Warren Spahn Award: Bill Teegins award goes to Merv Johnson

Named after the late Oklahoma State play-by-play announcer, the Bill Teegins award is presented on the same night as the Warren Spahn award. The award is given to someone with Oklahoma ties.

“Anything with his name on it is going to be (prestigious),” Johnson said. “Bill was killed in that airplane crash five months to the day that my daughter (Jill) was killed in an automobile crash. Every time I hear his name I think of her. At this point it's been long enough I'm glad I can do that.”

Johnson, OU's director of football operations, said being in the booth the past 13 years has helped him stay close to a program he's been involved with since 1979.

“I was to the point on Saturday afternoon I felt I wasn't in the loop, not coaching anymore,” Johnson said. “I was excited. It gave me an opportunity to be more part of things and obviously pay more attention during the week.”

Johnson was on four coaching staffs that won national titles. He's been OU's color analyst under Bob Barry Sr. and Toby Rowland.

“Having a chance to work with those two, Good Lord, you can't do better than that,” Johnson said. “I just hope I don't embarrass myself. They've been great mentors for me ... I think the only thing that could be better is to do games where you didn't care who won.”