Build your customFanSided Daily email newsletter with news and analysis onOklahoma Sooners and all your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and more. My dorm was right across the street, so Id sneak back over there at night and use the phone in that office to call everybody I knew back in Los Angeles, he said. Quarterback Darian Hagan of the Colorado Buffaloes runs down the field during a game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida. Though he came back to play the following season, he saw limited action and reinjured the leg on October 8, 1988 versus the Texas Longhorns. Id like to win the Heisman, he told SI in August of 1987. 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 . Jamelle Holieway (born June 25, 1967) is a former American college and professional football player who was a quarterback for the University of Oklahoma. What do we have here?. To be quite honest, I was baffled because they threw a different defense at us that wed never seen before. Most casual Oklahoma fans cant recall, all these years later, many specific highlights from his junior season without exerting an effort. It was like, What am I gonna do now?. I am going to be sitting on the bench. 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. There was something about playing Miami, because I knew that we had to give our best, Holieway said. The Hurricanes won that game, 27-14, and Holieway had his year`s worst numbers. Holieway still regularly attends Oklahoma games in Norman he will be at the Texas El-Paso game on Saturday and continues to be amazed at the number of fans who approach him with words of appreciation and youthful tales of how he was admired and emulated. Coach Switzer has been in my corner since day one, and always supported me through the good and the bad. At the time of his graduation, he was third in school history in passing yards behind Bob Warmack (3,744 from 1966-68) and Jack Mildren (3,092 from 1969-71). Today, he lives in McAlester with his wife and children and when he is not doting on his three grandchildrenHoney, Prince and Ellie Kay he is heavily involved in youth sports and is a motivational speaker throughout the state of Oklahoma. When I was going through my difficulties, he sat me down and we talked. Hell also ask you to hold on several times, where he can be heard patiently and playfully interacting with his two youngest children, cooking them dinner, putting on their favorite cartoons, or trying to comfort them through their tears. You couldnt make that pivotal mistake. Check out Jamelle Holieway's College Stats, School, Draft, Gamelog, Splits and More College Stats at Sports-Reference.com Ive seen a lot of guys make it back, but other guys dont.. A heart attack occurs when the blood flow that brings oxygen to the heart muscle is severely reduced or cut off completely. And if I can still be relevant in college football 30 years later, were pretty good., Trevor Lawrence is the 2nd true freshman starting quarterback to win a National Title and the first since Jamelle Holieway led Oklahoma to a title in 1985 after Troy Aikman went down with a season-ending injury. Despite losing three games during his senior year, the worst was yet to come. Miami (Fla.) 10-2-0. I should have redshirted that year, but because I wanted to come home and play and be all like that and thought I wanted to hurry up and get my ass out of college. We all got matching gold chains with the initials CLH, which stood for Computer Love Homies, said Holieway. He said, When we beat Penn State, its ours.. Mandatory Credit: Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports. You could get caught up in the wrong place at the wrong time. Let me tell you what really sparked everything, Holieway said. I have to do it the right way instead of the fast and the wrong way. (Sooner Magic) was born before me, but to be a part of it, to have a game or two in Sooner Magic, (was great).. Watch the full 1986 @OU_Football Flashback vs Nebraska, 10 pm @BallySportsOK pic.twitter.com/sl1bKpM0dU, Sooner Sports Network (@SoonerSportsTV) September 9, 2021. In the fourth quarter, they flashed the score of the Tennessee and Miami game, said Holieway. Hurts occasionally runs the. LOS ANGELES SEPTEMBER 24: Fullback Leroy Holt #39 of the USC Trojans runs out of bounds against the Oklahoma Sooners at the Coliseum on September 24, 1988 in Los Angeles, California. . 