He made it back by the opening game of his senior year, against North Carolina, but was now alternating possessions at quarterback with Thompson. The recipient of the Sparks phone call was 1980s national championship quarterback Jamelle Holieway. I knew that it was a national-televised game, Holieway said. But with 6:13 to go in the game, Holieway sprinted to the left on a quarterback keeper, was tackled and immediately bounced back up to try and walk off some knee pain. The NCAA came in there and investigated it like it was some major violation. I got to step in and run my stuff. My foot went inside the turf and it slid, so it just took all of the traction out of the bottom. With Holieways dazzling mastery of the wishbone offense, it became clear that, no matter how talented a passer Troy Aikman was, his only hope in reclaiming his starting role the next season would be an injury to the flashy freshman. On that afternoon of October 19th in 1985, when Jamelle Holieway stepped into the crucible of the Miami game, replacing an injured Troy Aikman in the second quarter, his teammates didnt sense any trepidation. And I have a four-year-old daughter and a one-year-old son. I knew wed be on national TV and I started thinking about Joe Namath when he had his fur coat on. It was the first time that Oklahoma had lost to anyone other than Miami in three years. Jamelle Holieway (born June 25, 1967) is an American former college and professional football player who was a quarterback for the University of Oklahoma. Those little ones run me ragged. 1 Nebraska. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features Press Copyright Contact us Creators . The injury plagued Holieway for the remainder of the 1988 season, and he eventually lost his starting job to Charles Thompson. 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. If I had to do it all over again, I would have redshirted, took it, enjoyed the moment and then come back a little bit healthier the next year.. I got in and I just matriculated down the field and I only got applause when we got the touchdown. Oklahoma, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Colorado, and Oregon and USC came after Holieway. Now people will see what Im really all about, Holieway told the Los Angeles Times during the summer before his senior season. Jamelle Holieway is considered one of the greatest option quarterbacks in NCAA Division I-A history. I could have redshirted that year, but we were scheduled to travel out to Los Angeles to play USC at the Coliseum, said Holieway. 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. It is not a powerhouse anymore, but we still get together and have a Banning reunion. 13 Clemson. After beating Oklahoma State 13-0, they destroyed SMU 35-13 the following week. It is something that Coach Switzer, to be the great coach that he is because, for whatever reason, I practiced with No. Learn more Product details Date First Available : May 14, 2014 ASIN : B00KBYP5FU Ill have to rush for over a thousand yards and pass for over a thousand. It was a lead that they would never relinquish en route to 25-10 victory. To be quite honest, I was baffled because they threw a different defense at us that wed never seen before. The Los Angeles Raiders invited him to their training camp as a free agent, but cut him during the pre-season. The Sooners started at their own 34-yard line with 50 seconds left, but only got to their 45 with just 18 remaining ticks on the clock. Thanks to a defense that kept giving its offense the ball back, Oklahoma got a last chance at a game-tying drive with 4:10 left. We have to think that we are going to figure out that jump ball.'. Date: 12/6/01. Watch the full 1986 @OU_Football Flashback vs Nebraska, 10 pm @BallySportsOK pic.twitter.com/sl1bKpM0dU, Sooner Sports Network (@SoonerSportsTV) September 9, 2021. Holieway was the first true freshman quarterback to lead his team to the national title.[1]. We made a bad call in a bad situation, and he picked it up. My foot got caught in a seam in the carpet and when I tried to cut back, I heard a pop. You cant jump offsides when it is 4th and 1. I am going to be sitting on the bench. But Switzer was unmoved. My friends got to see. And me being from California, we have got to be flamboyant. I realized that I needed to change the channel if I wanted something better in my life.. During early practices, I was fourth-string. 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 . If you move us out there, I can get us a scholarship, and you wont have to pay for me to go to school. And my mama believed in her little 15-year-old boy to do that, and the rest is history. The top-ranked Crimson Tide will play No. 5 Nebraska. Jamelle Holieway is considered one of the greatest option quarterbacks in NCAA Division I-A history. Holieway was crushed when he wasnt selected in the NFL Draft. People that have just as good of athletes as we do. The 71-yard strike gave Oklahoma the lead for good at 10-7. In the teams second game against Arizona, he looked somewhat sharper in running for 75 yards on 17 carries, scoring on a 5-yard touchdown scamper and tossing a 43-yard TD. I have a ninth grader playing high school football and he is going to be really good. I am playing with grown men that have wives and have to feed their families however (they can), trying to get to the league. I eventually had to pay the university back for those phone calls, but I was just a young, lonely, homesick kid.. I have to do it the right way instead of the fast and the wrong way. He is one of the Richest American Football Player who was born in United States. I was crying when we came out of the locker room because I wanted to go to war with my guys. pic.twitter.com/Qba6PPvns2, ESPN Blacksburg (@ESPNBlacksburg) January 8, 2019. And here I am, just a little 18-year-old snotty-nosed freshman. 