Thomas’ Nick Roof carved his path on the track

Nick Roof comes from a football family.

If you’ve followed high school football closely at any time in the last 70 years, you probably know which one.

The Roofs aren’t just a football family, but a legendary one, particularly in western Oklahoma, where Nick Roof’s grandfather, Kenneth, and his uncle, Woody, became Hall of Fame coaches — Kenneth at Thomas and Woody at Weatherford, Elk City and Watonga.

But Nick Roof comes from a track family, too. Though Kenneth was known for football as a player at Oklahoma State, he also ran track there. During his legendary run coaching football at Thomas, he spent his springs coaching the track team.

“He actually liked track more than football,” said Lucky Roof, Kenneth’s son and Nick’s father.

That’s the family tradition Nick is carrying on. With a shot put throw of 56-feet, 6 inches, Nick Roof broke his own meet record and won the Class 2A title at the state track and field meet Friday at Western Heights’ James McCurtain Track & Field.

“It was really exciting. I’m humbled and proud,” Nick said. “It wasn’t the distance I was looking for. I just got nervous. I’m still happy.”

After repeating as state champion in the shot put on Friday, Nick will be chasing a second straight discus title on Saturday in his final high school competition. Then he’s headed to Oklahoma State to throw in college.

Nick didn’t always see track as his ticket to college. He was following the family’s football path as a powerfully built junior linebacker in the fall of 2016.

But in the playoffs that year, he suffered a severe brain injury, an acute subdural hematoma that left him in intensive care for two days, and gave him slim chance of survival, or having the capacity to lead a normal life.

Yet he beat the odds in his recovery, though it took some time, both physically and mentally.

“Before track season last year, it was doom and gloom,” Lucky said. “When he would get home from school, he wouldn’t come out of his room.”

Finally, he began to focus on track, and he saw the possibilities it offered. Last year, after he won the shot put and discus at state, college offers began to roll in. And now, he’s halfway to repeating his two-gold performance of a year ago.

“God put me on another path,” Nick said. “Last year and this year have been a real blessing to me. I’ve made my dream come true. It wasn’t the way I saw it happening, but the outcome is still great.”