Oklahoma football: Tales of Mike Shanahan

Sam Muzny is a former OU walkon who now lives in Prague. I’ve referenced him in blogs before. He’s a reader who occasionally writes me about interesting things, Sooner-related.

And he’s done it again. I got this email last week after the Dallas-Washington Thanksgiving Day game. Muzny wrote about Redskin coach Mike Shanahan, who in 1975 and 1976 was a graduate assistant on Barry Switzer’s staffs.

“Berry, I saw Mike Shanahan on the sidelines of the Cowboy-Redskins game. In 1974 (I think he’s off one year), I played end in the 5-2 defense of the day, which really was an outside linebacker, because of the run-option offenses of the day. I lined up on the line of scrimmage.

“In pass defense, my area of responsibility would change. I usually had the flat in coverage. In pass coverage, I had to answer to Bobby Proctor and he would chew on my ass.

“We had 250 to 300 guys out in practice with 40 student managers. They wore white T-shirts with Oklahoma, with red shorts and white spotbilt shoes with red stripes. Coaches wore white shirts with a small Oklahoma on one side with red piping.

“One day at the end of practice Warren Harper, my coach, was hollering my name in his deep Georgia drawl. Coach Harper said, ‘Muzny! Coach Shanahan says that you are disrespecting him and not paying attention to him.’ I said, ‘who the —- is Coach Shanahan?’ Warren Harper pointed out Coach Shanahan, Bobby Proctor’s new assistant defensive backfield coach.