All-Bicentennial list: Reggie Smith will be on it

By John Rohde

Published: August 26, 2007

NORMAN — Constructing a list of Oklahoma's top 100 college football players was an intriguing venture, but lunacy.

And when it comes to combinations of intrigue and lunacy, such projects often fall in the lap of our own learned Berry Tramel, a knowledgeable man with a penchant for lists.

The theme of this entire football section is in reverence to Oklahoma's 100 years of statehood.

My chore was to construct a list of one OU player, not for the past century, but for the next century.

Director of football operations Merv Johnson, the most tenured man in the Sooners' front office, is about to start his 29th season at OU. He knows the program's past and present as well as anyone.

When told we were spinning the clock forward 100 years to a bicentennial list of all-time greats, Johnson couldn't help but laugh at our, um, lunacy.

It must be noted, current Sooners will be at a huge disadvantage when The Oklahoman's All-Bicentennial list is released in 2107.

Since the first century list runs through last season, members of this year's roster technically are in the first year of eligibility, and that's lousy timing. (OU might have had a heck of a player from the early 1900s who was overlooked for the first century list.)

Junior wide receiver Malcolm Kelly already made the list, coming in at No. 100.

What other current Sooners might warrant All-Bicentennial status?

My list of one is Reggie Smith, a do-everything, be-everywhere junior who spent time at cornerback, strong safety, return specialist and wide receiver his first two seasons.

"He can play just about anywhere,” Johnson said of our budding bicentennial man. "He's an excellent student, and he takes care of business in just about any way. He's so dependable and cooperative as a team guy ...”

Johnson paused to deliver the punch line.

"And he'll knock your lights out, too,” Johnson said. "He's got all the skill in the world.”

This year's preseason pick as Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, Smith isn't short on accolades. What he needs to do to make the next century list is deliver the goods at a ridiculous level.

This season, Smith returns to his more natural cornerback position.

Smith possesses two attributes every coach adores — he's coachable and a hard worker.

"He's got so much pride,” Johnson said. "When you raise your own kids, you hope to teach them to not let peer pressure drag them down, to be their own person, to do what's right. He's the epitome of that.

"I don't think he'd ever back down from a challenge. If he thought he could do something for the team somewhere, shoot, he'd do it.”

The top OU defensive back on the century list was Roy Williams at No. 3. He was a freakish hybrid, the likes of which might not come around the next 100 years.

The next DB is No. 27 Darrell Royal, who was a lofty pick because he also excelled at quarterback. The next two secondarymen are No. 28 Derrick Strait and No. 31 Rickey Dixon, two outstanding cover corners.

If Smith is allowed to remain at cornerback, if he stays healthy, and if he sticks around all four seasons, he might be in that range, especially when you throw in his wonderful capabilities as a return specialist.

Oddly enough, the less Smith is challenged, the greater his legacy might become. Strait and Dixon were rarely picked upon.

"People look at the numbers, the interceptions, broken-up passes, that sort of thing,” Johnson said. "Sometimes if you're good enough, people don't give you that many opportunities. They throw away from you, stay away from you.”

Comments