Early departure
Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops missed the final 15 minutes of practice Thursday so he could attend the Sooner Caravan stop in Oklahoma City.
“Unusual circumstances,” Stoops said. “The Oklahoma City Caravan was scheduled ahead of time when we were supposed to start two-a-days on (Aug. 8). Things got moved around, so I’m missing the last 15 minutes of practice.”
Stoops wasn’t the only coach rushing north on Interstate 35 when practice ended around 6:15 p.m. The entire coaching staff was scheduled to attend the event.
Peterson looks good
Sophomore running back Adrian Peterson missed spring drills due to shoulder surgery, yet he looked impressive Thursday.
He showed no lingering effects and Stoops was ecstatic with the work Peterson had put in over the summer.
“He’s just big, fast and strong,” he said. “He’s up to about 218 pounds and just as fast if not faster than last year.”
The players went through conditioning tests Thursday morning and Peterson averaged 43 seconds on a pair of 300-yard shuttle runs with only a 90-second rest in between.
“That’s amazing,” Stoops added.
Freshmen make impact
The Sooner coaching staff wasted little time getting true freshmen involved in team drills. Reggie White worked some with the second team at cornerback. Linebacker Curtis Lofton also saw some time with the second unit.
But the youngster that had the most impressive day was wide receiver Malcolm Kelly. The Longview, Texas, native made several acrobatic catches during seven-on-seven and full team drills.
He caught Stoops’ eye Thursday.
“He’s definitely a guy we’ll see if we can get ready to go right away,” Stoops said.
