Welcome to my world: Paul Thompson, quarterback

By Scott Wright

Published: November 4, 2006

When EA Sports released its NCAA Football 2007 video game, Paul Thompson was slated to be a starting receiver for Oklahoma. Not long after, Rhett Bomar was kicked off the team and Thompson moved back to quarterback.

Thompson says he doesn’t play video games too often, but his teammates do. When they play with the Sooners, do they move Thompson to quarterback?

I actually wondered that. The thing is, the college game is usually hot for a couple weeks, then they kind of die off and guys are ready for the next one to come out. I’ve wondered that though. I don’t even know if you can move a receiver to quarterback on the game. I don’t know who they play with.

I’ve got my TiVo thing. During the day, I miss all the sports shows, Jim Rome is Burning, Pardon the Interruption. So when I get back to the house, I watch those. If I’ve got some homework, I maybe do that, but I’m a procrastinator, especially with my body being tired and my mind being tired from football.

I’ve just got six hours (of classes) this semester. I’ll be done in December, then getting to relax a little bit next semester. Working out, but not having to worry about graduation or taking any classes. So that will be good for me.

At quarterback, you’re in the film room all the time. Especially with coach (Josh) Heupel. He’s always on me to get on the film. Having those extra couple hours a day definitely helps for studying purposes.

Coach Heupel is intense with (watching film). He wants me up here all day long watching film. It’s kind of rubbing off on me a little bit.

We didn’t run the option at my high school, but almost every handoff we had was a read play. It was either hand it or keep it. That, or drop back and just go. I have some old highlights from my high school that I look at and kind of reminisce and remember how I used to run.