Before I became the starter, I was discouraged. More Info. And suddenly, an 18-year-old freshman from Los Angeles was the all-Big 8 quarterback and tasked with fulfilling his teams preseason No. During the 1985-1986 season, Holieway took . Aikman gets off to a great start, then breaks his left leg in the second quarter with the Sooners trailing, 14-7, and Holieway trots out to assume control of the offense for the rest of the season. The dark cloud that had descended uponthe program, and Coach Switzer, hurt Holieway immensely. Jamelle Holieway was the precocious freshman thrust into duty and remains to this day the only true freshman quarterback for a college football national champion. It is not a powerhouse anymore, but we still get together and have a Banning reunion. Shoot, it was cold in Lincoln, Nebraska. He is one of the Richest American Football Player who was born in United States. We had a running play called for Spencer Tillman, but when I saw the safety inching closer, I audibled at the line of scrimmage and called an All-Streak., When I dropped back, I saw that nobody was defending the middle of the field in pass coverage, he continued. Oklahoma finished the regular season with their best record since 1979, 10-1. Holieway starred at Banning, helped a Pilots team with 13 future major-college players win a Los Angeles City football title as a junior, then was named the LA. City Player of the Year the Baby Heisman after a senior season in which the Pilots were L.A. City runner-up. American gridiron football player (born 1967) American football player. And one of the best things that he taught me, that football taught me, was that no matter how hard things get, no matter how hard you fall, you gotta get back up. Clad in his original Oklahoma road-white 1986 Orange Bowl jersey which was used just for a bowl week photo opportunity as the Sooners wore their crimson jerseys in the game that year Holieway gathered before the scrimmage at midfield with all of the other former players as Venables spoke passionately about their importance to the program. The Oklahoma coach and the linebacker he recruited to play for him were both out-sized personalities who delighted in thumbing their noses at the establishment. I felt someone needed to reach out to him, Dixon told The Oklahomans sports columnist Berry Tramel in 2012. Jamelle Holieway (born June 25, 1967) is an American former college and professional football player who was a quarterback for the University of Oklahoma. 22, scoot over and start coming down and I just said, Red, red, Y Go, Y Go and that means, (Oklahoma tight end) Keith (Jackson), go run as fast as you can down the middle of the field and I am going to throw it as far as I can and hopefully we connect. That is how that play came about., 88 days until Sooner football. Highly recruited from Banning High School under longtime head coach Chris Ferragamo, Holieway attracted interest from a swarm of schools. I had to bring out that L.A. swag and give the homies back in L.A. something to talk about., To this day, youd be surprised how many people walk up to me and say, I remember that Nebraska game when you were hurt, limping around in a fur coat, he continued. That accomplishment is underrated in Sooner Lore. They finished the year as the #3 team in the Associated Press and Coaches polls. The famous never-ending feud between Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State legend, and Brian Bosworth, Oklahoma legend, took yet another fun turn Monday as Gundy in his weekly presser took a not-so-subtle jab at The Boz's, ahem, nutritional intake while he was at Oklahoma as the star linebacker of the Sooners. All the Sooners, we all try to stick together, Holieway told Stormin In Norman. I am always the last one on the bus, Holieway said. Holieway tore the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee in a game versus the Oklahoma State Cowboys on November 7, 1987. Coach Switzer always said, Theres three teams that we cant lose to: Texas because of recruiting, Nebraska because were the real Big Red, and Oklahoma State, because I cant go anywhere in the state and have a good meal without some damn cowboys harassing me, said Holieway. With the Oklahoma Sooners going 42-6 in his four years and 28-2 as a starter, Jamelle Holieway led the Oklahoma Sooners to a National Championship in 1985. Holieway lost for just the second time as a starter, 23-7, that day and started two more games while alternating playing time with Thompson before his limitations health-wise made it clear that Thompson was the faster, more effective option going forward. Holieways chauffeur duties extended from the golf cart to the car that shuffled Switzer from one bowl week commitment to