Lane Johnson says Bob Stoops told him he would become a 1st round nfl draft pick after just one week of playing offensive tackle, and explains how a single coach’s belief changed the trajectory of a backup who didn’t think he belonged at Oklahoma “The pivot for me happened when I got to OU. I had that small-town mentality, and it was like, ‘Okay, I’m here.’ But I didn’t feel like I belonged until, like, the craziest story.” “So I never played tackle. I played there for like a week. Bob Stoops comes up to me. He’s like, ‘You’re going to be a first-round draft pick.’” “And so I was like, ‘I’m a third-, second-team D-end.’ He was like, ‘You’re going to be a first-round draft pick,’ after just a couple practices. I was like, ‘Okay, that’s all I need.’ That was my turning point as a guy who didn’t play much, was a backup.” “That gave me the confidence to be like, ‘Hey, this man sees something in me that I don’t see in myself at the time.’ All those guys gave me my confidence that I needed at that time, which I didn’t have at the time.”

49 years ago today: OU walked into The Horseshoe for a Top-5 showdown with Ohio State — and produced one of the most iconic moments in program history. Trailing 28-26 with 6 seconds left, Uwe von Schamann nailed a 41-yard field goal to give the Sooners a 29-28 win in Columbus. OU had trailed 28-20 late in the fourth quarter before rallying to give von Schamann a chance to win it. Nearly five decades later, it’s still simply known as “The Kick.” One of the great moments in OU football history.

Throwing it back to this Sports Illustrated cover from my days in Detroit! I’ll be watching tonight with the rest of y’all. Go Lions! #onepride

15 years ago today: Kenny Stills made one of the biggest plays in his OU career and honored a fallen teammate immediately after. No. 1 OU gutted out a 23-13 road win over No. 5 FSU in front of a hostile crowd. Every game throughout the 2011 season, one player would wear No. 12 in honor of Austin Box.

When the Detroit Lions drafted Ryan Broyles in the second round in 2012, he signed a contract worth more than $3.6 million, with over $1.4 million guaranteed and a signing bonus north of a million on top of it. He'd left Oklahoma as the all-time leading receiver in the history of major college football. For a lot of young players, that's the moment the spending starts. The cars, the jewelry, the house that's twice as big as anyone needs. Broyles did the opposite. He decided to live like he was broke. He'd read the statistics that haunt every locker room, the ones about NFL players who earn millions and end up bankrupt within a few years of their last game. He didn't want to be a cautionary tale. So he sat down with a financial adviser and got a piece of advice that reshaped how he saw his money: figure out what you actually need, set a budget, live inside it, and invest the rest. He and his wife Mary Beth spent a few months tracking exactly what a comfortable life cost them. The number they landed on was about $60,000 a year. Everything above that, the overwhelming majority of his NFL income, went straight into savings and investments. "When I come to work, I don't think about the money," Broyles said during his career. "My wife has no worries. My child has no worries. I got the mindset of a businessman off the field." A college mentor had once talked to him about where to put money if he ever made it big, and one idea stuck: real estate. So that's where he went. His first rental property came in 2012, in Tulsa. Then another. Then another. He'd find them, buy them, and manage them, sometimes closing deals over the phone. He described it almost like an addiction, the constant urge to do one more. His NFL career, meanwhile, never got off the ground. Injuries wrecked all three of his seasons in Detroit, and the Lions released him during the 2015 preseason. He spent a year training and waiting for a call that never came, then walked away rather than hang on just to hang on. Here's the difference. When football ended for Ryan Broyles, it wasn't a crisis. It was a transition he'd been preparing for the entire time. Today he runs a company managing around 40 rental properties. He invested in a restaurant overlooking the University of Oklahoma campus where he became a legend, and he doesn't just cut checks, he shows up in work clothes and demos tile and installs toilets alongside his crews. One of his business partners called him "a Renaissance man." Most players spend their careers praying the money lasts. Ryan Broyles guaranteed it, by spending years pretending he barely had any.

Every tackle. Every sack. Every play counts. Oklahoma defensive end Danny Okoye is turning his NIL earnings into support for the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, pledging donations throughout the season to honor America's heroes ahead of the 25th anniversary of 9/11. @pdoocy

Ball hawk, @Billy2Bowman 😈

We are excited to launch a new show giving you an inside look at OU Athletics. @TheCarlyMurray will be interviewing some of the biggest names as well as talking to those behind the scenes of your favorite programs. First episode drops today at 1PM CST!

Sterling Shepard is the definition of Sooner Born. Sooner Bred. 🔴⚪️ A one-of-a-kind player whose plays will live forever in Sooner Lore. A true playmaker, an incredible teammate, and an all-around outstanding person! We are Sterling Shepard days away from Sooner football! (🎥: Hamebone694)

7 years ago. Time flies!

