Time to appreciate Murray’s odyssey
Speculation billows over Kyler Murray’s future. Declaring for the NFL Draft didn’t change that.
Pro football or Oakland Athletics? That’s the question now. Murray declaring for the draft meant the third wheel of Murray’s decision — stay in school and quarterback the Sooners — is gone.
Which means it’s time to momentarily suspend the lookahead and do a quick lookback. Take stock of Murray’s OU career and put it in some kind of perspective. It deserves a vaunted place in Sooner lore.
Following in the massive footprints of Baker Mayfield was a tall order. Murray did it. But Murray did more than that. He also matched the stunning Mayfield story.
From twice-a-walkon to the Heisman Trophy and the overall No. 1 draft pick, Mayfield fashioned quite a tale. But does that story trump Murray’s?
A quarterback extraordinaire who patiently sat the sidelines for two years, the first awaiting eligibility and the second awaiting Mayfield’s ascent to the NFL, which came a year later than Murray first thought. In his spare time, Murray returned to an old love, baseball, and we thought it was a lark.
Then Murray showed enough chops to become a first-round draft pick of the Athletics. By last summer, football seemed the lark.
Now, after a season of thrills and a Heisman of his own, we know that Murray’s lark is scrabble or funky shirts. Both the baseball and the football are dead serious, and American sport never has seen the likes of a firstround selection in two major drafts. Too bad Murray never got serious about the roundball; the Magic need a point guard.
Murray’s OU career is stunning. The Sooners hoped for the best when replacing Jack Mildren or Josh Heupel or Jason White or Sam Bradford. Usually it worked out.
But nothing like this. Back-to-back Heismans? Back-to-back breathtakers?
Oklahoma football has been quite blessed with talent over a century. Depending on how you count, the Sooners boast 160-190 All-Americans. Names that will live forever on the college gridiron.
But never before has OU had a player who made All-American in his only season to start. Think about Murray’s ascent: 2017, backup; 2018, nation’s best; 2019, the NFL, unless Murray decides to take Rickey Henderson Boulevard.
The jump from barely playing to All-American is without precedent in Norman.
Linebacker Curtis Lofton seldom played as a 2005 freshman, made four starts in 2006 and then was a terror in 2007, making All-American, before turning pro.
Linebacker Dante Jones was stuck behind Brian Bosworth and Paul Migliazzo in the mid1980s but worked his way to seven starts at Migliazzo’s expense in 1986. Then Jones made All-American in 1987.
That’s the closest I can remember.
All the great OU quarterbacks had multiple seasons in leading the squad. The one-year Sooner QBs were the likes of Dave Robertson (1972) and Garrick McGee (1994) and Paul Thompson (2006). Good players. Got a lot done.
But nothing like Murray.
Maybe that’s why some felt the Murray story wouldn’t end. From Gil Brandt to wishful-thinking fans, they wouldn’t release the notion that Murray might return for another Oklahoma season. And who can blame them? The Murray story is so fantastic, why not shoot the moon?
Now the story moves on to the Athletics or some NFL port. Hard to believe Murray can match his Oklahoma script. But hard to believe he ever could have lived the Oklahoma script in the first place. It’s a story for the ages. While you wait to see what’s to come for Murray, don’t forget to appreciate what’s just occurred. Berry Tramel: Berry can be reached at 405-760-8080 or at btramel@oklahoman.com. He can be heard Monday through Friday from 4:40-5:20 p.m. on The Sports Animal radio network, including FM-98.1. You can also view his personality page at newsok.com/berrytramel.