OU football: Ryan Broyles impresses Stoops
I went to the vacation Bible school program of Journey Church in Norman last Friday night. Helped my daughter chase around the (then) two granddaughters, and while I was there, I passed Ryan Broyles. He doesn’t attend Journey, I’m told, but was helping out with some volunteer work.
And it made me think of a Bob Stoops story from a week earlier. I know it seems like Broyles has been around forever; from his interesting recruiting tale to his season-long suspension for stealing gas to his emergence as a good player to his elevation as OU’s greatest receiver ever.
Oh, you could probably get some arguments for supporters of Mark Clayton and Eddie Hinton. But I’ll take Broyles, and I think Stoops would, too, even if he wouldn’t admit it.
Here’s what Stoops had to say the other night at the OU Caravan in Dallas.
Stoops said he’s amazed every time he sees Broyles play. “I’m on the headphones (talking defense), and I’m thinking, ‘Did he just do that?’” Stoops said of his star receiver.
Stoops recalled Broyles’ circus catch in the Fiesta Bowl against Connecticut. “There was no room to catch it,” Stoops said. From the University of Phoenix Stadium pressbox, it looked to us like Broyles was out of bounds by a mile. But somehow, he speared the ball and got a foot down in bounds for a touchdown. “I don’t know how he got it down,” Stoops said.
Stoops said Landry Jones’ deep pass to Broyles in the Big 12 title game against Nebraska was another example. Remember the 47-yard completion from Landry Jones to a diving Broyles in the third quarter, which set up the go-ahead field goal?
Stoops said when he saw the pass launched, his immediate thought was, “Oh, that’s overthrown.” Then, Stoops said, he noticed it was No. 85 running down the sideline. “Oh, that’s Ryan,” Stoops thought. “He’ll catch it.” Broyles did, and the Sooners won the game 23-20.
In three seasons, Broyles has 266 catches for 3,429 yards and 35 touchdowns. He already owns most OU career receiving records. He will own the rest, barring injury. Broyles is that rare kind of player. Great, renowned, yet a little taken for granted.
Broyles never drops a pass. Always makes the big play. Produces in the clutch. He’s the best receiver in Sooner history.
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