adoniijahsooner
1/26/2010, 05:45 PM
Nice Article.
Stoops shows Sooner pride, not prejudice
By DAVE SITTLER World Sports Writer
As Garrett Hartley lined up for a field goal Sunday night with a Super Bowl trip on the line, his college coach had no doubt he'd make it.
Bob Stoops, however, wasn't cheering for Hartley. But Oklahoma's coach wasn't rooting against the kicker who started four seasons for the Sooners.
"There were a bunch of our (OU) guys running around out there on both teams," Stoops said of the NFC Championship between New Orleans and Minnesota. "I'm very neutral when I've got my guys playing against each other, and hoping they all do well."
In his first 10 seasons, Stoops had 41 players drafted by NFL teams. His 2009 team will add several more names to that list, including the potential to have a whopping four first-rounders.
Several Sooners have also made it by going the free agent route. The NFC title game at the Superdome in New Orleans had everything from first-round OU draft picks to undrafted Sooners.
The Vikings featured running back Adrian Peterson, the seventh overall pick in the 2007 draft, and offensive tackle Phil Loadholt, a second-round selection last year. Free agent center Jon Cooper is also on the Vikings' roster.
New Orleans, meanwhile, started two former Sooners who made it as free agents — nose tackle Remi Ayodele and Hartley, who also handles extra point and kickoff duties. All-pro offensive tackle Jammal Brown, who the Saints took with the 15th overall pick in the 2005 first round, missed the entire season because of injuries.
"But I saw Jammal sitting next to Reggie Bush and (supporting) him after Bush fumbled a punt," Stoops said .
For Stoops, there is no difference between vagabond free agents or multi-millionaire high draft choices. He's loyal to every one of those ex-Sooners he calls "my guys."
So his emotions ran the gamut as he watched the Saints-Vikings telecast.
"You're really torn," Stoops said. "You're always for your guys. But when they are playing each other, you've got to remain neutral."
So when Hartley's 40-yard field goal was dead, solid, perfect, giving the Saints a 31-28 overtime win and the franchise its first Super Bowl berth, Stoops was overjoyed because Hartley and Ayodele had overcome long odds to make it to football's ultimate stage.
Hartley, who hit 32-of-35 field goals his final two years, could have smashed several OU records if he played four full seasons. But Stoops elected to pull Hartley out of his redshirt freshman season in the 11th game of 2004 to replace struggling Trey DiCarlo.
Undrafted, Hartley signed a free agent contract with Denver but was waived before training camp opened. Signed by the Saints in late October 2008, Hartley found a home when he was perfect on 13 field goals and 28 extra points.
But his career looked in jeopardy when the NFL suspended him in August for four games when he tested positive for the banned stimulant Adderall. Hartley said he didn't know the prescription drug was banned when he took it to stay awake on a drive from Dallas to New Orleans.
Saints coach Sean Payton didn't activate Hartley until the first week of December. Payton's decision to replace veteran John Carney with Hartley paid off Sunday when the ex-Sooner made the biggest kick in Saints history.
"As a kicker, you can make them all season," Stoops said. "But in the end, those kind of (championship) kicks are what they all judge you by."
Hartley's heroics wouldn't have happened without a huge play by his former OU teammate. Ayodele's recovery of a fumble by the Vikings' Percy Harvin in the fourth quarter set up the Saints' final touchdown in regulation.
A junior college transfer, Ayodele was a part-time starter in OU's defensive tackle rotation during the 2004 and 2005 seasons. Undrafted, Ayodele bounced around the league and also played in NFL Europe before a free-agent deal with the Saints in 2008.
"Remi's a guy you don't hear a lot about from people because of the position he plays," Stoops said. "Remi had a huge game, and he's obviously had a great year."
Stoops' excitement was tempered because Peterson's turnover problems played a critical role in the Vikings' loss. Although he rushed for 122 yards and scored three times, the former Sooner All-American lost two fumbles and botched a handoff that was credited to Brett Favre.
"As hard as he runs and as hard as those (defensive) guys go after the ball, it has to be difficult," Stoops said. "But I'm not going to sit here and critique (Peterson). He did an awesome job for us.
"I'm sure it was tough for him. As a (former) coach, you always feel bad for whoever is on the losing side of it."
Stoops' emotions won't be torn on Super Bowl Sunday. With nary a Sooner on the Indianapolis Colts' roster, he'll be cheering for the Saints to go marching into Miami to claim the title.
