Only seven days to go in our countdown to kickoff, ladies and gentlemen! With just one week left remaining, we are going to reflect on an Sooner who is extremely well known for his tremendous college career and success as a pro, DeMarco Murray.
The Las Vegas product out of the legendary Bishop Gorman High School was a superstar multisport athlete. In addition to playing football, DeMarco also played basketball and ran track. Murray was quickly regarded as one of the top high school products in the nation, and in 2006 his decision came down to the Oklahoma Sooners and the USC Trojans. Apparently, USC head coach Pete Carroll was recruiting him as a defensive back, which ultimately made the choice an easy one for Murray.
Despite being a top recruit in the 2006 class, Murray redshirted his first season at OU. His prolific career would then begin alongside another all-time phenom, QB Sam Bradford. In 2007, DeMarco Murray was simply electric. He ran the ball and returned kickoffs using every one of his tools in his football arsenal. Speed, agility, vision. These three ingredients made for one of the smoothest skill sets ever witnessed at Owen Field.
Unfortunately, DeMarco’s inaugural season would come to an end quicker than he would have wanted. After suffering a dislocated patella against Texas Tech late in the season, Murray would remain sidelined for the conclusion of the 2007 campaign.
In 2008, Murray made his return to the football field, and the Sooners were loaded. With a Heisman Trophy-level quarterback in Bradford, as well as a plethora of other pro-level talent, OU would make a run to the BCS National Championship against the Florida Gators, and Murray was a major reason why.
However, it seemed like déjà vu, as Murray would once again miss the conclusion of his season due to injury, this time a hamstring injury suffered on the opening play of the Big XII Championship game against Missouri. Murray would not only miss the victory of that game but also the defeat of the national championship.
While OU wasn’t able to make it back to the summit of the college football world for the rest of Murray’s career, he was still able to pile up the stats and further cement himself in the Oklahoma history books. For his career, Murray rushed the ball 759 times for all 3,685 yards and 50 touchdowns. He also caught the ball 157 times for 1,571 yards and 13 touchdowns. After adding to all of that his 1,462 return yardage and two special teams scores, Murray’s 6,718 all-purpose yards and 65 touchdowns are tops in Oklahoma history.
After wrapping up his redshirt senior year with a Fiesta Bowl win over UConn at the end of the 2010 season, DeMarco Murray would enter the 2011 NFL Draft. With the 71st overall pick in the 3rd round, the Dallas Cowboys selected DeMarco Murray.
With the Cowboys, Murray would steadily rise among the pro running back ranks. In 2014, Murray led the league in rushing, and after the season would sign a big contract with the Philadelphia Eagles. After one quiet season in Philly, Murray would find himself with the Tennessee Titans, where he is currently sharing a backfield with Alabama Heisman Trophy winner Derrick Henry. In his first season in Nashville, Murray rushed for 1,287 yards, which was good for third in the NFL.
As the football career of one of the best to ever come through Norman carries on, we can continue to be proud of DeMarco’s success. For those who saw 7 as a Sooner, those memories are sure to be cherished and shared for generations yet to come.
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