OU football notebook: Landry Jones says Sooner Nation needs the 'stache

Brent Venables says linebacker Ronnell Lewis is a violent hitter

BY MIKE BALDWIN, Staff Writer, mbaldwin@opubco.com | Modified: August 7, 2010 at 10:29 am | Published: August 6, 2010 Comment on this article

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Good shape

Coach Bob Stoops said the team reported for two-a-days in good shape following summer workouts.

"They looked great on their conditioning tests," Stoops said. "We run two 300-yard shuttles timed. All but a few guys really ran well. I was very pleased as an overall team the way we ran and competed. The guys look great. They were anxious to get back on the field.

"I really feel great about the (upcoming) year. Our players have had a great attitude leading up to (two-a-days). Unfortunately, the way things unfolded a year ago, we got a ton of experience with guys that we wouldn't have had if we didn't have all the injuries. I'm not asking for the injuries. It happened. But in the end, hopefully it will pay off for us this year with the experience we gained."

Marrow donors needed

Catherine "Cady Bear" Ware, 6, was a special guest at Media Day. Ware, from Pawhuska, is battling thrombocytopenia (bone marrow failure). Stoops encouraged staff and the football team to become marrow donors.

Only 30 percent of more than 10,000 Americans that need marrow transplants find a family member who is a matched donor. The Oklahoma Blood Institute coordinates registry and facilitates marrow donations, a process that takes 10 to 15 minutes.

"We need to get awareness out there," said Carma, Catherine's mother. "Since we've started to do this the past few weeks it's snowballed."

Early arrival

Mary Bledsoe, her nephew Benjamin, 8, and daughter Holly Gonzalez were first in line for autographs, arriving at 5:30 a.m. Bledsoe lives in Katy, Texas, an eight-hour drive to Norman. They left Thursday evening.

"We've come the past four years," Bledsoe said. "We really enjoy this. My daughter got in early with Kid's Club to get Landry's autograph with my grandson. We also want to get DeMarco (Murray's) autograph and a couple of other players."

Kid's Club members were allowed to enter at 10 a.m., the general public at 10:30 a.m. The longest lines were running backs and wide receivers, longer than Stoops' line.

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