GDC
3/31/2006, 10:34 AM
Interview with OU's Heisman winners.
Questions / Answers: Winners discuss Heisman tradition
By JIMMIE TRAMEL World Sports Writer
3/31/2006
The University of Oklahoma's three living Heisman Trophy winners -- Steve Owens (1969), Billy Sims (1978) and Jason White (2003) -- participated in a question-and-answer session Thursday while promoting two upcoming events sponsored by Tulsa Sports Charities.
A Tulsa Sports Charities 2006 Poker Classic is May 21 at Cherokee Casino and Resort. The Oklahoma Heisman Golf FORE! Kids Classic will be May 22 at Cedar Ridge Country Club.
TULSA WORLD: Would you be in favor of awarding two Heisman Trophies per year -- one to an offensive player and one to a defensive player -- or would that water down the award's significance?
White: I think it waters it down. The more you have out there, the less elite the group is. I think offensive and defensive players have won it, so I think it is fair.
Sims: That one a year, that tradition, they've got to stay like it is. That's the unique thing about it, once a year. You come to New York every year and there's a big gala going on and everything. Since 1935, that's the way it should be.
Owens: It probably waters it down. I think the Heisman traditionally, going back to 1935 or 1936, has been given to the outstanding player in the country and that includes
a lot of different things -- outstanding in whose view? I think it's what makes it so unique. Last year we had quite a bit of controversy after the bowl games that maybe Vince Young should have been the Heisman Trophy winner. There was some talk about moving the Heisman vote to after the bowl games. There is always discussion of changing the Heisman. They have a Heisman Trust that looks at all those type things. The Heisman a few years ago gave several awards out to outstanding back and the different positions, but they did that just for one year and they went back to just presenting the Heisman. I am sort of a traditionalist. I would like to see it stay the way it is.
TULSA WORLD: Would you be in favor of conducting Heisman voting after bowl games?
Sims: I would be in favor of doing it after all the season is over with because I may have won two had that happened. I always thought that. I'm surprised they don't wait until after the season is over with, then do the voting.
Owens: I think that's something we could look at. It has been discussed. Sometimes I feel like that would be a good thing, but what if the candidate is not playing in a bowl game? Last year we had the top two candidates playing against each other and the year before we had Jason White and (Matt) Leinart playing against each other, but it's not going to happen like that every year. So sometimes it might give an advantage to a player who is playing an extra game or extra two games, depending on if they play in a conference championship or a bowl game.
White: Whether that's to my disadvantage or to my advantage, it wouldn't bother me at all. I think it would be a good idea, but where they have it now is kind of in the swing of things and it's a neat event.
TULSA WORLD: Who's your all-time favorite Heisman Trophy winner?
Sims: That's a good question. I would probably say (1953 recipient) Johnny Lattner of Notre Dame, an old guy, just because of the history and even today he's always the life of the party, without a doubt.
White: Bo Jackson. I grew up kind of watching him and idolizing him. I have always liked him. I remember when I went to the Heisman (ceremony), I got a ball signed by him because he was one of my idols.
Owens: I have a lot of favorite Heisman winners. I love Billy Sims. I love Jason White. I was close to Doak Walker. We lost him a few years ago. I loved Doak. Archie Griffin is a great friend. John David Crow from Texas A&M. I was fortunate I got to know Jay Berwanger, the first winner that we lost a few years ago. Those are to name a few. I am pretty partial to my Oklahoma Heisman guys. We are pretty close.
TULSA WORLD: Excluding yourself, who was the best player on your team the season that you won the Heisman Trophy?
Owens: We had some great players on that team. We had Steve Zabel, Jack Mildren, Mike Harper, who lives here in Tulsa. I would have to say probably the guy for me personally was Mike Harper, my fullback, because I carried the ball 35 times a game and he had to block 35 times a game. So I think the guy that probably had the hardest job on the team and performed it as well as anybody was Mike Harper. He got to carry the ball two or three times a game and I got to carry it 35. So he had a lot of hard work ahead of him. I played with a lot of great players, but I think Mike is the guy that sort of when I look at him, he was the most valuable. He had to block everybody.
Sims: Wow. We had a lot of guys. It's a funny thing. The year that I won the Heisman. I had no expectations. The university, the team didn't even know it was going to happen. The year before I had no preseason buildup, none of that, sort of like the year Jason won it. I was just coming off an injury year. I was redshirted and everything worked out. But I still would say probably (fullback) Kenny King. He was a halfback in high school. He wasn't really a true fullback. (Barry) Switzer just put him there. We had so much speed in the backfield with King, (David) Overstreet, (Elvis) Peacock, Thomas Lott, J.C. Watts, myself. And I played with Joe Washington. I backed him up my freshman year.
