Trophy News from TAHLEQUAH, Oklahoma……
Bradford Wins Heisman Trophy
Cherokee citizen and University of Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Sam Bradford became the first Native American, fifth Sooner and 74th player to receive the coveted Heisman Trophy Dec. 13 in New York City.
Bradford beat out fellow quarterbacks Colt McCoy of Texas and 2008 Heisman winner Tim Tebow of Florida for the bronze statue. He garnered 1,726 points for the win, with McCoy placing second at 1,604 points and Tebow third with 1,575 points.
“Wow, I really don’t think I can put it into words. It’s kind of a surreal experience,” Bradford said moments after winning.
But as usual, he was quick to give credit to family and coaches.
“I would like to thank my parents. From a young age they pushed me for greatness. They instilled a hard work ethic in me,” Bradford said. “I’ve got to thank my coaches. Coach (Bob) Stoops probably puts in more hours than any coach in the country. I’ve got to give a special thanks to coach (Josh) Heupel. He was one of my heroes growing up. I dreamed about playing for Oklahoma and watching him play. Now to call him my coach and learn from him everyday and everything he does for me, I can’t thank him enough.”
He also thanked his teammates, who helped him post the gaudy statistics to win the award.
“I was surrounded by such a strong supporting cast. I feel like I’m up here representing them,” Bradford said. “This is an individual award, but I feel like I’m receiving it on behalf of them.”
With his teammates’ help, Bradford has put together a record-breaking season. He has attempted 442 passes, completing 302 for a 68.3 completion percentage. He has thrown for 4,464 yards and 48 touchdowns and is the triggerman for an offense that has scored a NCAA-record 702 points. The team has also scored 60 or more points in five straight games.
Bradford is the second sophomore in NCAA history to win the award – following Tebow – and the second Sooner in five years to win the Heisman. Former Sooners quarterback Jason White won it in 2003.
He also is the first Native American to win the greatest individual trophy in college football. And though he didn’t grow up identifying with his Cherokee heritage, he wants to use his status to inspire other Cherokees and Native Americans.
“I feel like that’s another blessing God’s given me. He’s given me a great platform, especially within the Cherokee Nation. For me to be an example for those kids, I really look at it as a great opportunity for me,” he said.
Principal Chief Chad Smith said he agrees that Bradford along with Sequoyah High School graduates Nathan Stanley (a freshman quarterback at the University of Mississippi) and Angel Goodrich (a freshman point guard at Kansas University) serve as role models for younger Cherokees.
“People like Sam and some of our other young kids, they encourage and inspire kids to think, ‘If they can do it, we can do it,’” Smith said. “That’s the valuable purpose of a role model.”
Bradford is believed to be the first Native American to quarterback a major college program since Sonny Sixkiller led the Washington Huskies in the early 1970s.
Sixkiller, who was born in Tahlequah, is now a 57-year-old senior associate general manager at ISP, the University of Washington’s sports licensing properties division. He said he regrets not meeting Bradford when OU beat Washington 55-14 on Sept. 13 in Seattle and that he might have given Bradford the advice to embrace the Cherokee culture.
“I think they can look with pride on one with heritage and one that kids can relate to,” Sixkiller said. “It’s just huge. Every little bit that’s positive helps, and that’s what he’s doing.”
But despite the hero status and the Heisman glitz, Bradford said his focus is still on the goals the team set before the season – winning the Big 12 and Bowl Championship Series titles.
The Sooners won the Big 12 championship Dec. 6 in Kansas City, Kan., with a 62-21 victory over the Missouri Tigers. Bradford played the game with torn ligaments in his non-throwing left hand, an injury he suffered a week earlier against Oklahoma State.
The injury isn’t expected to keep him from missing the BCS national title game Jan. 8 when the Sooners play Tebow’s Florida Gators.
“We’re ready to meet that challenge. We’re ready to get back to work and get ready for the eighth. When we started the season, winning the national championship was the first goal we put down as a team. I’ve thought about the game everyday since we won the Big 12,” Bradford said.
Because of his outstanding play the past two seasons, the speculation about whether he will leave early for the NFL has started. NFL scouts and experts have said if Bradford declares for the NFL draft, he would certainly be a top five pick. Some NFL draft analysts have Bradford rated as the top player available in the draft.
However, Bradford said he isn’t looking that far ahead.
“We have a huge game in front of us, so I’m not going to think about that decision. After the game, I’ll gather all the information that’s necessary to make the correct decision,” he said.
Bradford has also collected other hardware besides the Heisman. The Touchdown Club of Columbus, Ohio awarded Bradford with the Sammy Baugh Trophy, as the nation’s top passer, and the Chic Harley Award as its player of the year. It’s the first time in the club’s 54-year history one player has won both awards.
On Dec. 11, he won the Davey O’Brien Trophy for being the nation’s top quarterback. He also was named to the Associated Press’ All-Big 12 first team at quarterback.
Originally posted By Wesley Mahan at Cherokeephoenix.org.
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