Oklahoma football notebook: Aaron Colvin excited about return to cornerback

When receiver Trey Metoyer was at Hargrave Military Academy last year, and not Oklahoma like he wanted to be, Jay Norvell remained one of his biggest supporters.

Norvell, OU's co-offensive coordinator and receivers coach, said he often invoked Cam Newton, the Carolina Panthers quarterback and last year's NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, as an example of someone powering through disappointing circumstances.

Newton began his career at Florida, but got into trouble and wound up at Blinn College in Brenham, Texas. Norvell was one of the Sooner coaches who tried recruiting Newton to Norman before he ultimately went to Auburn, won the Heisman Trophy and led the Tigers to the national championship.

“I try to use the example of Cam Newton with him,” Norvell said. “He went from the penthouse of Florida to Blinn junior college in central Texas in the middle of nowhere, with nothing but tumbleweeds out there.”