1999) brought Oklahoma to the Nebraska 32. I loved it because when they talked about Michael Vick, Jamelle Holieways name got brought up, Holieway said. In 1985, we exploded as an offensive football team, led the nation in rushing, and never looked back.. January 1, 1986; Miami, FL, USA; FILE PHOTO; Oklahoma Sooners running back Jamelle Holieway (4) celebrates defeating the Penn State Nittany Lions in the Orange Bowl 25-10 at the Orange Bowl. Those little ones run me ragged. While the majority of them red-shirted as freshman, he played with a towel sticking out of his pants where hed hand-written every one of their names. In some ways, Barry Switzer and Brian Bosworth were made for each other. Sep 2020 - Present2 years 5 months. For 33 years, he held the distinction of being the only true freshman starting quarterback in the history of the game to lead his team to a national title. Ou Sooners Spring Football Game. But as Holieway surveyed the defense, he called an audible: Right Slot 72 Y Go. The clot can block arteries, causing a heart attack. Get the latest news, stats, videos, highlights and more about guard Jamelle Holieway Jr on ESPN. It is all about how you are being a general amongst this team and moving down the field and getting us in the right plays. In this Jan. 1, 1986 file photo, University of Oklahoma quarterback Jamelle Holieway (#4) looks for an open man as his team battles Penn State University in the Orange Bowl in Miami. Oklahoma's Wishbone Option Wizard Remains the Only True Freshman to Ever Quarterback a Team to the National Championship American gridiron football player (born 1967) American football player. He zipped around the streets of South Central like a speed-demon in his electric blue El Camino, his bare, muscled chest accentuated by thick, shimmering gold necklaces. 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. Shop Jamelle Holieway Thomas Lott Bobby Warmack signed Oklahoma OU Sooners Orange Bowl Quarterbacks Champions 11x14 photo COA and more authentic, autographed and game-used items at Amazon's Sports Collectibles Store. Coach Switzer always said, Theres three teams that we cant lose to: Texas because of recruiting, Nebraska because were the real Big Red, and Oklahoma State, because I cant go anywhere in the state and have a good meal without some damn cowboys harassing me, said Holieway. After evening team meetings during the summer and fall, he would slide a piece of paper into one of the office doors at the football facility to prevent it from locking. I aint never played in no snow! Oklahomas bid for a second national title in three seasons was turned away by the Hurricanes, 20-14, and Holieway believes the outcome might have been different if he were healthy. He has ranked on the list of those famous people who were born on June 25, 1967. 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. Holieway put no credence in the surgeons who told him he might not ever be able to play again. Prior to the injury, he was being projected as a legitimate running back prospect in the National Football League. Top 50 OU Football Players of the Modern Era, 30 Best OU Football Games in School History, Oklahoma football: RT Wanya Morris suspended first two games of the season, Aaron Donald Really Doesn't Want to Talk About Swinging Helmets, Oklahoma football: Another national source has OU making football's Final Four, Oklahoma football: Seven things Sooner fans should know ahead of season opener, Oklahoma football: 3 Days till Kickoff: No. Its an inner soul game. Nearly 3 out of 4 cardiac arrests that don't happen in hospitals, happen in homes. In what became his coming-out party to the country, Holieway was brilliant. And when we came out of the locker room right before kickoff, there was snow and ice everywhere. But Eric got these big applauses because of all the runs that he would make., Nov 1987, unknown location, USA; FILE PHOTO; Oklahoma Sooners head coach Barry Switzer during the 1987 season. All picks and predictions are suggestions only. Highly recruited from Banning High School in Wilmington, Los Angeles, California, under longtime head coach Chris Ferragamo, Holieway attracted interest from a swarm of schools. And with Holieway at the helm as Aikman was lost for the year, he had the perfect weapon to unleash that could gouge defenses with a short-space-quickness, explosive bursts of speed and a mastery of the sleight-of-hand and misdirection that the offense required. Over the next few weeks, the Sooners obliterated Kansas, Missouri, Colorado and Nebraska by a combined score of 157-19. A native of Carson, California, Holieway convinced his mother, Charlie Mae Harris, to move into a school district that would allow him to play football at Phineas Banning High School in Wilmington, Calif., for Coach Chris Ferragamo. Hell be a running back, Switzer once said. I've been determined over the last few years to get my good name back. It really wasnt a huge adjustment for me. Free Shipping on eligible orders. Just to see where we are on the radar.. It was a performance that prompted ABC studio host Jim Lampley to remark to legendary play-by-play broadcaster Keith Jackson in the fourth quarter, Frightening, isnt it Keith, to think how good Holieway could be if he plays for three more years and stays healthy and develops with that offense?. As a junior, he led them to an 8-0 start to the season before severely tearing knee cartilage and ligaments against Oklahoma State. Your favorite teams, topics, and players all on your favorite mobile devices. Its funny some of the things that people remember.. About a month ago he found out that he had a heart attack at some time. They finished the year as the #3 team in the Associated Press and Coaches polls. Bachi Bus. But Switzer was unmoved. Holieway, who is arguably the best option quarterback ever, did his damage out of the wishbone offense in running for 862 yards and nine touchdowns as a true freshman. In what is referred to as, Game of the Century II, Oklahoma and freshman quarterback Charles Thompson beat Nebraska for the fourth year in a row, 17-7, and clinched its fourth-consecutive Big 8 championship. To me, that was Sooner Magic,' Holieway said. High School: Banning. People recall the flashy full-length mink, the diamond earrings and the bright smile, but they dont remember the hurt that was masked by all of those exterior accessories. 