Oklahoma football: Dominique Whaley wants to stay on field

Whaley, a walk-on from Lawton MacArthur, became Oklahoma's starting running back after a four-touchdown performance in the Sooners' 2011 season opener against Tulsa.

He was the feel-good story of the season until, on OU's first play from scrimmage at Kansas State, he was carted off the field with a broken ankle.

Despite the Sooners having five games left on their schedule — and six if you count Kansas State, because he was hurt so early — Whaley still finished the year as OU's leading rusher.

The next week, receiver Ryan Broyles tore his ACL, and Landry Jones struggled for the rest of the year to throw touchdown passes.

Through OU's Insight Bowl win and the offseason, Broyles' injury has often overshadowed the impact Whaley's had on the Sooners' late-season offensive struggles.

“You lose your top rusher and your top receiver and it changes you a lot,” said coach Bob Stoops. “All of it goes hand-in-hand; the run game complementing the pass game. If you're able to run the ball better, it changes things a little bit (for defenses).”

Whaley didn't participate in spring practices and was limited through the summer before being cleared in late July. Despite the injury and all the time missed, he said he's a better player today than he was when he got hurt.

“I'm a lot stronger,” Whaley said. “My frame has gotten a lot bigger. I've put on even more weight than I had before.”