White: Mark Clayton, just because of the amount of work he put in and the amount of rewards he got from it. He's a football player. He's not about himself. He's about winning and that's what really impressed me about Mark.
TULSA WORLD: Got any advice on who your alma mater should hire as basketball coach?
Sims: (Laughed) The best available guy who knows how to recruit and can go out and get the players. I don't have a name for you.
White: No. I'm not much knowledgeable about basketball. I will let them do that. I am sure they will do a good job.
Owens: I love Kelvin (Sampson). Kelvin and I are dear friends. I talked to him two weeks ago and called in support. These things happen in college athletics. I think Kelvin did a tremendous job here at Oklahoma for 12 years. You look at his record and what he has done in the NCAAs. But this is probably a good job for Kelvin, Indiana. It has great tradition and Kelvin is a great basketball coach. I personally hate to see him leave, but I have a lot of confidence in Joe Castiglione that he will find the right person for our program.
TULSA WORLD: Past Heisman Trophy winners get a Heisman vote and former USC quarterback Carson Palmer once said he voted for three USC players on his ballot. Should that be permitted?
Owens: It's his vote. If he thinks those are the three best players, I think he certainly has that right. I take the Heisman vote very seriously. I try to keep up on what players have certainly done on the field and off the field. I don't think the vote has changed much in the last 75 years. But I think each year they look at it and try to determine if there are some changes that might need to be made in it.
Sims: A guy should vote however he wants to vote. Even this year, I had Vince (Young), Reggie Bush and Matt Leinart.
TULSA WORLD: What's the best fringe benefit you received as a result of winning the Heisman?
White: Getting to hang out with Steve Owens and Billy Sims.
Sims: The fact of all the camaraderie of all the Heisman guys, the Heisman family, and the fact that your peers and the fans still recognize and appreciate what you did at the university that you attended. Plus, I got my degree. That is never mentioned.
Owens: Winning the Heisman, when I look at it, I think about my teammates and my coaches at Oklahoma. I don't ever look at the Heisman as something I won by myself. It's something I had a lot of help with. So when I look at it, I don't look at it as something I did. I look at it as something that a lot of people helped me win. I think that's the thing I think about with the Heisman. But it certainly opens a lot of doors for you. It's just like Billy Sims always says. We are always introduced as "Heisman Trophy winner." So it's something we have for the rest of our lives and I'm proud of it. It has been a great experience for me and a great blessing.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jimmie Tramel 581-8389
[email protected]
Questions / Answers: Winners discuss Heisman tradition
By JIMMIE TRAMEL World Sports Writer
3/31/2006
The University of Oklahoma's three living Heisman Trophy winners -- Steve Owens (1969), Billy Sims (1978) and Jason White (2003) -- participated in a question-and-answer session Thursday while promoting two upcoming events sponsored by Tulsa Sports Charities.
A Tulsa Sports Charities 2006 Poker Classic is May 21 at Cherokee Casino and Resort. The Oklahoma Heisman Golf FORE! Kids Classic will be May 22 at Cedar Ridge Country Club.
TULSA WORLD: Would you be in favor of awarding two Heisman Trophies per year -- one to an offensive player and one to a defensive player -- or would that water down the award's significance?
White: I think it waters it down. The more you have out there, the less elite the group is. I think offensive and defensive players have won it, so I think it is fair.
Sims: That one a year, that tradition, they've got to stay like it is. That's the unique thing about it, once a year. You come to New York every year and there's a big gala going on and everything. Since 1935, that's the way it should be.
Owens: It probably waters it down. I think the Heisman traditionally, going back to 1935 or 1936, has been given to the outstanding player in the country and that includes
a lot of different things -- outstanding in whose view? I think it's what makes it so unique. Last year we had quite a bit of controversy after the bowl games that maybe Vince Young should have been the Heisman Trophy winner. There was some talk about moving the Heisman vote to after the bowl games. There is always discussion of changing the Heisman. They have a Heisman Trust that looks at all those type things. The Heisman a few years ago gave several awards out to outstanding back and the different positions, but they did that just for one year and they went back to just presenting the Heisman. I am sort of a traditionalist. I would like to see it stay the way it is.
TULSA WORLD: Would you be in favor of conducting Heisman voting after bowl games?
Sims: I would be in favor of doing it after all the season is over with because I may have won two had that happened. I always thought that. I'm surprised they don't wait until after the season is over with, then do the voting.
Owens: I think that's something we could look at. It has been discussed. Sometimes I feel like that would be a good thing, but what if the candidate is not playing in a bowl game? Last year we had the top two candidates playing against each other and the year before we had Jason White and (Matt) Leinart playing against each other, but it's not going to happen like that every year. So sometimes it might give an advantage to a player who is playing an extra game or extra two games, depending on if they play in a conference championship or a bowl game.
