Athletics meet with Murray

Representatives of the Oakland Athletics and Major League Baseball met with Heisman Trophy winner Kyler Murray a day before the Oklahoma quarterback's deadline to enter the NFL draft, a person with direct knowledge of the session said.

Oakland executives remained confident as recently as the baseball winter meetings last month in Las Vegas that Murray would report to spring training this year and pursue baseball. MLB joined the efforts to persuade the dual-sport star, sending someone from its marketing group to the meeting, the source said.

The 5-10, 195-pound Murray's Sooners helped the Sooners win the Big 12 and advance to the College Football Playoff semifinals, where they lost to eventual national runner-up Alabama.

The outfield, who was drafted last June in the first round as the ninth overall pick, signed with the Athltics for $4.66 million. There was an agreement between the team and Murray that he would play football this year and then skip his senior season to begin his pro baseball career.