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. He has right leg sticking out, I have got my left leg sticking out of the car and we are just riding around practice the whole time.. Oklahoma 1 View Arrest Age: 34. Of course, Holieway isn't just any Sooner fan. Most people dont understand what it feels like to run out in front of 75,000 people, to hear that roar of that crowd while doing something you love. But my oldest sons are both in college, playing football and basketball. He made some unbelievable checks against their defenses., I felt coming into the game that they were the best team in the country, SMU Coach Bobby Collins said after the game. I was back to Banning a year ago, Holieway said. His electrifying 43-yard touchdown run in the first quarter gave the Sooners a 14-0 lead, which eventually ballooned to 27-0 after Holieways second scoring scamper from 17 yards out in the third frame. Thompson, however, broke his leg on the final play of the Nebraska game on November 19, 1988, so Holieway became the starter again for the Citrus Bowl vs. Clemson, in a 136 loss on January 2, 1989. He led the Oklahoma Sooners to a national championship in 1985. Sep 2020 - Present2 years 5 months. People from all over will come by just to say hello because they know that I am in town. I hated having to be a cheerleader. 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. They finished the year as the #3 team in the Associated Press and Coaches polls. Jamelle Holieway is an American former college and professional football player who was a quarterback for the University of Oklahoma. [1], Last edited on 21 February 2023, at 02:57, "Oklahoma's Jamelle Holieway is the only true freshman quarterback to lead his team to a national title, Georgia's Jake Fromm could be the second", "TOTALFOOTBALLSTATS.COM - Oklahoma Sooners", Jamelle Holieway Career Stats, Oklahoma Sooners, Holieway's 71 yard touchdown pass to Keith Jackson in the 1986 Orange Bowl National Championship Game, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jamelle_Holieway&oldid=1140653779, Big Eight First Team All-Conference QB (1985), Big Eight Offensive Player of the Year (1986), Big Eight First Team All-Conference QB (1986), This page was last edited on 21 February 2023, at 02:57. I had on a full-length mink. (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images). Especially this time, because I am on crutches. Once I got up, I couldnt put any pressure on my leg. Barry Switzer is one of the greatest men Ive ever met, he said. With Fred Akers, Bob Barry Jr., Brian Bosworth, Foster Bosworth. If you cant see em, you cant hit em, he said. A dominant Orange Bowl win over Arkansas set the stage for the 1987 season, in which Oklahoma began the season ranked No. Id like to win the Heisman, he told SI in August of 1987. He is having some very serious heart issues right now. Holieway finished his Sooner career with 2,713 yards rushing on 539 attempts (an average of 5.0 yards per carry) and 32 touchdowns. Penn State had their star linebacker, Shane Conlan, shadowing me the whole game, said Holieway. There were many well-publicized incidents, including a number ofarrests over the years that involveddrinking, drugs and motor vehicle violations. At the time, 5-foot-9, 175-pound Sooner Jamelle Holieway was on the sideline doing what he did best. The decision proved wise. 4. Holieway finished the game with 110 rushing yards via 25 attempts and the two scores as the 27-7 win clinched a Big 8 title and berth in the Orange Bowl. His former teammate who went on to the NFL, defensive back Rickey Dixon, reached out to him a few years back, sensing that he needed some support and encouragement. Holieway put no credence in the surgeons who told him he might not ever be able to play again. Miami defeated Oklahoma 20-14 to win the national championship. The recipient of the Sparks phone call was 1980s national championship quarterback Jamelle Holieway. When you see him start scooting over, you better change the play to Y Go. At that time, prior to the advancements of surgical procedures and medical technology, the injury was considered to be almost insurmountable. I was helpless. In order for that bowl matchup to have national championship implications, the Sooners would have to defeat both Oklahoma State on the road and SMU in the home finale. But I had to grow up fast because they are all looking at me to lead., OU quarterback Jamelle Holliway looks for running room while Penn States Shane Conlan moves in for the tackle during the 1986 Orange Bowl.Holieway 3. 10-2-0. Jamelle Holieway (born June 25, 1967) is an American former college and professional football player who was a quarterback for the University of Oklahoma. 2015 marked the 30 year. You could get caught up in the wrong place at the wrong time. Denver Broncos John Elway Autographed Jersey Gai. He's come to this Okfuskee County hamlet to teach a little football and spread a little inspiration and maybe teach these boys of all ages a thing or two about life. Jamelle Holieway had an excellent game, he made some unbelievable plays, said Switzer after the game. We would always watch Oklahoma-Nebraska, Holieway said. And holy crap, he had wheels. (Sooner Magic) was born before me, but to be a part of it, to have a game or two in Sooner Magic, (was great).. Alabama's Jalen Hurts is two wins away from joining Holieway. NewsOn6.com. He led the Oklahoma Sooners to a national championship in 1985. In our practice film, I was taught if I saw their free safety start cheating over coming to the tight end, if that safety starts moving from the middle of the field down to the box, he is going to come on the blitz, Holieway said.