another. He believes Williams can lead these Sooners to similar heights. Holieway was crushed when he wasnt selected in the NFL Draft. And when I saw that Keith was being covered 1-on-1 by a linebacker, I said, Oh, he cant guard my man! I heaved that thing and Keith grabbed it and ran it in., Everybody talks about Holieway being a freshmen, but hes a very mature football player, Conlan said after the game. Holieway, now 49 and. Their only loss was again to Jimmy Johnsons Miami Hurricanes. Especially this time, because I am on crutches. As the team captain, Holieway led the Sooners to an 8-3 record during his senior year. Learn more Product details Date First Available : May 14, 2014 ASIN : B00KBYP5FU And when Colorado and Coach (Bill) McCartney said he was going to change to the wishbone, I am like, You just want me there. They were all enraptured and captivated by the song Computer Love, the smooth, hypnotic R&B classic produced by Zapp and Roger that featured the arresting, heartfelt vocals of Charlie Wilson and Shirley Murdock. Jamelle Holieway (born June 25, 1967) is a former American college and professional football player who was a quarterback for the University of Oklahoma. I pushed myself. I knew that if I consistently got us in the right play, the sky was the limit.. You can help change this statistic. Jamelle Holieway has the and the s vote, Tune in at 6:30 CT on @FOXSportsOK for the full debate! Colorado won the game 10-9. But he was an outstanding man who I love to this very day.. When I went into surgery, the doctors said when I woke up from the anesthesia, if I had a splint on, that meant that it was a simple scope and Id be back for the Nebraska game in a couple of weeks. My foot went inside the turf and it slid, so it just took all of the traction out of the bottom. Net Worth in 2020. Coach Switzer would always sit there and say, You have got to believe that you are going to win,' Holieway said. Football /. Prior to his junior year, Sports Illustrated named him as one of the top ten players in the country. The Shadow League is a narrative company. Also peep Boz and Jamelle Holieways celebration pic.twitter.com/m2AntWr6nE, Barstool Sooners (@OUBarstool) June 9, 2020. Some suggested that Thompson be named the permanent starter. It is really cool to have Banning and Carson get together.. But Holieway was not as green as has often been portrayed. When I was going through my difficulties, he sat me down and we talked. And with Holieway at the helm as Aikman was lost for the year, he had the perfect weapon to unleash that could gouge defenses with a short-space-quickness, explosive bursts of speed and a mastery of the sleight-of-hand and misdirection that the offense required. It was a lead that they would never relinquish en route to 25-10 victory. Just to see where we are on the radar.. Lawrence is the first true freshman to win since Jamelle Holieway led the Oklahoma Sooners over the Penn State Lions in the Orange Bowl 33 years ago. I didnt know any different, Holieway said. Jamelle Holieway and Barry Switzer discuss a play during the the game between Oklahoma and Nebraska on Nov. 23, 1985. He said, Yall see Holieway? And here I am, just a little 18-year-old snotty-nosed freshman. More Info. "I was going to the left side," Holieway says. Jamelle scored on touchdown runs of 3 and 38 yards and slashed and dashed for 126 yards rushing, while also throwing for another score. NORMAN, Okla. (AP) Jamelle Holieway dazzled the college football world as a true freshman who mastered Oklahoma's dynamic wishbone attack and led the Sooners to the 1985 national championship . Here is Part II of our feature story on the University of Oklahoma's Jamelle Holieway. Oklahoma, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Colorado, and Oregon and USC came after Holieway. It was like a brotherhood. His decision to play for the Sooners came at the last minute, as he had a three-year-old sister that he didn't want to leave behind. I am like, That must be a cool-ass coach because he is letting these individual people be individuals, but they are still playing good football on the field.. With #2 ranked Miami being blown out by #8 Tennessee 35-7 in the Sugar Bowl, the Sooners realized if they beat Penn State, theyd win the National Championship. Despite losing three games during his senior year, the worst was yet to come. They did. Miami led by as many as 20 points that day in its 27-14 victory. While Mitchel possessed both the superior size (6-foot-1, 195 pounds compared to 5-11, 175 for Holieway) and speed (a 4.27-second 40-yard dash vs. Holieways low 4.5), it was Holieway that gained the approval of Switzer through the split-second decision making he displayed in preseason scrimmages. Orange