QB.
Next-best scenario: Miami. The Dolphins are a mess; so much of a mess that they seem to want Ryan Tannehill as quarterback. But if the Dolphins don’t get Tannehill, and Weeden slips to the second round, Miami wouldn’t be a bad spot to land. The Dolphins at least have a playmaker (Reggie Bush) and a new coach, Joe Philbin, who has a good track record at quarterback.
Intriguing scenario: San Francisco. The 49ers keep getting mentioned as a team interested in Weeden. Wow. What a potentially sweet spot for Weeden. A great team, with a shaky quarterback (Alex Smith). It’s clear the 49ers aren’t in love with Smith, who got within a whisker of the Super Bowl last season. If the 49ers struggle out of the gate, or Smith gets hurt, or Weeden wows ‘em in training camp, it’s not kooky talk to think Weeden could be quarterbacking a Super Bowl contender in November.
Worst-case scenario: Kansas City. The Chiefs aren’t in love with Matt Cassell, but they aren’t like to bench Cassell in favor of a rookie.
Oklahoma State football: Gundy not interested in alternating QBs
You have to be of a certain age to remember this, but football coaches once didn’t have an aversion to a two-quarterback system. I’m not talking about the Landry Jones/Blake Bell tango in Norman, or the Mark Sanchez/Tim Tebow dance expected inNew Jersey.
But in the 1950s, with Rams Bob Waterfield and Norm Van Brocklin, and the ‘70s, with Cowboys Roger Staubach and Craig Morton, coaches would mix and match quarterbacks with situations and times in games.
Nebraskawon a national title in 1970 with Van Brownson and Jerry Tagge alternating.Floridadid the same as recently as 2006, with Chris Leak and Tebow. But the ’06 Gators is the aberration now.
And Mike Gundy doesn’t plan to change it, even though he has three QBs battling for playing time – J.W. Walsh, Clint Chelf and Wes Lunt.
“I don’t want to have two quarterbacks,” Gundy said. “I’ve done that before. I’m not saying we won’t, ‘cause nobody knows what’s going to happen. But I think it’s better to have a starter at quarterback and go into the season saying, ‘He’s our starter and we’re going to stay with him.’ Not that if he doesn’t perform well, we won’t give another a guy a chance.”
In 2001, as offensive coordinator Gundy down the stretch started Aso Pogi, with the plan of inserting Josh Fields. Gundy had some special packages for Zac Robinson to play with Bobby Reid, but not any kind of real platoon system.
“I think it’s healthy to have competition at every position,” Gundy said. “But the quarterback position is different. The team looks at your QB as a leader. I think most teams that have success at any level of football, has a good quarterback, unless their defense can just stop people.”
Gundy’s reluctance to platoon doesn’t preclude the Cowboys from instituting some kind of run-game package with another quarterback (Walsh, if he’s not the starter).
But Gundy seems of no mind to take this competition into the games.
Oklahoma football: Offensive thoughts from spring game
Seems like every year that passes, I enjoy football more and more. Which explains why I actually enjoyed OU’s spring game Saturday. Live football is hard to beat, even if you can’t hit the quarterback or have a scoreboard that means something.
So here are my thoughts on the Sooners from Saturday. I’ll stick to offense in this blog, then hit you with defense later.
* On the scrimmage’s first 13 snaps, the Sooners put the ball in the hands of three Treys – Millard, Franks and Metoyer. I wonder if the nature of their first names precludes the Sooners from adding any more Treys.
* Metoyer is a star in the making. I’m ready to proclaim him the Sooners’ best receiver right now, even before he sees his firstOklahomaAugust.
After an opening series in which the Sooners kept dropping Landry Jones passes (Kenny Stills on a curl, Brennan Clay and Franks on swing passes), it was refreshing to see Metoyer trot onto the field with the second unit and start catching the ball.
Metoyer had six catches for 72 yards, both game highs. His second catch was a doozy; Blake Bell threw an out pattern high – the only place he could throw it without a defender’s hands getting in the way. The pass was so high, even Metoyer later said he thought it was sailing over his hand. But Metoyer speared the ball. Great catch. Looks like the recruiting hype might be right about the freshman, who spent the autumn semester at a military academy to get academically eligible.
