By John Shinn
Oklahoma turned a trying season into a triumphant one and the recognition started pouring in Tuesday.
Sooner coach Bob Stoops was named the Big 12 Conference’s coach of the year by both the conference’s coaches and the Associated Press.
Linebacker Rufus Alexander was named the Big 12’s defensive player of the year by the coaches. Running back Adrian Peterson, offensive tackle Chris Messner and defensive ends C.J. Ah You and Larry Birdine were also first-team selections by the coaches. (The Associated Press team has yet to be released).
The second-team and honorable mention selections were also loaded with Sooners.
Wide receiver Malcolm Kelly, kicker Garrett Hartley and defensive backs Marcus Walker, Nic Harris and Reggie Smith were second-team selections.
OU’s honorable mention selections included Steven Coleman (defensive tackle), Brody Eldridge (fullback), Joe Jon Finley (tight end), Lendy Holmes (defensive back), Zach Latimer (LB), Allen Patrick (running back), Duke Robinson (offensive line), Reggie Smith (return specialist), Paul Thompson (quarterback), Brandon Walker (offensive line) and Darien Williams (defensive back).
It is the third time Stoops has received the award and the sixth time a Sooner has won offensive or defensive player of the year recognition.
The eighth-ranked Sooners (10-2, 7-1 Big 12) face No. 19 Nebraska (9-3, 6-2) in the Big 12 championship game at 7 p.m. Saturday night at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo.
It’s a game few thought OU could reach, considering the myriad of issues it has dealt with this season.
Before practice even began, starting quarterback Rhett Bomar and starting offensive guard J.D. Quinn were dismissed from the team for accepting more money than they had earned at a local car dealership.
Many figured their absence ended any hopes of a conference title.
Those problems were compounded by the controversy surrounding a 34-33 loss at Oregon and losing Heisman Trophy hopeful Adrian Peterson to a broken collarbone.
Despite the loss of star players and having a critical win taken away by officiating errors, the Sooners persevered.
“With the things that we’ve had to overcome, the way he’s kept this team focused, kept our mind-set focused on our main goals, is big,” quarterback Paul Thompson said. “That’s the main thing for coaches, keeping your team focused. He’s just done a great job overall with the adversity that we have had this year.”
Defensive coordinator Brent Venables said Stoops has never been a guy to look at the glass as half empty.
“Things just don’t get to him,” he said. “You can’t get him down and he’s not going to look at anything in a negative way. He doesn’t harp on the negatives. He’s immediately finding ways to make a bad situation good.”
The Sooners enter the conference championship game with a seven-game winning streak and opportunity to reach their fifth BCS bowl in seven seasons.
There’s plenty of credit to go around. The Sooner coach wasn’t ready to accept all of it.
“I’m pretty sensitive to that in that I appreciate anyone that recognizes individuals on our team that way,” he said. “But you preach so much to your team year-round and year after year that team accomplishments are what really matter. That the sum of all our parts is what really matters, not any one individual.”
