OU's Sam Bradford is living his dream
To some, the college game is more special than the NFL
By Berry Tramel
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Published: January 15, 2009
NORMAN — Sam Bradford decided that he had something money couldn’t buy. His dream.
"I dreamed about playing at Oklahoma since I was little,” the Sooner quarterback said Wednesday in announcing he would return for his junior season and forego the NFL Draft. "No need to cut this experience short.” Many are the reasons to go to the NFL. Many are the reasons to stick with the campus life. There was no right or wrong answer. Slingin’ Sammy said so himself. But it still was a little bit refreshing to hear someone romanticize the college days, and to know that teammates Gerald McCoy, Jermaine Gresham and Trent Williams all made the same decision. Quite a switch from a year ago, when Malcolm Kelly, Curtis Lofton and Reggie Smith all jumped to the NFL, much to Bob Stoops’ chagrin. "Sends a great message to other young people,” Stoops said. Lose a load of early entry players one year, then a load the next, and suddenly your football program becomes an NFL farm team. Sammy B. and the boys stemmed that tide. Stoops’ theory has been consistent for years. Almost every player should return. He’ll get bigger, stronger, faster and more draftable. Thus, he’ll make more money and graduate, too, or come much closer. Of course, that’s easy for a football coach making $3 million to say. Stoops is mostly right, economically. But these decisions aren’t always based on cash. Sometimes they’re made on where you’d rather be. A whole lot of players have no use for the college part of college football. And if they’re tired of going to class and watching other people make money off them, who can blame them? But if they still get a charge out of trotting down the ramp of the old alma mater, if they still want that diploma no matter what NFL riches await, well, that’s cool, too. Stoops mentioned more than just draft status. He talked about legacy, and how a player who shuns NFL money early can leave a lasting name at his school. I asked Bradford what he likes best about being at OU. "All of it,” he said, though I don’t think he meant to include chatting with the media. It’s a football state, Bradford said. A football state and a football school, and he grew up wanting to be a Sooner. That dream has been reached in the most spectacular fashion. Some day soon — heck, it could happen while he’s still wearing crimson — they’ll put up a statue of him across the street in Heisman Park. Try putting a price tag on that.
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You can't spell pUTz, without UT.
Selfish as we OU fans are, I'd have taken the 30MM; you can always go back and live the college experience...