More than 84,000 fans will fill Memorial Stadium tonight when No. 2 Texas Tech and No. 5 Oklahoma meet.
Just about everybody will be screaming for the Sooners. However, there may be no more boisterous fans than those traveling up HWY 77 from Noble.
Yet, it’s not their vaunted Sooners they’ll be rooting for. For this game, Texas Tech may get the lion’s share of their support. It will stay that way as long as Noble native Colby Whitlock is a Red Raider.
“The whole town has gone crazy,” said Whitlock’s mother, Terri. “Our phone never stops ringing. We get calls like crazy with people asking for autographs. My younger son and I were just talking about all those die-hard Sooner fans saying they are confused and don’t know what to do. Or that they’re going to root for Colby this week.”
Whitlock, a sophomore, is Texas Tech’s starting noseguard. In 10 games this year he’s made 29 tackles, including five for loss. The 6-foot-2, 281-pounder has been a focal point in the turnaround for a Tech defense that used to be considered a doormat in the Big 12.
The Raiders ride into Norman undefeated and carry conference and national championship destiny in their hands . OU must win to keep its own championship hopes alive. Everything will take place less than 10 miles from Whitlock’s home.
“We are excited about it,” Noble football coach Ray Crawley said. “Just being six miles south of Owen Field, everyone normally bleeds crimson and cream. There is a little black and red blood of late. The whole school is abuzz. More people from Noble will be there at the game than any other OU game before.”
Crawley said Whitlock’s success has captured the attention of the entire town, which has a population of less than 6,000. And it’s not just diehard fans asking about him.
“Every kid in school talks about him,” Crawley said. “It’s not kids you think would want to talk about him. Kids that don’t participate, kids that don’t say anything. But over the last few weeks they have all taken notice.”
Whitlock’s family and coaches don’t believe he’ll be distracted by the big stage so close to his hometown.
“He stays consistent regardless of who we are playing,” Red Raider defensive line coach Charlie Sadler said. “I don’t concern myself with that at all.”
Sadler was a member of the OU coaching staff from 1984-90, serving as defensive line coach and defensive coordinator. He has coached many outstanding linemen over the years and believes Whitlock has the potential to be a standout.
“He is still young,” Sadler said. “He started as a true freshman so he is not going to have the benefit of being a fifth year senior, which is when most players have great seasons. But he will have four good years of play. How much he improves is on his shoulders. He can really be very good.”
Whitlock’s family always knew he could excel at the Division I level, the only concern was one of opportunity. Noble isn’t known for producing fantastic football players. But after Whitlock totaled 109 tackles (24 for loss), 11 forced fumbles and three sacks as a Bear senior, Tech reached out and offered a scholarship.
Even with Whitlock being a homegrown hero, not everyone in Noble has turned in their Sooner Nation member cards. Many have found a way to split their allegiance.
“Big Daddy BBQ has a sign out every week in which he predicts the score of the upcoming Oklahoma game,” Crawley said. “Even though this week he still picked OU to win 42-37, in even bigger letters he has ‘Go Colby.’”
Michael Kinney
366-3537
mkinney@normantranscript.com
Sports
Related Photos
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Former Noble star Colby Whitlock stands up after making a tackle during Texas Tech’s victory over Texas. LM Otero
Discussion
Pride of Noble
Colby Whitlock will have his own cheering section
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