Bowl: Oklahoma QB Jamelle Holieway victorious with teammates after winning National Championship game vs Penn State. Holieway, who is arguably the best option quarterback ever, did his damage out of the wishbone offense in running for 862 yards and nine touchdowns as a true freshman. Cant they just call the game?. In some ways, Barry Switzer and Brian Bosworth were made for each other. I dont care if there are no ticks on the clock and it is the last Hail Mary, we have to think that we are going to win that. Talking about Holieway, whod run for 2,532 yards and 27 touchdowns and passed for 1,606 and 16 more scores heading into his senior year, the Oklahoma coach told the Los Angeles Times, Hes the best weve ever had. You couldnt make that pivotal mistake. After evening team meetings during the summer and fall, he would slide a piece of paper into one of the office doors at the football facility to prevent it from locking. Barry Switzer is one of the greatest men Ive ever met, he said. I get on that bus to get on that plane, and Coach Switzer says, Where did you get that jacket from? I said, Coach, it is going to be snowing up in Lincoln. But he proved that he was far from a one trick pony on a third-and-24 from his own 29 yard line, when he hit star tight end Keith Jackson on a 71-yard bomb to put Oklahoma up 10-7. Man, that was our jam! Pending. Holieway saw his first action in the second game of the season at Kansas State, running three times for 44 yards in a 41-6 blowout win for the Sooners. Penn State had their star linebacker, Shane Conlan, shadowing me the whole game, said Holieway. A ridiculous athlete and one of the top Texas prospects in the 2001 class, the speedy 275-pounder signed for the defending national champions and stormed into a lineup that already featured stars. Jamelle Holieway is an American former college and professional football player who was a quarterback for the University of Oklahoma. While a win would deliver an outright Big 8 title for the third year in a row, the third-ranked Sooners found themselves trailing after three quarters, 17-7. Today, Holieway lives in a small town in Oklahoma. Quarterback Darian Hagan of the Colorado Buffaloes runs down the field during a game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida. The scrutiny increased as reports detailed player arrests for violence, weapons and an alleged rape that had taken place under Barry Switzers watch. I am playing with grown men that have babies. I knew wed be on national TV and I started thinking about Joe Namath when he had his fur coat on. 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. Jamelle Holieway is considered one of the greatest option quarterbacks in NCAA Division I-A history. Jamelle Holieway (born June 25, 1967) is an American former college and professional football player who was a quarterback for the University of Oklahoma.He led the Oklahoma Sooners to a national championship in 1985.. Jamelle Holieway is considered one of the greatest option quarterbacks in NCAA Division I-A history. , At the end of this clip, Jerome Brown helped to break Aikman's ankle, which led to his transfer to UCLA. The Hurricanes won that game, 27-14, and Holieway had his year`s worst numbers. Ou Sooners Spring Football Game. All advice, including picks and predictions, is based on individual commentators opinions and not that of Minute Media or its related brands. But they all remember when the national television cameras found him on the sidelines of Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska on the afternoon of November 21st, 1987. It is all about how you are being a general amongst this team and moving down the field and getting us in the right plays. Despite never being teammates, a player from the 1990s reaching out to an icon of the 1980s served as a fitting testament to the sort of brotherhood that comes with being an Oklahoma Sooner. Beginning at their own six-yard-line, the Sooners marched 94 yards, including a 4th-and-1 attempt at their own 15 where a Holieway fumble was negated by a Nebraska face mask penalty. It is humbling, Holieway said. Get the latest news, stats, videos, highlights and more about guard Jamelle Holieway Jr on ESPN. A true freshman named Jamelle Holieway replaced Aikman, and on his first play from scrimmage connected on a 19-yard pass to Shepard. The reason being, Coach Switzer tore his knee up at the Nebraska game. That humbles me and makes me appreciate what I did back then, and they still remember that. So, two days after Thanksgiving, were playing a Saturday night game on national television, and Im hyped because my mom, family and all friends are watching on TV. We went to see Zapp and Roger in concert and jammed to that song all summer.. I dont know what this man knew that I didnt know, but he knew something.. That is not going to work, Holieway recalled. YOU HAVE 20,000 FOLLOWERS: $100 per post at a $5/CPM. The clot can block arteries, causing a heart attack. My dorm was right across the street, so Id sneak back over there at night and use the phone in that office to call everybody I knew back in Los Angeles, he said. Jamelle Holieway. The Los Angeles Raiders invited him to their training camp as a free agent, but cut him during the pre-season. Support small. 