* I don’t think Roy Finch is going to be preseason first-team all-Big 12, like he was in 2011. In fact, Finch looks no better than OU’s third-best tailback, and that’s not counting Dom Whaley, who is recovering from a broken ankle. Saturday, Brennan Clay not only was OU’s most productive tailback (10 carries, 65 yards), but redshirt freshman Danzel Williams looked sharper than did Finch.
Bob Stoops didn’t tip his hand on Williams – “Danzel’s done a good job for the most part, but he’s got a lot of things he needs to get better at.” – so who knows if Williams will play. But I liked him. Williams made vaunted juco recruit Kass Everett look bad on an open-field whiff.
* I didn’t even mention Millard at tailback. But he opened the scrimmage at tailback with the No. 1 offense and had an 11-yard gain on the first snap. I’d be shocked if Millard played much tailback; he’s too good at fullback. Millard’s just another guy at tailback.
* Those drops didn’t stop after the first series. Stills dropped a deep throw from Drew Allen on what would have been an 80-yard touchdown play. Allen’s numbers would have looked a lot better if Stills had made the catch.
Stoops defended Stills – “Kenny’s been solid all spring.” Stoops said the windy day made it hard on the receivers judging the ball. OK, but seems like a windy day would hurt the quarterbacks more than the receivers, and QBs didn’t look so bad in the breeze.
* Stoops also said punt returns are no problem, even though Stills looked shaky. Not as shaky as Finch, but shaky.
“Kenny’s the one that needs to be back there,” Stoops said. “We’ve got great faith in Kenny. We feel great about Kenny doing it.”
* I’d make Allen my backup quarterback. Seems an easy choice to me. You’ve got Landry Jones the starter and Blake Bell as the short-yardage Belldozer engineer. So why playBellin mopup duty and risk injury? Then the ‘Dozer is gone. There’s plenty of time for a quarterback derby next spring.
With that said,Belllooked better Saturday. I don’t know if he’s looked better most of the spring. ButBellwas sharper Saturday.
Of course, it helped that Allen seemed to go into the wind much of the day, whileBellhad the wind at his back a good portion of the time, at least early in the scrimmage.
* By the way, if you see Stoops on the street, don’t ask him who’s going to be the backup QB. He’s not all that interested in talking about it.
* If you’re going to pop people for drops, you have to give them props for great catches. Millard had a nifty grab on a swing pass that was behind him; walkon flanker Derrick Bradley made a terrific catch on a slant in which he was pulverized by senior safety Jesse Paulsen; walkon receiver Seth Carter made a good catch in traffic on a swing pass, which is good news for Carter but not for the offense – why is there traffic on a swing pass?
* I don’t understand all the action for Trey Franks. I mean Saturday and the previous two seasons. I just don’t get it. He doesn’t really produce.
* Offensive line play was really good. Mostly good protection and some big holes up the middle on running plays, all with Ben Habern out at center, which means Gabe Ikard shifted over with the first-team offense. The O-line will be a strength.
“I think the offensive line’s made really significant improvement,” Stoops said. “That comes with experience. Time in the weight room, time on the field, responsibilities, getting to people.”
* Kendal Thompson looked good at quarterback, but circumstances set him up perfectly. Thompson’s blue shirt meant the defense couldn’t touch him, and the Big 12 officiating crew seemed slow to blow the whistle when Thompson scrambled a time or three.
Oklahoma State football: Linebackers among defensive blossoms
All-purpose safety Markelle Martin is gone. Big-play defensive ends Richetti Jones and Jamie Blatnick are gone, too. ButOklahomaState’s 2012 defense figures to be better than the solid 2011 version, and the No. 1 reason is linebackers.
The Cowboys are set at linebacker, returning six of their top seven players, with only James Thomas departed from last season.
OSU returns budding star Shaun Lewis, plus athletic phenom Alex Elkins and steady Caleb Lavey.
Mike Gundy said linebacker coach Glenn Spencer and defensive coordinator Bill Young “are very excited and should be. It’s the best group of linebackers that we’ve had here, that I can ever remember, as a player or a coach, in all the time I’ve been here.”
That’s no small statement. Gundy played four years at OSU, was an assistant coach for 10 years and is starting his eighth years as head coach. That’s 22 seasons of OSU football with Gundy on the inside.
Truth is, there’s been a gradual talent upgrade all across the board inStillwater. The entire defense is more talented, though only linebacker and cornerback are overrun with experience.
“We have more players that can run fast and have natural savvy to go make a play,” Gundy said. “They’re just very inexperienced. As we all know, they can gain experience. It’s hard to take a guy that’s got experience and make him faster and make him want to hit you.”
