Q&A: Tress Way would love to run a fake

As a former two-sport athlete at Tulsa Union High School, Way is athletic enough to run fakes for the Sooners, and should Stoops ask it of him, he would.

Q: What do you think about the stigma attached to football's specialists?

A: I think the stereotype, which, to be honest, we don't do near as much as the other guys do in practice, but it's kind of fun to raise the bar. We're actually able to compete with some of the position players — defensive backs, linebackers — in our drills, in our conditioning and that sort of thing. And the coaches love it too. If we're able to beat one of the position players in a drill, then they're just like “Ah, you're letting the kickers beat you.” So it's fun being able to have the athleticism to work and to run with the guys that are putting in the work.

Q: Do you think specialists need to become more athletic as the game evolves?

A: We only do so much. You look around, and a lot of guys around the nation now can do it, and because it is tough to do, guys are more athletic. But there's not necessarily a need. All a guy has to be able to do is catch the ball and kick the ball. As much as I hate to admit it, you don't have to be that athletic — but it is fun being athletic and being able to do it.