By John Shinn
Oklahoma running backs coach Cale Gundy said he hasn’t spoken with his brother, Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy, since the OSU coach’s tirade Saturday over a column that appeared in Saturday’s edition of The Oklahoman.
But he did defend his brother following OU’s practice Monday.
“He loves his players,” Cale Gundy said about his brother. “As a head coach, I believe your players are like children to you. That’s about all I can say.”
OU coach Bob Stoops said on the Big 12 coaches conference call Monday that he understood where the OSU coach was coming from.
“I just think there’s more sarcasm and belittling or who can be funnier and embarrassing or putting someone down,” he said. “I find it hard to read the sarcasm in those kinds of articles. I think Mike’s point is we do have to figure out … The problem with us is these are, regardless of what anyone wants to say, student athletes. They’re not professional players.
“Sometimes I think the ridicule, the way some people are writing articles or the way they talk about these kids … They don’t realize some of them are 18, 19 or 20 years old. They’re young kids. Most of them, 98 or 99 percent of them, aren’t going to play in the NFL. They’re just playing for their school, trying to do a good job. Sometimes I think the sarcasm and the belittling isn’t called for.”
Harris named to Good Works Team
OU safety Nic Harris has been named to the 2007 American Football Coaches Association Good Works Team. It is the second time in as many years a Sooner has made the squad. Running back Jacob Gutierrez was honored last season.
The two 11-man teams, a Division I-A team and a combined team from the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision, Divisions II, III, and the NAIA, honors players for their dedication and commitment to community service.
Harris, a junior, served as president and is an active member of Bridge Builders, an African-American student-athlete service network at OU
“He’s a fabulous young guy,” Stoops said of Harris. “Great student, works hard at it and is conscientious about everything he does. It’s neat that he, along with guys like Jacob Gutierrez, do so much in the community. What’s best about it is he gets other guys to do it with him.”
Through four games, Harris has 17 tackles, four pass deflections, two forced fumbles and an interception against North Texas that he returned 25 yards for a touchdown.
Texas time
The kickoff time for the OU-Texas game was announced Monday. The game will kickoff at 2:30 p.m. Oct. 6 at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas.
ABC (KOCO channel 5 locally) will televise the game.
Air up there
Stoops said he has no concerns playing in the high elevation Saturday at Colorado.
“It hasn’t been a factor yet,” Stoops said. “And this isn’t our first time up there.”
OU hasn’t played in Boulder since 2003 and it would be the first trip to Folsom Field for just about all the players on OU’s roster.
Left tackle Phil Loadholt, a Colorado native, said the players will find it a little tougher to catch their breath in the thin air.
“Our team is in really good shape, though,” Loadholt said. “I’ve never been in this good of shape in my life … For me, it’s more of a mental thing anyway.”
John Shinn
366-3536
jshinn@normantranscript.com
