Drake Stoops' story could have been greater, if only he'd been given the opportunity sooner
Drake Stoops' story could have been greater, if only he'd been given the opportunity sooner
I want to love all the hoopla finally surrounding Drake Stoops.
Because his story’s just so good on so many levels.
He’s a hometown product out of Norman North, where he was a pretty fair basketball player, too.
He’s the son of Bob Stoops, who could have plied his football trade at any number of outposts, surely some in the FBS realm, or what most people still call Division I, but not a place like Oklahoma and isn’t that the point?
Yes, his dad was once the coach, but no, he had no clear path up the depth chart.
And he’s always had this quality on the field, the court, maybe playing ping-pong, too. Watching him, you can’t miss how hard he’s working. Some athletes are too smooth, polished and effortless, but not Drake Stoops, whose grind is clear and inspiring.
He’s everything you want to root for and, given last couple of weeks, folks are rooting for him like never before.
Against Oklahoma State and West Virginia, he caught more passes in each than he’d ever caught previously, nabbing 12 and 10 grabs for 134 and 164 yards, covering more yardage in each outing than he’d ever covered previously.
His performance against the Mountaineers could not have been more on time, helping deliver OU its first complete game since topping Texas and its first dominant win since a week earlier against Iowa State, and just a few days after burrowing himself deeper into the hearts of Sooner fans by having the audacity to insist there were still things to play for after two straight losses.
“I come in here day in and day out, spend 10 hours up here every day and, for me, there’s a lot left to play for,” he said. “I’ve busted my tail year round for this for six years now, so I’m not really listening to what people say.”
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