TheLurker
12/20/2006, 05:35 PM
http://www.tulsaworld.com/SportsStory.asp?ID=061220_Sp_B1_ExSoo64748
Ex-Sooner's emotions mixed on transfer
By MIKE BROWN World Sports Writer
12/20/2006
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Tommy Grady admits it. He probably bailed too hastily on his University of Oklahoma football career.
Grady has reason to regret his August 2005 decision to leave the program -- every time he hears the Sooners are having trouble at quarterback.
It has happened twice since he transferred to the University of Utah, which plays Tulsa in Saturday's Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl.
Grady will be on the sideline in Fort Worth, backing up Utah starting quarterback Brett Ratliff.
Had Grady stayed in Norman, he might have gotten a chance in 2005 when Paul Thompson and Rhett Bomar had trouble getting the Sooner offense untracked.
Or he might have become the starter this past season -- after Bomar was dismissed in the summer for breaking NCAA rules by accepting payment for work he didn't do.
The job fell to Thompson almost by default because he was the only experienced quarterback left in the program. Thompson led the Sooners to a Big 12 championship and a berth in the Jan. 1 Fiesta Bowl against Boise State.
"It's kind of hard to say you don't regret (leaving Oklahoma) because it's one of the huge names in college football, and there are a bunch of great players there," he said. "I do regret it a
Tulsa World Sports Extra
little."
Grady was nearly 900 miles away when the Bomar story broke, but that kind of news travels fast.
"I was getting a lot of calls from people saying I should come back. But I like it here," the fourth-year junior said.
He likes his new school, even if things haven't worked out with the Utes like he had hoped.
Grady competed for the starting job in the spring, but the coaching staff gave most of the repetitions with the first and second teams to Ratliff, who won his only starts in 2005 after taking over for an injured Brian Johnson.
Ratliff beat archrival Brigham Young in the final regular-season game of 2005 and had a record-setting performance against Georgia Tech in the Emerald Bowl. He has started all 12 games for the 7-5 Utes in 2006, but has been most effective in the last five games, throwing for an average of 278.4 yards.
Grady has played in seven games, completing 7-of-14 passes for 102 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions.
"I got more of a chance to play at Oklahoma than I've gotten here," he said.
"Tommy got put in some tough situations this year," said Utah coach Kyle Whittingham. "Each time we inserted him in the ball game, it wasn't an ideal circumstance. He didn't fare as well as he would have hoped. He's a very talented kid. He didn't get a chance to get in football games with a few expectations at opportune times. He was always put in difficult circumstances."
Grady's experience with the Utes seems to have mellowed him on the incident that caused him to leave OU.
He fell behind Bomar and Thompson in 2005 when he was held out of preseason drills to complete a three-hour course necessary to remain academically eligible.
At the time, Grady thought he was being treated unfairly. Now, he says the Sooner coaching staff "handled the situation the right way."
"Now that I've been around another program, I understand a little better how things work," he said.
Even now, Grady would probably have a better chance to play in Norman next year. The most experienced returning quarterback (Joey Halzle) has thrown two varsity passes.
At Utah, Grady will probably have to beat out Johnson, who starred in 10 games in 2005 before injuring his knee, throwing for 2,892 yards and 18 touchdowns.
"I've never gotten a chance on the field. I need to get on the field," Grady said.
Mike Brown 581-8390
[email protected]
Ex-Sooner's emotions mixed on transfer
By MIKE BROWN World Sports Writer
12/20/2006
View in Print (PDF) Format
Tommy Grady admits it. He probably bailed too hastily on his University of Oklahoma football career.
Grady has reason to regret his August 2005 decision to leave the program -- every time he hears the Sooners are having trouble at quarterback.
It has happened twice since he transferred to the University of Utah, which plays Tulsa in Saturday's Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl.
Grady will be on the sideline in Fort Worth, backing up Utah starting quarterback Brett Ratliff.
Had Grady stayed in Norman, he might have gotten a chance in 2005 when Paul Thompson and Rhett Bomar had trouble getting the Sooner offense untracked.
Or he might have become the starter this past season -- after Bomar was dismissed in the summer for breaking NCAA rules by accepting payment for work he didn't do.
The job fell to Thompson almost by default because he was the only experienced quarterback left in the program. Thompson led the Sooners to a Big 12 championship and a berth in the Jan. 1 Fiesta Bowl against Boise State.
"It's kind of hard to say you don't regret (leaving Oklahoma) because it's one of the huge names in college football, and there are a bunch of great players there," he said. "I do regret it a
Tulsa World Sports Extra
little."
Grady was nearly 900 miles away when the Bomar story broke, but that kind of news travels fast.
"I was getting a lot of calls from people saying I should come back. But I like it here," the fourth-year junior said.
He likes his new school, even if things haven't worked out with the Utes like he had hoped.
Grady competed for the starting job in the spring, but the coaching staff gave most of the repetitions with the first and second teams to Ratliff, who won his only starts in 2005 after taking over for an injured Brian Johnson.
Ratliff beat archrival Brigham Young in the final regular-season game of 2005 and had a record-setting performance against Georgia Tech in the Emerald Bowl. He has started all 12 games for the 7-5 Utes in 2006, but has been most effective in the last five games, throwing for an average of 278.4 yards.
Grady has played in seven games, completing 7-of-14 passes for 102 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions.
"I got more of a chance to play at Oklahoma than I've gotten here," he said.
"Tommy got put in some tough situations this year," said Utah coach Kyle Whittingham. "Each time we inserted him in the ball game, it wasn't an ideal circumstance. He didn't fare as well as he would have hoped. He's a very talented kid. He didn't get a chance to get in football games with a few expectations at opportune times. He was always put in difficult circumstances."
Grady's experience with the Utes seems to have mellowed him on the incident that caused him to leave OU.
He fell behind Bomar and Thompson in 2005 when he was held out of preseason drills to complete a three-hour course necessary to remain academically eligible.
At the time, Grady thought he was being treated unfairly. Now, he says the Sooner coaching staff "handled the situation the right way."
"Now that I've been around another program, I understand a little better how things work," he said.
Even now, Grady would probably have a better chance to play in Norman next year. The most experienced returning quarterback (Joey Halzle) has thrown two varsity passes.
At Utah, Grady will probably have to beat out Johnson, who starred in 10 games in 2005 before injuring his knee, throwing for 2,892 yards and 18 touchdowns.
"I've never gotten a chance on the field. I need to get on the field," Grady said.
Mike Brown 581-8390
[email protected]