Lofton to go pro

[Boomer.....]

Lofton Opts for NFL
Junior linebacker to enter draft

Jan. 14, 2008


NORMAN, Okla. - Oklahoma linebacker Curtis Lofton has decided to enter his name in the National Football League Draft. He becomes the second Sooner junior this year to do so. Junior receiver Malcolm Kelly made a similar announcement last Thursday.

"Curtis made a lot of big plays during his time here," said OU head coach Bob Stoops. "We wish him all the best in the NFL."

Lofton said he reached the decision Sunday.

"I'll definitely miss my coaches and teammates," he said. "I came in with my class three years ago and those guys are like brothers to me. And I'll miss playing in front of those 85,000 fans."

Lofton said the atmosphere at Oklahoma readied him for the next step.

"It starts with great coaches and a system that from day one develops you as a person and player," he said. "Once you get the opportunity to play, you're ready, It's one of the best coaching staffs in the nation."

Lofton, a consensus All-American, was OU's leading tackler in 2007 when he notched 157 stops, the sixth-best total in school history.

The Kingfisher, Okla., product also estalished a school record with nine double-digit tackle games. He logged a career-high 18 tackles in the first meeting with Missouri.

Some 35 Oklahoma players have been drafted since Bob Stoops took over as head coach. OU has produced a first-round selection in each of the last six years.


http://www.soonersports.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/011408aaa.html

[OUMonster]

Who will be our linebackers next year?

[freshchris05]

http://khan.raiderware.net/khan.JPG


F*CK..

[Jello Biafra]

sunnnnofa......................................... .....



B I T C H ! ! ! !

[SouthFortySooner]

...goodbye ______ _______ you know I never knew you at all... ugh come on.

[auto]

uggggggggggggggggggggggggggggh. Hopefully Mike Reed will make it back.

[Malcolm Kelly's Cousin]

We'll be fine.

[BillyBall]

That really, really blows...

[freshchris05]

i'm sure we'll be fine as well but lofton is a hell of a player and losings him hurts in the LB spot...

hmm... how many LB prospects are still considering us?

[yermom]

good luck to him

i'm very, very concerned at this point though :eek:

[85Sooner]

i personally don't think he is ready but oh well

[boomersooner82]

I think I just died a little bit inside

[Larry&Leisa]

seriously...? you really didn't think he'd go ? He was a great player and I look forward to seeing him in the NFL.

[BillyBall]

I am now concerned that we are going to have a couple more leave... I thought Lofton was a lock to come back after he didnt receive a "1" grade.

This sucks.

[Collier11]

This one hurts more than any other that could have gone pro! He will be hard to replace

[toast]

well, spring practice and the red/white game just got a little more interesting.


best wishes and good luck to curtis.

[soonervegas]

I am now concerned that we are going to have a couple more leave... I thought Lofton was a lock to come back after he didnt receive a "1" grade.

This sucks.

I expect 1-2 more to declare before the deadline. If that happens I think it could be assumed that there is some disconnect between the coaches and players. Just a feeling....

[Vegas Sooner]

oh well

[Octavian]

damn....thought he was actually gonna stick around for '08. He would've definitely improved his draft status.


Lofton is a bigger loss to OU than MK.

[tulsaoilerfan]

We'll be fine.
Based on what i saw from the other backers this season, no, we won't be fine

[zeke]

damn....thought he was actually gonna stick around for '08. He would've definitely improved his draft status.


Lofton is a bigger loss to OU than MK.

+1

Good Luck to him.

[The Maestro]

Wow, those who think he was ready and that we will be fine...

Please tell me the success ratio of OU linebackers in the NFL. Teddy Lehman barely hanging on, if at all and Clint Ingram is a backup. Not even Rocky made it.

Also, if you think we are going to be fine did you WATCH the Fiesta Bowl?

We better just score a lot.

[adoniijahsooner]

I would move english or beal to linebacker, since we are stacked at that position and have rj washington coming in. The Fiesta may be proof that we need new defensive personnel thrown out there.

[jccouger]

This ****ing sucks.

I have a bad feeling about our team falling apart next year, please don't neg me for this, I just have a bad feeling.

[JLEW1818]

He had a great season, but as always this leaves a spot for somebody to take. There is somebody out there on the team who was waiting for him to leave and step up and show us what he can do. If we cant win without him, we cant win with him. Keep an eye out for Lamont Robinson. Reynolds will step it up this year and be the linebacker captain!