Read more from this Tulsa World article at http://www.tulsaworld.com/sportsextra/OU/article.aspx?subjectid=92&articleid=20100126_202_B1_ASGARR560721
Stoops shows Sooner pride, not prejudice
By DAVE SITTLER World Sports Writer
As Garrett Hartley lined up for a field goal Sunday night with a Super Bowl trip on the line, his college coach had no doubt he'd make it.
Bob Stoops, however, wasn't cheering for Hartley. But Oklahoma's coach wasn't rooting against the kicker who started four seasons for the Sooners.
"There were a bunch of our (OU) guys running around out there on both teams," Stoops said of the NFC Championship between New Orleans and Minnesota. "I'm very neutral when I've got my guys playing against each other, and hoping they all do well."
In his first 10 seasons, Stoops had 41 players drafted by NFL teams. His 2009 team will add several more names to that list, including the potential to have a whopping four first-rounders.
Several Sooners have also made it by going the free agent route. The NFC title game at the Superdome in New Orleans had everything from first-round OU draft picks to undrafted Sooners.
The Vikings featured running back Adrian Peterson, the seventh overall pick in the 2007 draft, and offensive tackle Phil Loadholt, a second-round selection last year. Free agent center Jon Cooper is also on the Vikings' roster.
New Orleans, meanwhile, started two former Sooners who made it as free agents — nose tackle Remi Ayodele and Hartley, who also handles extra point and kickoff duties. All-pro offensive tackle Jammal Brown, who the Saints took with the 15th overall pick in the 2005 first round, missed the entire season because of injuries.
"But I saw Jammal sitting next to Reggie Bush and (supporting) him after Bush fumbled a punt," Stoops said .
For Stoops, there is no difference between vagabond free agents or multi-millionaire high draft choices. He's loyal to every one of those ex-Sooners he calls "my guys."
So his emotions ran the gamut as he watched the Saints-Vikings telecast.
"You're really torn," Stoops said. "You're always for your guys. But when they are playing each other, you've got to remain neutral."
So when Hartley's 40-yard field goal was dead, solid, perfect, giving the Saints a 31-28 overtime win and the franchise its first Super Bowl berth, Stoops was overjoyed because Hartley and Ayodele had overcome long odds to make it to football's ultimate stage.
Hartley, who hit 32-of-35 field goals his final two years, could have smashed several OU records if he played four full seasons. But Stoops elected to pull Hartley out of his redshirt freshman season in the 11th game of 2004 to replace struggling Trey DiCarlo.
Undrafted, Hartley signed a free agent contract with Denver but was waived before training camp opened. Signed by the Saints in late October 2008, Hartley found a home when he was perfect on 13 field goals and 28 extra points.
But his career looked in jeopardy when the NFL suspended him in August for four games when he tested positive for the banned stimulant Adderall. Hartley said he didn't know the prescription drug was banned when he took it to stay awake on a drive from Dallas to New Orleans.
Saints coach Sean Payton didn't activate Hartley until the first week of December. Payton's decision to replace veteran John Carney with Hartley paid off Sunday when the ex-Sooner made the biggest kick in Saints history.
"As a kicker, you can make them all season," Stoops said. "But in the end, those kind of (championship) kicks are what they all judge you by."
Hartley's heroics wouldn't have happened without a huge play by his former OU teammate. Ayodele's recovery of a fumble by the Vikings' Percy Harvin in the fourth quarter set up the Saints' final touchdown in regulation.
A junior college transfer, Ayodele was a part-time starter in OU's defensive tackle rotation during the 2004 and 2005 seasons. Undrafted, Ayodele bounced around the league and also played in NFL Europe before a free-agent deal with the Saints in 2008.
"Remi's a guy you don't hear a lot about from people because of the position he plays," Stoops said. "Remi had a huge game, and he's obviously had a great year."
Stoops' excitement was tempered because Peterson's turnover problems played a critical role in the Vikings' loss. Although he rushed for 122 yards and scored three times, the former Sooner All-American lost two fumbles and botched a handoff that was credited to Brett Favre.
"As hard as he runs and as hard as those (defensive) guys go after the ball, it has to be difficult," Stoops said. "But I'm not going to sit here and critique (Peterson). He did an awesome job for us.
"I'm sure it was tough for him. As a (former) coach, you always feel bad for whoever is on the losing side of it."
Stoops' emotions won't be torn on Super Bowl Sunday. With nary a Sooner on the Indianapolis Colts' roster, he'll be cheering for the Saints to go marching into Miami to claim the title.
Read more from this Tulsa World article at http://www.tulsaworld.com/sportsextra/OU/article.aspx?subjectid=92&articleid=20100126_202_B1_ASGARR560721