Wilson key to Sooners' machine

Oklahoma offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson was honored with the Frank Broyles Award, given to college football's top assistant coach. Steve Sisney / The Oklahoman file

July 21, 2009

by: JOHN E. HOOVER World Sports Writer

Kevin Wilson had an extraordinary year.

The Oklahoma Sooners' offensive coordinator put together the most prolific offense in NCAA history. The Sooners scored more points than any college football team since 1904. They scored 50 points nine times, the most by any team in the history of the game. That included 60 points or more in a record six consecutive games.

The 2008 edition set school records for points and total yards.

OU had the Heisman Trophy winner (Sam Bradford), became the first Big 12 Conference team with two 1,000-yard rushers (DeMarco Murray and Chris Brown) and four offensive first-team All-Americans (Bradford, Jermaine Gresham, Duke Robinson, Phil Loadholt).

Lastly, Wilson was honored with the Frank Broyles Award, given to college football's top assistant coach.

In June, Wilson was given a $100,000 raise, easily the highest on the Sooner staff. But head coach Bob Stoops said Wilson's raise wasn't necessarily a reflection of his 2008 success.

"I think it's a reflection of his success through the years," Stoops said. "It's built and built."

Wilson, 47, came to OU in 2002 as the offensive line coach after three seasons as offensive coordinator under the late Randy Walker at Northwestern. Wilson also was offensive coordinator at Miami (Ohio) from 1992-98.

At both schools, Wilson and Walker helped innovate the current trend of zone-read options for dual-threat quarterbacks, incorporating it into spread formations that Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez originally created on the NAIA level.

"He's one of the early innovators of all of that style of offense, no question," Stoops said.

College football coordinators now command salaries once reserved for head coaches. Oklahoma State's four primary coordinators average $312,500. Elsewhere in the Big 12, Texas' coordinators last year were paid $425,000 each; Texas A&M's averaged $365,000. OU defensive coordinator Brent Venables makes $395,000. Wilson's salary now stands at $385,000.

"You can just look at what's happening around the country," Stoops said. "That's what the market reflects."

Stoops remains impressed with Wilson's track record of adapting his system and play-calling to the Sooner roster, from Adrian Peterson and Jason White to Paul Thompson and Allen Patrick to Sam Bradford and DeMarco Murray/Chris Brown. Ultra-talented players come and go; replacements are either touted or not. But the OU offense continues to set records annually.

"Kevin has been so smart in how he's adapted to our personnel," Stoops said. "He has such an experience in so many different ways in moving an offense; he understands it. He's coached in a variety of spots and he understands, and he plays to our strengths.

"That's a compliment to him and our whole offensive staff. He understands what we're good at and what our personnel is good at."

Wilson's challenge this season: ensure that an almost entirely new offensive line can provide protection for Bradford and give Murray and Brown effective running space.

If four new offensive line starters can't cut it, the Sooner offense could take a significant step back from its 2008 productivity.

"In our world, we have to anticipate the worst and prevent the disaster," Wilson said in the spring. "So I'm anticipating the worst.

"It's no different than a kid taking a foreign language or an upper-level math, where they're learning. These guys are learning how to play hard, and they're learning how to go every day. That's kind of foreign to a lot of people. It's a foreign skill, bringing your best every day.

"It sounds common. But just look in the work force, at your own work environment, and you'll see guys that don't bring it every day. And that's what we're asking these young guys to do."

Where are they now: Gary Walker

By Nick Schenck

July 18, 2009

After a decorated 11-year NFL career with the Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans, Jacksonville Jaguars and Houston Texans, defensive end Gary Walker now enjoys spending his days far away from the spotlight of pro sports.

The two-time Pro Bowler and former Auburn University standout finished playing in 2005, and he now splits his time between expansive ranches that he owns in Texas, Alabama and Georgia, where he grew up. Walker's laid-back lifestyle with his family suits him well, though he feels like he still can play in the NFL.

"When I say I feel like I still can play," Walker said, "that's one of those things where you talk to someone that's been retired from football for 20 years and in their mind they can still do it, but their bodies might say something else. I have plenty of aches and pains."

Known during his playing days as one of the best quotes in the locker room, Walker continues to speak his mind freely. Of retirement, he says that he "was just ready for a change," but admits that the transition isn't easy. Finding things to fill his days can be challenging, but he enjoys checking on his livestock, fishing with his children and doing other recreational activities on his properties.

"One thing you miss when you retire is you miss the locker room, you miss the guys, you miss playing," he said. "In football, every month you have got something going on. In the offseason, you have this month that you have to do workouts.

"That's why before I retired, I pretty much had my (life) set up to what I wanted to do… You can go through stages of retirement where you get out and try to buy happiness and try to fill that void of being in the locker room. Have something to do (when you retire)."

As for what he doesn't miss about playing in the NFL, Walker avoided the obvious choice. Many players despise the dog days of training camp and two-a-days in sweltering heat, but Walker said that losing is what he misses the least. In his four-year career with the Texans, the team's record was 18-46. In his final season, Houston went 2-14.

"It was hard being an expansion team when people expect you to win right then," Walker said. "You lose a game and go to a restaurant and you have everyone that wants to tell you how much you suck.

"That's why I'm glad to see these guys finally getting big contracts, because you get paid to put up with a lot of that. People wanted to basically provoke you. They say stuff to try to provoke you into hitting them or whatever."

