Josh Heupel’s long awaited return to Oklahoma is finally here as the former National Championship winning quarterback brings No. 6 Tennessee to Norman.
While some in the Oklahoma media and fanbase have taken shots at Heupel leading up to the game, those that were with Heupel every day and still reside in Norman have praised the character of Tennessee’s head coach this week. That was the case on “Sooner Sports Talk” — Oklahoma’s version of Vol Calls — Monday night.
“Model of consistency. Same guy every single day,” Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables said of his time around both the coach and player Josh Heupel. “He could be friends with anybody and not have to try. Just really easy— people wanted to follow him. Not a raw raw guy at all. He’s a guy that has great poise and the moment was never too big for Josh. Great composure and poise as a leader and competitor.”
Oklahoma color commentator and former linebacker Teddy Lehman was Heupel’s teammate on the 2000 National Championship team and weighed in with his respect for Tennessee’s fourth-year head coach.
“I’ll say this. I would take a bullet for that guy after I got that punt blocked at K State he took them down and gave us some cushion late,” Lehman said. “I’ll do anything for Heup. He’s awesome though. Whenever I first showed up, my very first day in the summer. Workout, everything. He took me to eat at Furr’s Cafeteria. $5 all you could eat.”
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Heupel played two seasons at Oklahoma, 1999 and 2000, after transferring in from junior college. The left-handed quarterback was instrumental is the Sooners’ program taking off early in Bob Stoops’ tenure as Heupel finished runner up for the 2000 Heisman Trophy and the Sooners won the National Championship.
Lehman was a freshman on the 2000 National Championship team and went on to be a consensus All-American and win the Dick Butkus Award later in his career before playing five seasons in the NFL.
While Lehman was playing in the NFL, Heupel returned to Oklahoma where he was a coach with Venables. While Oklahoma’s current head had already left for Clemson by the time Bob Stoops fired Heupel, he has stayed in touch with Heupel and has been impressed by the way the former quarterback jumpstarted his career.
“We’ve stayed in touch through the years. I’m overly happy for him and what a great story of redemption just as a coach and being able to start over and he would probably be the first one to tell you that it might have been the best thing that could happen for him,” Venables said. “You have to continue to evolve and so he’s as good as an example of doing that as anyone i’ve known. Then putting his own thumb print on it as well. It’s unique in some ways and he’s just done a fantastic job in every way.”
Kickoff between No. 6 Tennessee and No. 15 Oklahoma is at 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday night at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit and Holly Rowe are on the call for ABC.
