Yard lines to honor Gautt
Each 38-yard-line at Owen Field Saturday will be painted crimson as the Oklahoma football team honors its first black player, Prentice Gautt.
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OU had to receive permission from the NCAA to mark the yard lines.
The Sooners already are honoring Gautt, who died in March 2005, with a No. 38 decal on each player’s helmet. Gautt first played for the Sooners on the national championship team of 1956.
Members of Gautt’s family will be at the game, and 34 members of the 1956 team are scheduled to attend in remembrance of Gautt and in celebration of the 50th anniversary of their national title.
• Another bump: OU quarterback Paul Thompson says the loss of star running back Adrian Peterson is just another bump in the road for this Sooner team. “This is, maybe, a hill,” Thompson said Tuesday. “With Adrian, we had one of the greatest running backs in a while, which makes other guys not look as good. “But you’ve got to realize what we’ve got on this team are still (NCAA Division I) running backs. They got scholarships here, too.” Thompson says the team would not have been able to prepare for everything they’ve had to deal with this season. “The things that have happened, I would have never thought would happen,” Thompson said. “I believe that with what’s happened, we’re able to stay more focused throughout the week.” Head coach Bob Stoops credits his players for fighting through adversity. “Everyone loves to throw out the doom and gloom to play on all the fans’ emotions,” he said. “It doesn’t have to be that way. People have injuries and teams have unfortunate circumstances every year. “You to the best you can and you play the hand you’re dealt.”
• Advice for Adrian: OU head coach Bob Stoops acknowledges it is too early to discuss Peterson’s future beyond this season or to measure his possible status in the NFL draft if he left early. And Stoops has warned Peterson about listening to the wrong people when the topic comes up. “We have scouts in every single day and will through the year,” Stoops said Tuesday. “They’re forming opinions and whatever their opinion is, they still have 50 other schools to go to. “It’s too early right now to be sure. Anyone who thinks they have it figured out right now is just guessing.”
Stoops says the scouts don’t talk to players at practice. They only watch the seniors work out
“They really don’t pay attention to juniors, unless they’re a guy like Adrian Peterson,” Stoops said. “You can’t tell me they’re not peeking at him. I would be, too.”
• Hoops for Holmes: Cornerback Lendy Holmes said he wouldn’t mind joining Jeff Capel’s basketball team after football season ends.
Holmes, who was recruited in both football and basketball out of Dallas’ South Oak Cliff High School, showed up at a walk-on tryout for the Sooners last Sunday night. Holmes had not talked to Stoops about going to the tryout, and he was not allowed to participate. But he said Stoops once brought up the idea of Holmes playing basketball. “He mentioned it to me once during two-adays,” Holmes said. “I was kind of shocked. I was like, ‘You gonna let me play?’ “Right now, I’m just concentrating on football. After that, I’ll talk to coach and see how he feels about it.”
By Scott Wright
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