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David Stanley Ford

OU Coach Bob Stoops denies ineligibility rumors
LOADHOLT, HOLMES STUNNED BY REPORTS

BY JAKE TROTTER    Comments Comment on this article18
Published: December 22, 2008

NORMAN — Last week, rumors were widespread on Internet message boards that offensive tackle Phil Loadholt and free safety Lendy Holmes were academically ineligible and would miss Oklahoma's national championship football game with Florida.


Oklahoma football coach Bob Stoops takes questions about the upcoming BCS championship game during a press conference in Hollywood, Fla., Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2008. (AP Photo/J Pat Carter)

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Both players heard the same rumors.

And it was news to them.

“Somebody told me that the other day. I didn't know what was going on,” Loadholt said. “But I just graduated with my bachelor's in multi-disciplinary studies Saturday.”

Monday, OU coach Bob Stoops quashed any speculation that Loadholt, Holmes or any Sooner player would be ineligible for the national title game.

Last season, Holmes was declared academically ineligible before the Fiesta Bowl, which motivated him in the classroom this year.

“Last year, it wasn't so great to let the team down. I couldn't go through that again, letting the team down,” Holmes said. “I used that as motivation.

“Now, I can say I'm here for the team.”

That's why Holmes was irritated when rumors swirled that he was ineligible again.

“It ticked me off a little bit, but people don't know what's going on,” he said. “They're going to talk regardless. I pay no mind to them. I already knew the truth.”

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David Stanley Ford


Related Topics: Sports, Football, College Athletics, College Football


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I'm going to go out on a limb and predict that it won't be until AFTER the championship game that these men are dismissed from the team....probably for team rules violations.....we won't know that the reason was they were academically ineligible and shouldn't have played in the game.
Philip, Oklahoma City - Dec 24, 2008 at 8:47 am
CANT WAIT TILL BRADFORD "WILLS" HIS TEAM TO VICTORY. BOOMER SOONER!
cooter and joe SUX!, duncan - Dec 24, 2008 at 8:30 am
Darth Husker? Is that guy still around?? I thought he was banned from even looking towards Norman..per lawsuit settlement. LOL Forgot about that dork. LOL he is about as funny as Joe in austin, or Dana from Tacoma, Or cooter from Hazzard county.
cooter and joe SUX!, duncan - Dec 24, 2008 at 8:29 am
Darth Husker? Is that guy still around?? I thought he was banned from even looking towards Norman..per lawsuit settlement. LOL Forgot about that dork. LOL he is about as funny as Joe in austin, or Dana from Tacoma, Or cooter from Hazzard county.
cooter and joe SUX!, duncan - Dec 24, 2008 at 8:19 am
Darth Husker needs to put it to rest. The university of texas needs to shut down his internet access. Of course being the head of information technology at UT would make his job a bit hard. But they should have fired him months ago.
burt, edmond - Dec 24, 2008 at 7:48 am
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Ha - I knew it. Gotta luv the Texas fans - first OU takes the conference trophy, then Sam takes the Heisman, in 2 weeks we'll take the crystal ball too - Texans all over will be slicing their wrists.
Gary, Oklahoma City - Dec 23, 2008 at 2:34 pm
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yeah! stoolwater has a bunch of atheletes that don't pro. thats why they are there long enough to graduate. Plus at stoolwater u don't have to be able to read to graduate. credit the dexter manley scholarship thingy. geoux scarlet knights!
Barney, poppycock - Dec 23, 2008 at 8:55 am
Wrong Jason. I was on Rivals.com early ast week and some smartazz Texas fan named tysonmaleck posted the rumor the first time I saw it. Tyson is a real piece of work and just stirs the pot all day long. He is probably on the payroll of UT athletic dept.
Steve, Ketchum - Dec 22, 2008 at 11:50 pm
When you have a premier program you typically have low graduation rates. It is due to the fact that you have better, more talented athletes who can go to the pro level earlier in their football careers. Also, it is not uncommon to have a super-star athlete who has several back-ups who can transfer to any other program and be starters. Transfers hurt your graduation rate, even if they transfer and graduate at another school.
Jonathon, Oklahoma City - Dec 22, 2008 at 11:24 pm
Jason from Edmond: a truer statement has never been uttered.
Fred, Oklahoma City - Dec 22, 2008 at 11:21 pm
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Thats funny edwin, since OSU has a much higher graduation rate. Pretty sad since most of the athletes at OU take basket weaving and gym classes.
Michael, Oklahoma City - Dec 22, 2008 at 11:01 pm
Hey Sooner-Boomers, cheaters never win. Stoops is FL's towel boy. Shame, Shame if they don't make the grades they don't get to ride in the covered wagon I guess. Go Gators.

VealChop
- Dec 22, 2008 at 11:00 pm
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Good one Eddie. You had to back 25 years to get that one.
Bobby, Edmond - Dec 22, 2008 at 10:46 pm
Is that Druggy U the Stillwater branch?
edwin, Tulsa - Dec 22, 2008 at 10:42 pm
The players could have gone to OSU where it is not a requirement that you read to graduate through the Dexter Manley Scholarship program. Former Longhorn Vince Young appears to be allergic to books, too. Sam Bradford has been a bit off, making a B recently.
edwin, Tulsa - Dec 22, 2008 at 10:41 pm
what does it matter anyway, druggy u has less than a 50% graduation rate, so why should you expect these paid people to attend classes?
richard, oklahoma city - Dec 22, 2008 at 10:22 pm
Not Texans, I'm afraid. Love OU football, but the morons who hang out at the largest internet forums dedicated to Sooner football have got to be the most pitiful band of Walter Mitty wannabes you'll ever run across. They are also almost uniformly stupid, across the board, no matter the topic. I don't visit such cesspools any more, but I suspect this idle chatter started in one of them.
Jason, Edmond - Dec 22, 2008 at 9:43 pm
Texans, no doubt 'bout it!
Gary, Oklahoma City - Dec 22, 2008 at 9:37 pm
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