SoonerofAlabama
5/16/2011, 04:25 PM
From The Oklahoman:
Saturday night at the first Sooner Spectacular, a bronze statue of his likeness was unveiled that soon will be transported to Heisman Park outside Memorial Stadium.
Before the banquet in his honor which also helped raise money for OU's new athletic dorm Bradford spoke with The Oklahoman about the NFL Lockout, new OU offensive coordinator Josh Heupel and the 2011 Sooners:
What do you think of the Sooners going into next season?
I think they've got a shot to be great. If you look at all the guys that have experience, experience playing in big games, they didn't lose a lot from last year. I think they've got a shot to be a legitimate national championship team. Hopefully they can. I would love to see that.
What specifically do you like about them?
I'm excited, being with Coach Heupel for four years, him being my quarterback coach, and now the fact he's going to offensive coordinator or the co-offensive coordinator and have a major hand in play-calling, I'm really looking forward to that. If the Fiesta Bowl is any indication of what this year is going to be like, they're going to throw it a lot. Think they're going to spread the ball out, and they're going to be fun to watch.
What are your thoughts about Heupel taking over?
He's going to work harder than anyone. I think that's one of the things I learned from my time at OU. In order to be successful on the field, you have to put in the time, and you have to put in the work. There's no doubt he's going to do that. I think he's going to be a great example for all the younger guys on the team. I think he's going to expect a lot out of everyone on the offense. It's always been my opinion that when you're expected to play at a high level you tend to rise to that level. I really think that's what's going to happen this year.
Having gone through the pressure of being a Heisman contender, have you had any conversations with Landry Jones?
I haven't talked to him about it. And I probably wouldn't, to be honest. I think that's something that if he's thinking about it, it needs to go to the back of his head. You can't go out there and play for things like that. You play to win the game, you play to hopefully win the Big 12 championship and go on to the national championship. I think if you focus on those two things, awards like the Heisman will come.
Do you think the new athletic dorm will help in recruiting?
I do. I really do. I've never seen other athletic dorms. But I've heard stories about how nice they are. I can tell you from being at OU that we are a little behind the times with our dorms there. I think raising money for new athletic dorms is really going to help.
How is everything going in St. Louis?
Last year, it was a lot. But it was fun. I had an absolute blast. I learned a lot. We progressed as an offense each week, I think I got better as a player each week. If you look at our offense and what our coaches did, they threw a lot at me. That's something I take a lot of pride in. This year, it will be back to square one with a new offensive coordinator. If you look as Josh (McDaniels) and what he's done in the past, his offenses have had some really explosive offenses and put up a lot of numbers and points. I think it will give us the opportunity to be a little bit more explosive this year. Hopefully we can get to work soon.
How are you handling the lockout?
It's unfortunate, but everyone is dealing with it. Everyone who plays professional football is dealing with it. I'm just trying to make the most of it, get as much work in as I can right now and when we get the call to go back in, I'll be ready.
Saturday night at the first Sooner Spectacular, a bronze statue of his likeness was unveiled that soon will be transported to Heisman Park outside Memorial Stadium.
Before the banquet in his honor which also helped raise money for OU's new athletic dorm Bradford spoke with The Oklahoman about the NFL Lockout, new OU offensive coordinator Josh Heupel and the 2011 Sooners:
What do you think of the Sooners going into next season?
I think they've got a shot to be great. If you look at all the guys that have experience, experience playing in big games, they didn't lose a lot from last year. I think they've got a shot to be a legitimate national championship team. Hopefully they can. I would love to see that.
What specifically do you like about them?
I'm excited, being with Coach Heupel for four years, him being my quarterback coach, and now the fact he's going to offensive coordinator or the co-offensive coordinator and have a major hand in play-calling, I'm really looking forward to that. If the Fiesta Bowl is any indication of what this year is going to be like, they're going to throw it a lot. Think they're going to spread the ball out, and they're going to be fun to watch.
What are your thoughts about Heupel taking over?
He's going to work harder than anyone. I think that's one of the things I learned from my time at OU. In order to be successful on the field, you have to put in the time, and you have to put in the work. There's no doubt he's going to do that. I think he's going to be a great example for all the younger guys on the team. I think he's going to expect a lot out of everyone on the offense. It's always been my opinion that when you're expected to play at a high level you tend to rise to that level. I really think that's what's going to happen this year.
Having gone through the pressure of being a Heisman contender, have you had any conversations with Landry Jones?
I haven't talked to him about it. And I probably wouldn't, to be honest. I think that's something that if he's thinking about it, it needs to go to the back of his head. You can't go out there and play for things like that. You play to win the game, you play to hopefully win the Big 12 championship and go on to the national championship. I think if you focus on those two things, awards like the Heisman will come.
Do you think the new athletic dorm will help in recruiting?
I do. I really do. I've never seen other athletic dorms. But I've heard stories about how nice they are. I can tell you from being at OU that we are a little behind the times with our dorms there. I think raising money for new athletic dorms is really going to help.
How is everything going in St. Louis?
Last year, it was a lot. But it was fun. I had an absolute blast. I learned a lot. We progressed as an offense each week, I think I got better as a player each week. If you look at our offense and what our coaches did, they threw a lot at me. That's something I take a lot of pride in. This year, it will be back to square one with a new offensive coordinator. If you look as Josh (McDaniels) and what he's done in the past, his offenses have had some really explosive offenses and put up a lot of numbers and points. I think it will give us the opportunity to be a little bit more explosive this year. Hopefully we can get to work soon.
How are you handling the lockout?
It's unfortunate, but everyone is dealing with it. Everyone who plays professional football is dealing with it. I'm just trying to make the most of it, get as much work in as I can right now and when we get the call to go back in, I'll be ready.