[CincySooner]

easy fellas... there's a lot of practice to be had between now and Sept 1.

remember when no one knew who was going to replace Rufus?

[Rock Hard Corn Frog]

Wow, those who think he was ready and that we will be fine...

Please tell me the success ratio of OU linebackers in the NFL. Teddy Lehman barely hanging on, if at all and Clint Ingram is a backup. Not even Rocky made it.

Also, if you think we are going to be fine did you WATCH the Fiesta Bowl?

We better just score a lot.


Well if I was going by the second half of the Fiesta Bowl I wouldn't think we had an NFL prospect on the defense.

I don't know that we are screwed nor would I simply say that we are fine.

I think LB is now our #1 question mark going into nexy year. We will have a number of candidates have a chance to step up. Hopefully he does. For what it is worth I thought in 03 and 07 our biggest question mark going into the season was QB. In those two years we had a guy win a Heisman and another set a freshman TD record so question marks don't always mean that the answer won't be good.

But, yeah Lofton was a stud and will be tough to replace.

[cvsooner]

Chase Daniel will finally be able to sleep at night for the 2008 season.

[illinisooner]

Chase Daniel will finally be able to sleep at night for the 2008 season.

Chase is so excited right now.

[RUSH LIMBAUGH is my clone!]

I expect 1-2 more to declare before the deadline. If that happens I think it could be assumed that there is some disconnect between the coaches and players. Just a feeling....Maybe ending the last 2 seasons on such sour notes had an impact?

[KRYPTON]

remember when no one knew who was going to replace Rufus?


Yeah, the Fiesta Bowl was just a couple of weeks ago, dude.

I thought "weak side" didn't actually mean WEAK side, I guess I was wrong.

[stoops the eternal pimp]

Hopefully those guys can get his 40 down at least in the 4.6 range to help him out a bit. He said earlier he was only leaving if he was a top 15 guy. I can't wait to hit the combine to hear what the NFL guys are saying..

Mike Reed will get it together next season, Lamont Robinson will get some field time and all will work out in the end.

[soonerlaw]

This ****ing sucks.

I have a bad feeling about our team falling apart next year, please don't neg me for this, I just have a bad feeling.

I had a bad feeling our team was going to fall apart two years ago after the unmentionable one's incident... and we had a pretty great season. I thought our team would fall apart this ;ast year because we had a qb who had never thrown a collegiate pass... and we again had a pretty good season.

I agree with you that there are going to be some bumps in the road next year, but I'm confident the coaching staff will get the right players and get them ready to go.

[OklahomaTuba]

Remember how lost our LB's looked in 2005 & 2006???

Well, get ready for that again!!

If anything keeps us out of the NC game next year, its the lack of intensity & drive, and the way people will be shredding our LB corp next year.

[mikeelikee]

Curtis was a great player for us, and I wish him the best. However, he won't wow them at the combines, and I don't really see him being drafted until the third round, at the earliest.

[stoops the eternal pimp]

Well I just talked to a couple of draft gurus that said he is the best MLB in draft right now and should be a 1st rounder because of it

[BillyBall]

Reggie will be next, hopefully no more...

[MextheBulldog]

Lofton is a bigger loss to OU than MK.

What he said.

[Harry Beanbag]

I would move english or beal to linebacker, since we are stacked at that position and have rj washington coming in. The Fiesta may be proof that we need new defensive personnel thrown out there.

We're stacked at DE? :confused: We've got English, Beal, and Alan Davis coming back along with some freshmen who've never played a down.

And apparently Mike Reed may not even be academically eligible this spring or maybe ever again, so I wouldn't go counting on him to be the savior.

Man, suddenly our defensive back 7 looks to be in majorly deep doo doo for the foreseeable future talentwise, without even mentioning coaching.

[Watch Me Stride]

The NFL is making college football the ****z

[stoops the eternal pimp]

The NFL is making college football the ****z


Like the NBA did college ball the last 10 years

[Watch Me Stride]

Like the NBA did college ball the last 10 years

Exactly

[tulsaoilerfan]

Wow, those who think he was ready and that we will be fine...

Please tell me the success ratio of OU linebackers in the NFL. Teddy Lehman barely hanging on, if at all and Clint Ingram is a backup. Not even Rocky made it.