OSU’s young linebackers include Lyndell Johnson and Joe Mitchell. Redshirt freshmen Ryan Simmons, Demarcus Sherod and Kris Catlin also have caught coaches’ eyes.
Over several years, Gundy has developed an offensive roster that is multi-depthed. The Cowboys are able to platoon without a talent dip. Gundy’s goal is to have the same thing for defense.
“I’m looking forward to the development of the young players, which would allow those guys to play 30 or 40 plays a game, then have another guy come in and play 30 or 40 plays a game, which would keep that guy fresh,” Gundy said. “Not only for that game, but for the 13-game schedule.
“That’s really one thing we consider now. Anything we do, how can we keep our team healthy for games 11, 12, 13 as they are for games 1, 2, 3.”
Oklahoma State football: Can Cowboys win title with inexperienced QB?
Oklahoma State won the 2011 Big 12 football title. Can the Cowboys repeat? History says it will be difficult, for this reason: quarterback experience. Only three Big 12 champions, out of 16, have done so with a first-year starter at quarterback.
OSU’s Brandon Weeden in ’11, OU’s Landry Jones in ’10, Texas’ Colt McCoy in ’09 and OU’s Sam Bradford in ’08 were veterans.
But Bradford in ’07 and OU’s Paul Thompson in ’06 were first-year starters (Thompson started one game in 2005; that’s not enough to count).
Let’s keep going back. Texas’ Vince Young in ’05, OU’s Jason White in ’04, Kansas State’s Ell Roberson in ’03 and OU’s Nate Hybl in ’02 were veterans (Hybl started 10 games
But I guess we would call Colorado’s Bobby Pesavento a first-year starter. He only started six games in 2001, but five of them were down the stretch, including the division title game against Nebraska and the conference title game against Texas. Pesavento started just two games in 2000; he spent most of the season backing up Craig Ochs.
OK. Let’s continue. OU’s Josh Heupel in 2000, Nebraska’s Eric Crouch in 1999 (Crouch started six games in ’98), Texas A&M’s Branndon Stewart in ’98, Nebraska’s Scott Frost in ’97 and Texas’ James Brown in ’96 were veterans.
So that’s three in 16 years: Bradford, Thompson and Pesavento.
Here’s what’s relevant. In at least two of those three years, Big 12 football was not blessed with a super team.
In 2007, the Big 12 was deep. As deep as it’s ever been. That’s the year Kansas finished 12-1 and went to the Orange Bowl. Missouri entered the Big 12 title game ranked No. 1. Texas went 10-3. Texas Tech, 9-4, was its usual solid self. OSU and A&M were decent. But the Sooners were the class of the conference, and Bradford was a special talent. OU wasn’t great – it lost at mediocre Colorado, then was drummed by Tech when Bradford suffered an early-game concussion. The Sooners went on to get rolled by West Virginia in the Fiesta Bowl.
In 2006, OU was not great. But the Sooners played tough. The North Division was down – way down. A mediocre Nebraska team won the North. Texas wilted at the end. A&M was pretty good, but Tech and OSU were just so-so by their recent standards.
Now, 2001 was a loaded year. The Big 12 had four excellent teams. Nebraska, OU, Texas and Colorado all were national title contenders in the final week or two of the season. So for Colorado to win the league that year with a relatively-inexperienced quarterback was a monumental accomplishment.
But when OU won with newcomer QBs, it did so when the league was retooling. The question for OSU 2012 is this: Is the Big 12 retooling? The 2011 Cowboys clearly would be the favorite in the 2012 season, but the 2011 Cowboys are gone. No Weeden, no Justin Blackmon.
The league race appears to be wide open. If no super team emerges (OU and West Virginia, I guess we’re talking about you), then the Cowboys have a shot with J.W. Walsh or Clint Chelf at quarterback. But the upside for the Sooners and Mountaineers is much higher, because of veteran, accomplished quarterbacks.
Open Mike: Big 12 football podcast with Sports Editor Mike Sherman and Columnist Berry Tramel
Berry Tramel and Mike Sherman were in the podcast studio at The Oklahoman this week to talk Big 12 football scheduling, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State’s 2012 schedules, conference realignment, the future of TCU football, and which Big 12 conference games could be moved to a Thursday night.
You can listen to the full podcast here.
