By John Shinn
Transcript Sports Writer
Oklahoma’s quarterback competition is officially a two-man race. Tommy Grady informed the coaching staff Thursday he plans to transfer.
Grady, a 6-foot-7, 221-pound sophomore from Huntington Beach, Calif., was the Sooners’ backup quarterback last season and competed with Paul Thompson and Rhett Bomar for the starting position during spring practice.
However, he has yet to attend practice this fall due to an intercession class he had to pass to remain eligible. It made him the odd man out in the race to replace Jason White.
In the end, he felt the time he missed on the field would be too much to overcome.
“In missing so much practice Tommy feels that it would be difficult to catch up now and would prefer to pursue other options,” OU coach Bob Stoops said. “Unfortunately, the time he needed to spend in class worked against him on the football field. We wish that wasn’t the case, but we understand the importance of academics.
“We’re disappointed, but we’re all for Tommy and are confident that he’ll be a fine college quarterback.”
Grady was one of the top prep quarterbacks in the country when he signed with OU in 2003. He redshirted that season, but was 12-for-14 for 63 yards, including one touchdown pass, in five games as a backup last season.
Throughout spring practice, Grady received an equal opportunity to earn the starting position.
That all changed when preseason practices began three weeks ago.
If Grady elects to transfer to another Division I school, he will have to sit out a season before becoming eligible to play.
Grady’s mother, Christy Grady, told the Associated Press it was a difficult decision for her son to make.
“He’s not happy about it, I’ll tell you that,” Christy Grady said. “He loves Oklahoma.”
Offensive coordinator Chuck Long said it was disappointing, too.
“We were very excited for Tommy to compete for the starting quarterback position and he was most definitely in the thick of that competition,” Long said. “Then he fell behind and it became a tougher situation for him. Tommy has a lot of ability.
“We are sorry that he won’t be here with us, but we support what he’s doing and wish him a lot of success.”
Wherever Grady decides to go, he will have to make the decision quickly. Many schools, including OU, begin classes next week. The intercession class that kept Grady away from practice concludes today.
He will only have a few days to choose a new school.
“He needs to be where the best fit is for him,” Christy Grady told the AP. “He wants a chance to play.”