Also, if you think we are going to be fine did you WATCH the Fiesta Bowl?

We better just score a lot.
Ingram has actually been a starter for the Jags; started 11 games as a rookie and had 117 tackles; don't know what his stats were for this season but from all i heard he was having a pretty good year.

[SoonerStormchaser]

I'll say it before and I'll say it again...Kelly and Lofton are both making foolish decisions regarding going pro. Kelly DEFINITELY needs one more year of polishing before he becomes a top 10 pick...this year, he'll be lucky to go before the bottom half of round 2 (possibly the third receiver taken after Mannigham and Arrington). Lofton was a world beater this year, needs less polishing than Malcolm, but is still a year removed from being Roy Williams "rip your head off" good.

Ask Jimmy Wilkerson.

[TMcGee86]

Is Box too small to play LB?


Obviously he's not a MLB, but I was kinda hoping he would put on some weight and play LB.

[stoops the eternal pimp]

Is Box too small to play LB?


Obviously he's not a MLB, but I was kinda hoping he would put on some weight and play LB.


Box may get a shot. Rufus was pretty small and he played well at MLB

[stoops the eternal pimp]

James Laurinaitis is returning to Ohio State for his senior year so that definitely helps out Lofton

[effay]

So, what's next. I'm sure the coaches will be looking at a whole lot of options this off-season. Here are all of the possibilities I can think of. None of them look too good to me right now but hopefully someone will explode out of such a large pool of players.

Mike Reed - Apparently he's had family issues and has gone underground for the year. I don't even know if he's still in school or on scholly and I wish someone could update me on his situation. In any case, he needs to loose some weight from when I saw him last - he looked like he was pushing 260 and I'm sure a year out of football hasn't helped in that department. Also, as everyone knows, one of the reasons he lost out to Lofton in the first place was because he couldn't pick up the system, so that's still an issue as well.

Lamont Robinson - He practices at MLB and he was a fairly good recruit, but he needs weight if he wants to play in the middle. I would guess he's only around 225 right now. That's not going to cut it.

Austin Box - I think they really want him as an OLB in the future, plus he isn't big enough right now.

Travis Lewis - I have seen the most talk about Lewis getting the nod and I agree that it is most likely. Has fairly decent size (comparatively) at around 230 and reportedly has good speed.

Ryan Reynolds - I've seen people speculate that we might move Reynolds inside and put Box outside. If this happens, plan for Armageddon based on how Reynolds has played the run last year and his bum knee.

J. R. Bryant - There is speculation that we will get this kid out of Garden City now. I don't know much about him other than he's listed as a 228 pound OLB which doesn't look good on paper.

Jeremy Beal - Hey they brought him in with prospects of playing him at MLB which vanished when he showed up with 260 pounds on him. Nevertheless, he's played well at end, so if the coaches get desperate it's conceivable that he could cut some weight and play MLB

Lynn Katoa, Jon Major & Arthur Brown - You never know. Here's to hoping.

[85sooners]

plug the next guy in and go with it ,,,no big deal WE ARE OKLAHOMA!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Collier11]

I'll say it before and I'll say it again...Kelly and Lofton are both making foolish decisions regarding going pro. Kelly DEFINITELY needs one more year of polishing before he becomes a top 10 pick...this year, he'll be lucky to go before the bottom half of round 2 (possibly the third receiver taken after Mannigham and Arrington). Lofton was a world beater this year, needs less polishing than Malcolm, but is still a year removed from being Roy Williams "rip your head off" good.

Ask Jimmy Wilkerson.


while he could have been drafted higher, wilkerson has made $2.7 million in 5 years according to Traber...forgive the source but regardless, thats pretty good money

[r5TPsooner]

good luck to him

i'm very, very concerned at this point though :eek:

As well you should be.

[Curly Bill]

Based on what i saw from the other backers this season, no, we won't be fine

We might if they go with him. :P

[Curly Bill]

I would move english or beal to linebacker, since we are stacked at that position and have rj washington coming in. The Fiesta may be proof that we need new defensive personnel thrown out there.

We're stacked at the DE position... :confused:

RJ Washington will hopefully be a stud, but we haven't been stacked at the DE position for a few years now.

edit...saw where Harry Beanbag already said much the same thing. Great minds think alike huh Harry?