White: Whether that's to my disadvantage or to my advantage, it wouldn't bother me at all. I think it would be a good idea, but where they have it now is kind of in the swing of things and it's a neat event.
TULSA WORLD: Who's your all-time favorite Heisman Trophy winner?
Sims: That's a good question. I would probably say (1953 recipient) Johnny Lattner of Notre Dame, an old guy, just because of the history and even today he's always the life of the party, without a doubt.
White: Bo Jackson. I grew up kind of watching him and idolizing him. I have always liked him. I remember when I went to the Heisman (ceremony), I got a ball signed by him because he was one of my idols.
Owens: I have a lot of favorite Heisman winners. I love Billy Sims. I love Jason White. I was close to Doak Walker. We lost him a few years ago. I loved Doak. Archie Griffin is a great friend. John David Crow from Texas A&M. I was fortunate I got to know Jay Berwanger, the first winner that we lost a few years ago. Those are to name a few. I am pretty partial to my Oklahoma Heisman guys. We are pretty close.
TULSA WORLD: Excluding yourself, who was the best player on your team the season that you won the Heisman Trophy?
Owens: We had some great players on that team. We had Steve Zabel, Jack Mildren, Mike Harper, who lives here in Tulsa. I would have to say probably the guy for me personally was Mike Harper, my fullback, because I carried the ball 35 times a game and he had to block 35 times a game. So I think the guy that probably had the hardest job on the team and performed it as well as anybody was Mike Harper. He got to carry the ball two or three times a game and I got to carry it 35. So he had a lot of hard work ahead of him. I played with a lot of great players, but I think Mike is the guy that sort of when I look at him, he was the most valuable. He had to block everybody.
Sims: Wow. We had a lot of guys. It's a funny thing. The year that I won the Heisman. I had no expectations. The university, the team didn't even know it was going to happen. The year before I had no preseason buildup, none of that, sort of like the year Jason won it. I was just coming off an injury year. I was redshirted and everything worked out. But I still would say probably (fullback) Kenny King. He was a halfback in high school. He wasn't really a true fullback. (Barry) Switzer just put him there. We had so much speed in the backfield with King, (David) Overstreet, (Elvis) Peacock, Thomas Lott, J.C. Watts, myself. And I played with Joe Washington. I backed him up my freshman year.
White: Mark Clayton, just because of the amount of work he put in and the amount of rewards he got from it. He's a football player. He's not about himself. He's about winning and that's what really impressed me about Mark.
TULSA WORLD: Got any advice on who your alma mater should hire as basketball coach?
Sims: (Laughed) The best available guy who knows how to recruit and can go out and get the players. I don't have a name for you.
White: No. I'm not much knowledgeable about basketball. I will let them do that. I am sure they will do a good job.
Owens: I love Kelvin (Sampson). Kelvin and I are dear friends. I talked to him two weeks ago and called in support. These things happen in college athletics. I think Kelvin did a tremendous job here at Oklahoma for 12 years. You look at his record and what he has done in the NCAAs. But this is probably a good job for Kelvin, Indiana. It has great tradition and Kelvin is a great basketball coach. I personally hate to see him leave, but I have a lot of confidence in Joe Castiglione that he will find the right person for our program.
TULSA WORLD: Past Heisman Trophy winners get a Heisman vote and former USC quarterback Carson Palmer once said he voted for three USC players on his ballot. Should that be permitted?
Owens: It's his vote. If he thinks those are the three best players, I think he certainly has that right. I take the Heisman vote very seriously. I try to keep up on what players have certainly done on the field and off the field. I don't think the vote has changed much in the last 75 years. But I think each year they look at it and try to determine if there are some changes that might need to be made in it.
Sims: A guy should vote however he wants to vote. Even this year, I had Vince (Young), Reggie Bush and Matt Leinart.
TULSA WORLD: What's the best fringe benefit you received as a result of winning the Heisman?
White: Getting to hang out with Steve Owens and Billy Sims.
Sims: The fact of all the camaraderie of all the Heisman guys, the Heisman family, and the fact that your peers and the fans still recognize and appreciate what you did at the university that you attended. Plus, I got my degree. That is never mentioned.
Owens: Winning the Heisman, when I look at it, I think about my teammates and my coaches at Oklahoma. I don't ever look at the Heisman as something I won by myself. It's something I had a lot of help with. So when I look at it, I don't look at it as something I did. I look at it as something that a lot of people helped me win. I think that's the thing I think about with the Heisman. But it certainly opens a lot of doors for you. It's just like Billy Sims always says. We are always introduced as "Heisman Trophy winner." So it's something we have for the rest of our lives and I'm proud of it. It has been a great experience for me and a great blessing.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jimmie Tramel 581-8389
[email protected]