OU football: Heupel's star pupil is shining
Commentary: Bradford reaping rewards of working with former OU ace
By Jenni Carlson
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Published: October 20, 2008
NORMAN — Josh Heupel sought out his star pupil in the final moments of Oklahoma’s dismantling of Kansas.
The Sooner quarterbacks coach had one last assignment for
Sam Bradford.
"Look up on the scoreboard,” Heupel directed him. "Look at what we accomplished as an offense.”
On an afternoon OU soothed some of its
Texas ills with a victory over
Kansas, the
Sooners posted video-game numbers.
Points: 45.
Plays: 97.
Yards: 674.
"Take some pride in that,” Heupel told Bradford. "Enjoy that.”
Bradford should also enjoy this: He broke the school record for single-game passing yards with 468. He obliterated the previous record of 429 yards.
It’s a mark that belonged to Heupel.
Bradford and Heupel represent the short but impressive history of the OU passing game. Heupel, an unknown slinger from
South Dakota, finished runner-up in the Heisman Trophy balloting, won a national championship and broke just about every passing record in a program that had never thrown the ball. Bradford, a golden boy born to be a Sooner, is breaking all those records while trying to keep OU in the national title hunt.
Heupel will be by Bradford’s side every step of the way.
"He does have a great feel for the game,” Heupel said, mentioning Bradford’s awareness in the pocket, his vision down the field and his sense of spacing. "But I think most importantly, there’s a competitive drive in him that some people might not understand that propels him to be a great football player.”
Heupel understands that drive because he has it, too. This was a guy, after all, who rehabbed a torn knee in less than six months, then transferred from
Weber State to
Snow Junior College because he just knew he could play big-time football.
OU gave him a chance, and he gave it a championship.
Can Bradford do the same for the Sooners?
"He wants to be the absolute best,” Heupel said. "He wants to be perfect, but he never lets that stop him from cutting it lose on Saturday afternoon out on the football field.”
Bradford said, "We know our job is to go out there and to score every time we touch the football.”
He prepares to do just that every week. He starts watching video Monday, then has the first of many meetings with his quarterback coach. Hours upon hours of film study and game planning follow.
Bradford’s approach is much like Heupel’s was.
Ask Bradford about their relationship, and he smiles and chuckles.
"I really couldn’t ask for a better relationship with my coach,” Bradford said. "I think we have a great relationship, especially on game days. He’s always just really positive.”
Saturday afternoon, Heupel might have struggled to find something negative about Bradford. The Sooner signal caller completed almost 68 percent of his passes with three touchdowns and no interceptions.
No wonder Heupel found him on the sideline and told him to soak up the scoreboard and enjoy the victory.
But it’s also no wonder that the teacher gave the star pupil an idea of his next assignment.
"Monday,” Heupel told Bradford as he walked away, "we’ll get back and learn from some of the things we didn’t do quite right.”
Jenni Carlson: 475-3314
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