NORMAN - Marc Thompson had a feeling his son might end up back under center for Oklahoma, so he offered some advice.
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"My dad kept telling me, 'You better get out there and throw at a tree, a house or something,'" said OU quarterback Paul Thompson, after the Sooners' opening practice of fall camp Thursday at the OU Rugby Field.
Turns out, pop was right. The younger Thompson was named OU's starting quarterback Thursday, a day after would-be starter Rhett Bomar was dismissed from the team. Thompson spent his first three seasons (a redshirt season included) at quarterback and split time between QB and wide receiver last season after Bomar became the starter in the second game. The fifth-year senior was given the option to move back to QB and then given the No. 1 spot by OU coach Bob Stoops.
"When I asked him in my office, I told him the (Bomar) situation and said, 'Would you be willing to move back to quarterback?' And I said, 'Don't answer me now. I want you to take some time, go home and think about it, talk to your parents, because I want your heart to be in it because otherwise it's not going to work,'" Stoops said.
"He thought about it, came back and said, 'Coach, I'm your guy.' And that takes a lot of courage, a lot of guts because of the magnitude of it all and the pressure. But that's the kind of guy he is. He's a special young guy."
Before Thursday's practice, Thompson had not thrown a passing route since preparations for the Holiday Bowl last December.
"He didn't work any at quarterback over the summer, he was straight wide receiver," OU wide receiver Malcolm Kelly said. "That's why I was so impressed. He looked pretty good to me today out there throwing the ball."
Thompson was sharp in his first practice. In fact, he not only looked like he had never had a hiatus from the position, he even surprised himself.
"My (timing) wasn't as far off as I thought it would be," he said. "I felt good out there. For the offense to come out here and click like we did says a lot."
Quarterback Joey Halzle, a junior college transfer who backed up Bomar during spring camp, said he didn't have any expectations in regards to whether the position would be up for grabs or even if Thompson would be moved back to QB.
"It was a surprise when I found out about the dismissal (of Bomar)," Halzle said. "But I didn't know what would happen from there. I wasn't going to speculate on anything. I was waiting until I talked to coach Stoops and coach Heupel, but I wasn't up or down about anything. It is what it is."
Stoops made clear Thursday the job belongs to Thompson. And, a year after losing the starting spot under center after one game, Thompson said he had to think through the decision. He said he knows he made the right one.
"It was my decision, and it was a tough decision," he said. "In the end, I wanted to have the ball in my hands and do what was best for me and this team."
