•Meet Kyler Murray, a selfdescribed nerd who loves playing Scrabble.
NORMAN — Kyler Murray is a Heisman Trophy winner, a top-10 MLB draft pick, and according to his mom, “an undercover nerd.”
“He loves playing Scrabble,” Missy Murray said.
Add that to the scouting report, Nick Saban.
Kyler Murray’s fondness for the classic word game won’t help him elude Alabama defenders at 7 p.m.Saturday in the Orange Bowl, but he does see a correlation between playing Scrabble and quarterbacking.
“Just having that onestep ahead move,” Murray said. “Having that thought in your head, ‘OK, this next play, if I get this look I’m going here with it. If he moves this piece I’m going there with it.’ There are lessons to be learned in all of it. It all ties into each other.”
Murray has been a step ahead all season, throwing for more than 4,000 yards with 40 touchdowns. He’s rushed for another 892 yards and 11 touchdowns.
As he balances football, baseball and school, playing Scrabble with his family is a relaxing release.
His evolution as a Scrabble player began with a more elementary game: Connect 4.
Murray remembers beating his uncles, sister and brother at the game. He graduated to Chess and Scrabble as he got older.
“Christmas time, you’re at home with your friends
and your parents,” Murray said. “You sit down around the table and just play Scrabble. It’s a fun game for me.”
He hasn’t yet tried to bring the board and tiles into OU’s locker room.
“Not many guys on the team play Scrabble,” Murray said.