We’re 19 days away from the opener against Houston, and today we highlight one of OU’s starting cornerbacks from the 2000 championship team.
Michael Thompson was one of the key cogs in 2000 as a true sophomore, starting in every game for the Sooners that season. His strip of Texas receiver Montrell Flowers at the State Fair of Texas had OU fans thinking that he would be making plays for the Sooners for the foreseeable future. Unfortunately, Thompson was involved in a single-car accident (he cited narcolepsy as the cause) before the 2001 season, and he never started another game at OU.
Coming into the 2003 matchup against Alabama at Bryant-Denny Stadium, many OU fans likely had forgotten that Thompson was still on the squad. But on fourth-and-10 with a three point lead in the third quarter, the coaching staff thrust him back into the spotlight.
Thompson’s play completely turned the tide of the game (no pun intended) in Alabama that night, and OU would go on to play in the BCS Championship Game that year.