4 Washington in the Peach Bowl on Dec. 31 in a national semifinal. MUSKOGEE, Oklahoma -- Former University of Oklahoma quarterback Jamelle Holieway is in the Muskogee County jail after being arrested on warrants out of McIntosh County. Lashar calmly drilled the game-winning field goal from 31 yards away. And when we came out of the locker room right before kickoff, there was snow and ice everywhere. The song was ubiquitous in Los Angeles at the time as it flooded and dominated the California airwaves. So therefore, it was only Colorado or Oklahoma. I remember Coach Switzer telling me during my recruitment that it didnt snow during football season, and was I like, Man, I cant believe that Coach lied to me!, When we went out to warm up before the game, the temperature was in the mid to low thirties, freshman receiver Anthony Stafford said in Wishbone: Oklahoma Football. Because this was my first go around, so this is normal for me. You would think being relegated to spectator as his team competed for a national championship for Holieway. Its a very serious injury, Clive Brewster, the head of rehabilitation at Kerlan and Jobe Orthopedics at Centinela Hospital Medical Center, told the Los Angeles Times in the summer of 1988. They were ranked #3 in the nation. But he was far from the electrifying, mesmerizing Jamelle. During early practices, I was fourth-string. An Aikman-led victory over Texas (14-7) set the stage for the well-documented October 19 visit from unranked Miami. If you call him during the early evening, after hes gotten home from work, hell ramble on the telephone for as long as you allow, revisiting his days of stardom and winning the National Championship. 5 Nebraska. Throughout the remainder of this college football season, The Shadow League's series, The Black College Quarterback, will examine some of the most talented and impactful signal callers of the '80s and '90s. Bachi Bus. Hes a great athlete, then Tampa Bay Bucs scout James Harris said when asked about Holieway. You get your dream, you get to start one last game,' Holieway said. It is not the same, just like everything in the world is. I've been determined over the last few years to get my good name back. Highly recruited from Banning High School in Wilmington, Los Angeles, California, under longtime head coach Chris Ferragamo, Holieway attracted interest from a swarm of schools. And now I was being told that I wasnt good enough. Your favorite teams, topics, and players all on your favorite mobile devices. Holieway then turned his focus to Oklahoma, which not only had a long, successful track record of winning big with the triple-option offensive attack but a charismatic coach in Barry Switzer who was not threatened by players who wished to display some personality. Because you get to dress up, this is the time where everybody gets to dress up and show what their style is and what part of the neck of the woods they are from. Prior to the injury, he was being projected as a legitimate running back prospect in the National Football League. He led the Oklahoma Sooners to a national championship in 1985. Detroit Lions scout Jerry Neri was optimistic about Holieways NFL prospects. With 1:22 to go, Switzer elected to kick the tying extra point that would secure Oklahoma the Big 8 championship and the Orange Bowl bid, while the Nebraska crowd was seemingly left with the consolation tie. 2 talking about this. a brown fur coat. I made that a priority.. No true freshman, before or since, has ever quarterbacked their team to the National Championship. 10-2-0. I tore my knee up on that old turf we used to play on, which was as hard as concrete, said Holieway. He is also ranked in the richest person list from United States. But many wondered if his slight frame could continue to take such an extreme pounding without sustaining serious injury. Oklahoma football: Which former Sooner QB is Dillon Gabriel most like? And the very next chance you get, you have to give your best effort to go forward., Series Intro The Black College Quarterback. The Oklahoma football family never gave up on him. I just left high school and now were on TV? 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