The disappointment of the 2005 season led to a new era in Texans history with the arrival of coach Gary Kubiak and the No. 1 draft pick, defensive end Mario Williams.
Walker, who would like to be an NFL scout, has a lot to say about Williams.

"I think Mario Williams is doing way, way, way better than anybody ever expected, and I'm glad to see that more so than anybody because of the heat he took being the No. 1 pick overall in the draft," Walker said. "If you look at the guys (in that draft) who were picked second (Reggie Bush) and third (Vince Young), a lot of times you have to go with what's there and what you see and not necessarily what everybody wants, and I think it's panning out for (the Texans).

"They have a guy who's three years in the league and has been to the Pro Bowl and he'll go to the Pro Bowl from now on as long as they keep good stuff around him."

As for the Texans, Walker believes the team is in position to reach the postseason for the first time in franchise history this season. He finally sees the Texans having enough depth, which he says is difficult for expansion teams to develop.
The key, according to Walker, is continuity on the coaching staff.

"When (Houston) changed coaches from Dom Capers to Kubiak, you go from a 3-4 to a 4-3 (defense), you have to give a guy like (Kubiak) 5-6 years to get his philosophy and his depth on the team," Walker said. "Then, that's when he'll start winning."

Walker saved his boldest assessment of the Texans for the quarterback position. Maybe it's because he spent a career chasing passers in the backfield, but Walker continues to keep a close eye on signal-callers around the NFL. He liked what he saw from Dan Orlovsky last year, despite the Detroit Lions' winless record.

"I think the biggest offseason move (the Texans) made was getting the guy from Detroit, because I think he's the type of quarterback they need in that scheme," Walker said. "He's a big guy that can take a lot of hits. I think he's going to be the future quarterback for the Texans. That's my opinion."

When Walker reflects on his time with the Texans, he does so fondly. Perhaps his only regret is that he wasn't able to play more. He struggled through a myriad of injuries that forced him to miss 18 games in his final three seasons after playing all 16 games and going to the Pro Bowl after the 2002 campaign.

"That 3-4 defense took a lot out of me," Walker said. "That defense, you got hit from angles where you couldn't see people coming. I never did really start having injuries until I got in that defense. It took its toll.

"That defense there is just, I don't know, they can throw that stuff away. It's proven to win, but I tell you, people pay a price for it."

In the Texans' inaugural season, Walker finished with 37 tackles, 6.5 sacks, four pass deflections and a forced fumble, becoming one of the most disruptive defensive forces in the NFL. He counts his most memorable game as the team's 24-6 win at Pittsburgh on Dec. 8, 2002, when the Texans totaled only 47 net yards of offense. Houston scored on two interception returns by cornerback Aaron Glenn, a fumble return and a field goal.

Walker had 1.5 sacks in the game, where the Texans attempted only 10 passes compared to the Steelers' 58.

"One-hundred-and-two plays, that's what I remember about the game," Walker said. "One-hundred-and-two defensive plays."

As the Texans begin to turn the corner as a franchise, Walker says he doesn't take any personal satisfaction in the team's success. Instead, he believes that owner Bob McNair and the team's scouts should be the most gratified.

"When they start winning, I think those guys are the ones who are going to benefit from it the most," Walker said. "I think the owner is the one who deserves most of the credit, because he's the one having to go through most of the heat.

"You take an owner like Bob McNair who is committed to winning, he's going to spend money to get players in there to win."

Smith's jumper gives Shock 79-77 OT win over Sun

July 11, 2009

UNCASVILLE, Conn. (AP) — Katie Smith made a jumper with 6.3 seconds remaining in overtime to give the Detroit Shock a 79-77 win over the Connecticut Sun on Saturday night.

Lindsay Whalen missed a game-tying jumper at the buzzer, sending Connecticut (5-6) to its second straight loss and third in four games.

Detroit (3-7) has beaten Connecticut in 10 of the past 13 matchups.

"Katie Smith makes tough shots," said Connecticut forward Asjha Jones, who was guarding Smith when she made the game winner.

"Asjha came out and I put the ball on the floor," Smith said. "Fortunately, I was able to knock it down."

Connecticut led 77-76 with 55.9 seconds left in overtime. Kara Braxton made a free throw to tie it.

Smith led the Shock with 25 points. Braxton had 14 points and 13 rebounds while Alexis Hornbuckle had 11 points and Cheryl Ford had nine points and 12 rebounds.

Jones led Connecticut with 23 points and 10 rebounds. Whalen had 20 and Kerri Gardin had 12.

Tan White made two free throws with two seconds left in regulation to tie the game at 67.

The Sun led 63-58 in the fourth period, but didn't make a field goal for the final 5:27. The Sun missed 10 straight shots.

"I don't have an answer for this one," Connecticut coach Mike Thibault said. "Right now, our offense is so scattered."

Detroit was whistled for four technical fouls, three in the fourth quarter.

"When you see the coaches care that much and you know they've got your back, you want to do your part," Smith said.

Detroit's bench outscored Connecticut's 36-9.

Connecticut played without forward Tamika Whitmore, who missed the game with a calf injury. It ended Whitmore's streak of 204 straight games played, the longest active streak in the WNBA. Detroit guard Deanna Nolan, its leading scorer, missed the game with a hamstring injury.