OU’s Drake Stoops misses out on Burlsworth Trophy, won by Missouri’s Cody Schrader

BENTONVILLE, Ark. — When Drake Stoops began his OU career, he wasn’t thinking about winning the Burlsworth Trophy.

He was more focused on carving out a role on the Sooners after beginning his career as a walk-on before the 2018 season.

But as Stoops’ role with the Sooners increased the last couple seasons, and he earned not only a scholarship but carved out a role as one of the team’s leaders, Stoops began to consider the possibility of the trophy, which honors college football’s top player who began his career as a walk-on.

Monday, Stoops narrowly missed out winning the award, as Missouri running back Cody Schrader took the honor. James Madison noseguard James Carpenter was the other finalist.

“It’s a tremendous honor,” Stoops said before the ceremony of being a finalist. “Recognizes a lot of hard work and perseverance over the years and finally getting to a point where you’ve worked your whole career for and not a walk-on anymore, a real contributor, a real key piece of your team and kind of just represents all the hard work and perseverance to get to that point.”

More: Why OU’s Drake Stoops thinks Dillon Gabriel has a ‘great legacy’ as Sooners quarterback

Oklahoma Sooners wide receiver Drake Stoops poses for a photo with his father, former Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops, and his mother, Carol Stoops, during Senior Day before a college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the TCU Horned Frogs at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla., Friday, Nov. 24, 2023. Oklahoma won 69-45.

Former OU quarterback Baker Mayfield won the award in 2015 and 2016.

When he was considering his future, with scholarship offers from smaller FBS schools, a call from Mayfield helped solidify Stoops’ decision to stay home and play for the Sooners even if it meant walking on.

Stoops…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/ous-drake-stoops-misses-burlsworth-024117242.html

Author : The Oklahoman

Publish date : 2023-12-05 02:41:17

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