By John Shinn
Paul Thompson hasn’t played a meaningful down at Oklahoma, yet the quarterback already acts like a seasoned pro.
At OU’s media luncheon Tuesday, all eyes were on him as he prepares for his first career start at 11 a.m. Saturday when OU hosts TCU at Owen Field.
And he was trying to set an example. He was there to say he’s ready for the challenge, a challenge he fully understands.
“The main thing is just getting the consistency, the leadership,” Thompson said. “When I came in, I saw Jason (White) go down and Nate (Hybl) stepped up. He was a great leader for this team and that was one of the main reasons why we won the Rose Bowl that year.
“When Jason stepped back in for the last two years, he was a great leader on and off the field. I take a lot of things from those two guys that will help me.”
Fact is, Thompson’s had plenty of time to absorb what the quarterback position means at OU. He knows he has to be the leader.
But he’s possessed those traits longer than his three collegiate years.
When he arrived in Norman prior to the 2002 season, White and Hybl were neck-and-neck for the starting quarterback job. White won it, but vacated it three games into the season with a season-ending injury against Alabama.
Hybl completed the season and led OU to a Big 12 title and a Rose Bowl win. White reclaimed the job in 2003 and moved the Sooner offense to unparalleled heights, while winning the Heisman Trophy.
Thompson had to wait for his turn even if it meant three seasons on the sideline.
“I definitely knew my day would come,” he said. “I just continued to prepare myself and put myself in the situation that I’m in now.”
It would have been understandable for a guy with his size (6-foot-4, 210 pounds) and speed (4.4 seconds in the 40-yard dash) to move to another position or transfer to another school.
But it would have gone against his nature. Thompson set out to become OU’s quarterback and that’s what he was going to do.
“I just kind of stuck it out through all of that,” he said. “It was just my upbringing. I’m not going to give in. I’m not going to quit. I’m not going to back down to competition in any way.”
Offensive coordinator Chuck Long said that competitiveness was one of the reasons the Sooners wanted him as a quarterback.
“I look at him as a self-made player. He’s made himself into a quarterback,” Long said. “Here’s a guy that wasn’t recruited as a quarterback very heavily. Most teams wanted him as a wide receiver. But he made himself into a player. He’s like a self-made millionaire or business person. That’s what he did for himself. Now he’s in position to be a starting quarterback.”
He has certainly paid his dues. He backed up Hybl and White for two seasons and redshirted last year. He battled with redshirt freshman Rhett Bomar for the starting job the last eight months.
Nothing has been given to him.
He’s earned everything. And he’s gained a wealth of respect because of it.
“I appreciate his toughness, his work ethic, his character and the way he’s fought through everything,” OU coach Bob Stoops said. “All of our players respect him. We do as coaches.
“He’s been a great team guy and has fought for his opportunities, and he’s got them. It is a testament to the kind of character that he has.”
John Shinn366-3536jshinn@normantranscript.com