[Curly Bill]

Well I just talked to a couple of draft gurus that said he is the best MLB in draft right now and should be a 1st rounder because of it

Yeah, but what do they know? Do they read this board for the real expert opinions. :rolleyes:

[PLaw]

WOW! Hmmmm, I wonder if this may change the mind of some of the stud LB recruits, like Mr. Brown.

Really sorry to see Curtis go - he is a great SOONER. This decision shows why kids come to OU - to get to the next level.

BOOMER

[sooneron]

I don't see this as good for next year. IMO, Robinson will have to add some bulk and step up. I think he can step up. Now the question is, do we go to a nickel for the greater part of the defensive package? I know that we run it quite a bit, but it may have to become a staple.

[Curly Bill]

Now the question is, do we go to a nickel for the greater part of the defensive package? I know that we run it quite a bit, but it may have to become a staple.

We're not going to adjust, making adjustments are for sissy football teams. We just have to execute better. ;)

[sooneron]

Does Migliazzo have any eligibility left? :D

[effay]

Box may get a shot. Rufus was pretty small and he played well at MLB

Rufus played OLB for his whole career - Lance Mitchell was the MLB during '04 and Zach Latimer was the MLB during '05 and '06.

[OKC-SLC]

Think about if from Lofton's position--he isn't going to knock anyone's socks off in measurables at the combines. And he isn't going to have a better season than this one. So even though he may not be 'polished', it seems that he'd have little to gain from coming back. Just my opinion.

Good luck to him, and let's bring in the next one. We tend to produce some quality at linebacker, remember.

[Crucifax Autumn]

Well, this sucks and all, but we're in the fortunate position of being Sooners and even if we don't have a kid ready to step in we will soon!

[Partial Qualifier]

while he could have been drafted higher, wilkerson has made $2.7 million in 5 years according to Traber...forgive the source but regardless, thats pretty good money

maybe, but here's the deal: If he stayed just one more year in college - and i think we all agree he should have stayed - he could've easily made over $10 million in 5 years, maybe even more. And a small chance at MUCH more. 2.7 million in 5 years is chicken scratch for an NFL player. They only get a few years to make all they can.

Unless it's a perfect situation draft-wise, these talented players who leave early are throwing away millions of dollars. It's ****ing stupid but "good luck guys"

:rolleyes:

[Boomer.....]

maybe, but here's the deal: If he stayed just one more year in college - and i think we all agree he should have stayed - he could've easily made over $10 million in 5 years, maybe even more. And a small chance at MUCH more. 2.7 million in 5 years is chicken scratch for an NFL player. They only get a few years to make all they can.

Unless it's a perfect situation draft-wise, these talented players who leave early are throwing away millions of dollars. It's ****ing stupid but "good luck guys"

:rolleyes:
On the other hand, he could have had a worse season or gotten hurt and not been drafted or drafted much lower. Nothing is guaranteed when you come back for another season.

[oudivesherpa]

maybe, but here's the deal: If he stayed just one more year in college - and i think we all agree he should have stayed - he could've easily made over $10 million in 5 years, maybe even more. And a small chance at MUCH more. 2.7 million in 5 years is chicken scratch for an NFL player. They only get a few years to make all they can.

Unless it's a perfect situation draft-wise, these talented players who leave early are throwing away millions of dollars. It's ****ing stupid but "good luck guys"

:rolleyes:

All NCCA players should be required to take a basic finance course:

How to manage Money:

1. When to turn Pro (Time Value of money)

2. How to Pick an Agent (Difference between BS & Chicken Sh***)

3. Learn to Think with the Big head not the Little One (see Kobe).

This isn't Rocket Science: If I'm going to improve my draft status, then stay in school--Does the agent want me to turn Pro NOW because he's worried I won't sign with him next year and Finally--Keep it you're pants Lance!

We will see if Kelly and Lofton made good decisions--If both are first round picks this year then it was a good choice--but if they fall to the second round then the choice probably cost them millions.

Seriously, OU should offer a Money Management course to all students. I have an MBA from OU when I got my degree I knew how to manage a portfoilo for a major corporation but new little about picking stocks for myself.

[stoops the eternal pimp]

Rufus played OLB for his whole career - Lance Mitchell was the MLB during '04 and Zach Latimer was the MLB during '05 and '06.
Go back and watch some film...He played in the middle several times. I didn't say he was the MLB..But he played several plays in that position

P.S. Zach played the middle usually between 215-220lbs...not to big