In the transfer-portal era, all but one #Oklahoma defensive starter is a player the staff recruited from high school. Brent Venables calls it “invested.” Reggie Powers III and David Stone explain the leadership and connection behind #Sooners' defense⤵️ ouinsider.com/finish-what-yo…

Owen Field was such a complete madhouse, one might wonder if Nebraska players could even hear themselves think on that October day in 2000. After 24-consecutive points over the No. 1 Huskers to take a 10-point lead, OU was one score away from blowing the game open. Eric Crouch dropped back on a 3rd and 27 and tested OU’s true freshman cornerback. But just like all season, Strait was in the perfect spot to make a big play. “"Intercepted! Derrick Strait! And Strait might go straight to the end zone! Touchdown!" That was the famous call by Brad Nessler as Strait took an interception to the south end zone at Owen Field. A year ago, he was playing high school football in Austin, Texas. But as a true freshman, he was helping OU reclaim No. 1. Strait had offers coming out of Lanier High School in Austin, but he wasn’t heavily recruited by Texas. Bob Stoops and staff went after him hard and Strait decided to cross the Red River to play in Norman. He was an instant star at OU. During the 2000 championship run, Strait made notable key plays such as the pick-six against Nebraska, the late pass break up in Bedlam and a deflection on a deep ball against Florida State in the fourth quarter. He grew up fast playing college football. Those that know him best say he’s extremely humble and never one to boast. Strait had every reason to, especially to Texas fans, since he was a perfect 4-0 in his career against the ‘Horns. Strait’s accolades is not a short list. He was a Freshman All-American in 2000 as well as the Thorpe and Nagurski winner in 2003. to just a name a few. He was also named to the All Decade Team (2000-2009) by Sports Illustrated. Strait’s four years of excellence in Norman puts him heavily in the discussion of best cornerbacks in OU history. Derrick Strait days until kickoff in Norman

100 Greatest TD's In OU History #3 Torrance Marshall – 41-yard pick-six vs. Texas A&M (November 11, 2000) Final Score: Oklahoma 35, Texas A&M 31 Network: ABC Announcer: Brent Musburger He said it — “Touchdown Oklahoma!” Trailing 31-28 at Kyle Field, Torrance Marshall jumped a pass from Mark Farris and returned it 41 yards for a touchdown with 7:18 left. The pick-six gave No. 1 Oklahoma the lead for good and kept the undefeated national championship season alive. Follow @TouchdownOkla so you don’t miss a single one ⭕️ What do you think of #3? 👇 #BoomerSooner #TDOUTop100 #OUDNA

“He almost cost us the game cause’ he wasn’t ready! TEDDY WASN’T READY!!!” This is possibly the funniest story / clip I’ve ever heard from BV 🤣 It’s definitely worth the 2 minutes if you have time. Venables shares his perspective of the player development journey - in my opinion this is the foundation of what makes BV such an elite coach for Oklahoma. We could all learn something from this BOOMER

Bob Stoops smiled as he picked up the phone to call a recruit. This wasn’t just any ordinary recruiting call, Stoops was about to make an offer he hoped he’d someday make for over a decade. When Sterling Shepard answered the phone, Stoops offered him a scholarship to play at his dream school. It was where he always wanted to be because his dad and uncles played there. But also because Shepard had been on the sidelines, in the locker room and out at practices at OU since he was 6 years old. After his father Derrick passed, Stoops made sure Sterling wasn’t going to miss out on the childhood he would have had with his father around. Stoops and the OU football program took Sterling under their wing. In many ways, they helped raise young Sterling. When it was time to commit to a school, Sterling picked Oklahoma. A lifelong dream was going to be realized. After he committed, Stoops had a gift to Sterling and his mom he had kept for several years. When Derrick passed in 1999, Stoops was asked to speak at the funeral. On a piece of paper, he wrote down his words and kept them afterwards in his drawer. For over 10 years, the piece of paper sat untouched, until he gave it to Sterling. It was a memorable moment the two will never forget. It didn’t take long for Shepard to become a star at OU. As a true freshman in 2012, he had over 600 receding yards and showed true potential. He only got better as his four-year OU career progressed. Shepard finished his OU career with 3,482 reviving yards and 26 TD’s. He’ll forever be a fan-favorite and a player that’s remembered for his clutch moments in critical situations. Sterling Shepard days until kickoff in Norman.

The culture Brent Venables has built at OU makes it hard for guys to just leave. This roster is proof. “You're out there with a bunch of chumps, it's hard to do well. But when you're out there with a bunch of other savages that love to work, that love to compete, that love to be coached, that are going to do their job, there's real genuine connection to that. You guys have gone through a lot of things together, man. It's hard to walk away from that.” Can that culture change finally bring Oklahoma a National Championship? si.com/college/oklahoma/foot…

100 Greatest TD's In OU History #5 Kennedy Brooks – 33-yard game-winning TD run vs. Texas (October 9, 2021) Final Score: Oklahoma 55, Texas 48 Network: ABC Announcer: Chris Fowler Did he say "Touchdown Oklahoma!"?: No Tied 48-48 after Texas answered with 1:23 left, Oklahoma drove into field-goal range. After a timeout with 10 seconds remaining, Kennedy Brooks took the snap and raced 33 yards, scoring with 1 second left to cap the 21-point Red River comeback. Follow @TouchdownOkla so you don’t miss a single one ⭕️ What do you think of #5? 👇 #BoomerSooner #TDOUTop100 #OUDNA