soonerinabilene
8/4/2006, 08:55 AM
hadnt seen this posted anywhere... if it has been, sorry.
from espn.com:
Stoops met with Thompson on Tuesday and asked him to think about the decision and discuss it with his parents. Thompson returned Wednesday to accept the job. His hopes to play in the NFL were among his considerations.
"That was part of it. I want to be able to showcase my talent, but the total focus is on this team right now and winning some games," Thompson said.
"There's no better position to show your athletic ability than the quarterback. You've got the ball every play and you're able to make a lot of plays."
Stoops complimented Thompson for being willing to face the scrutiny that comes with the position.
"That takes a lot of courage and a lot of guts because of, again, the magnitude of it all," Stoops said. "That's the kind of guy he is. He's as special a young guy that we have coached here."
Thompson said he would throw passes to warm up prior to summer drills, but he hadn't thrown a passing route between the Holiday Bowl and the start of Oklahoma's fall practice on Thursday afternoon.
"My dad told me, he kept telling me, 'You better get out and throw something. Throw at a tree. Throw at a house,'' Thompson said.
Thompson said he felt his first practice went well, especially considering the quick change. His throws were crisp and on target, and Stoops even urged fans to cheer when the new quarterback completed passes. The most noticeable problem was a couple of botched exchanges with the center.
"It's just hard to switch like that. I've switched a couple times," Thompson said. "Just switching all around and just trying to stay focused with a positive attitude, that's the hardest thing."
Stoops said he still expected his team to be able to contend for the Big 12 championship. Adrian Peterson, the Heisman Trophy runner-up two seasons ago, shared that sentiment.
"He's got talent. If he didn't, he wouldn't be at the University of Oklahoma," Peterson said. "It's up to him to step up to the plate and get it done, and I feel like he will."
Stoops said he expected the Sooners to make adjustments so the offense is better suited to Thompson's abilities. He said he thought coaches didn't adapt to Thompson much last season and instead kept the offense used with 2000 Heisman Trophy runner-up Josh Heupel, Hybl and White.
"I think it's fair to say that we can do more as a coaching staff to play into what fits him and what he likes more," Stoops said. "And some of it will be the same. But we can also implement some factors in our offense that can blend to his athletic ability as well."
New offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson, the team's former offensive line coach, said he had planned to take a week to 10 days to determine the team's strengths even if Bomar was still on the team. Now, he'll make his evaluations with Thompson under center.
a little better than i expected it would be. exchange problems are not a surprise at all considering how long its been since he took a snap. i like the fact that there were only a couple, and he has the experience to be able to fix that. REALLY like that his passes were on target. good sign for the future of this season, i think. but im also a glass half full kind of guy.:)
from espn.com:
Stoops met with Thompson on Tuesday and asked him to think about the decision and discuss it with his parents. Thompson returned Wednesday to accept the job. His hopes to play in the NFL were among his considerations.
"That was part of it. I want to be able to showcase my talent, but the total focus is on this team right now and winning some games," Thompson said.
"There's no better position to show your athletic ability than the quarterback. You've got the ball every play and you're able to make a lot of plays."
Stoops complimented Thompson for being willing to face the scrutiny that comes with the position.
"That takes a lot of courage and a lot of guts because of, again, the magnitude of it all," Stoops said. "That's the kind of guy he is. He's as special a young guy that we have coached here."
Thompson said he would throw passes to warm up prior to summer drills, but he hadn't thrown a passing route between the Holiday Bowl and the start of Oklahoma's fall practice on Thursday afternoon.
"My dad told me, he kept telling me, 'You better get out and throw something. Throw at a tree. Throw at a house,'' Thompson said.
Thompson said he felt his first practice went well, especially considering the quick change. His throws were crisp and on target, and Stoops even urged fans to cheer when the new quarterback completed passes. The most noticeable problem was a couple of botched exchanges with the center.
"It's just hard to switch like that. I've switched a couple times," Thompson said. "Just switching all around and just trying to stay focused with a positive attitude, that's the hardest thing."
Stoops said he still expected his team to be able to contend for the Big 12 championship. Adrian Peterson, the Heisman Trophy runner-up two seasons ago, shared that sentiment.
"He's got talent. If he didn't, he wouldn't be at the University of Oklahoma," Peterson said. "It's up to him to step up to the plate and get it done, and I feel like he will."
Stoops said he expected the Sooners to make adjustments so the offense is better suited to Thompson's abilities. He said he thought coaches didn't adapt to Thompson much last season and instead kept the offense used with 2000 Heisman Trophy runner-up Josh Heupel, Hybl and White.
"I think it's fair to say that we can do more as a coaching staff to play into what fits him and what he likes more," Stoops said. "And some of it will be the same. But we can also implement some factors in our offense that can blend to his athletic ability as well."
New offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson, the team's former offensive line coach, said he had planned to take a week to 10 days to determine the team's strengths even if Bomar was still on the team. Now, he'll make his evaluations with Thompson under center.
a little better than i expected it would be. exchange problems are not a surprise at all considering how long its been since he took a snap. i like the fact that there were only a couple, and he has the experience to be able to fix that. REALLY like that his passes were on target. good sign for the future of this season, i think. but im also a glass half full kind of guy.:)