10 Oklahoma to a 35-7 win over Iowa State in the Big Eight opener for both teams. Subscribe to Jamelle Holieway Football online price guide and get the latest and accurate values of cards from different . With Jackson streaking down the near sideline, Holieway fired the ball over Thomas at the Nebraska 35, Jackson tipped the ball to himself, corralled it and raced to the 14-yard line with nine seconds left. I brought the neighborhood some pride with what I was doing on the football field., But it was the O.G.s that thought like that, not the younger guys who were willing to do something foolish to get the respect of the big homies and make a name for themselves, he continued. 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. During the 1985-1986 season, Holieway took . I dont care who is the coach, we know we put on that crimson and cream. I wanted the ball in my hand, Holieway said. 1 Nebraska. In addition to his crutches, Holieway packed a second notable accessory for the chilly trip up north. I made that a priority.. But once I got in there and got my feet wet running that option, I felt the same way I did playing ball in the rec leagues in Los Angeles or playing high school ball., I didnt feel like there was a defense that could stop us if I made the right decisions and did my job, he continued. Since then he has learned that he has heart disease and only about 15% of his heart is functioning. 1 and won its first eight games, which set up a Bedlam matchup against No. Especially this time, because I am on crutches. I knew that if I consistently got us in the right play, the sky was the limit.. Beginning at their own six-yard-line, the Sooners marched 94 yards, including a 4th-and-1 attempt at their own 15 where a Holieway fumble was negated by a Nebraska face mask penalty. Those were all my boys from Los Angeles and they were more like brothers to me, said Holieway. A dominant Orange Bowl win over Arkansas set the stage for the 1987 season, in which Oklahoma began the season ranked No. 4. It must have been a grueling wait for the coaches, players and the fan base. Displaying the speed and athletic ability of a supreme player, Holieway's significance cannot be overlooked. You can help change this statistic. For most of the game, Penn States stellar defense suffocated Holieway and the vaunted wishbone offense. Switzer, one of the most successful coaches in college football history, resigned shortly thereafter. Free delivery for many products! Penn States Joe Paterno was seen as the patron saint of college coaches while Switzer was painted as the renegade. JAMELLE HOLIEWAY Signed 11x14 Photo..OKLAHOMA SOONERS QB Legend..IN PERS. Have a look at Troy Aikman running Oklahoma's wishbone offense in 1985 against The U. "I faked the ball to the. But he was an outstanding man who I love to this very day.. If you have heard of Holieway, you have heard the story. And after seeing them and playing against them today, Im convinced of it.. Holieway tore the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee in a game versus the Oklahoma State Cowboys on November 7, 1987. I just played and I was happy to play and be a part of a team and not even thinking I am the leader, Holieway said. Theres no other rush like it in the world. He made me want to go put my damn helmet on one more time and play, Holieway said. He was a brilliant runner with polished ball-handling skills, a. I get on that bus to get on that plane, and Coach Switzer says, Where did you get that jacket from? I said, Coach, it is going to be snowing up in Lincoln. And me being from California, we have got to be flamboyant. With Mitchel now at tailback, Holieway returned under center one final time as a Sooner in a 13-6 Citrus Bowl loss to No. An Aikman-led victory over Texas (14-7) set the stage for the well-documented October 19 visit from unranked Miami. (Joe Skipper / Associated Press) It would be easy for Jamelle . Coach Switzer and I still have a strong relationship. On one option run, Holieway scooted around the defensive end and was racing down the sideline, when he got hit so hard that he slid all the way underneath the teams bench. I just left high school and now were on TV? If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER. 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. That would be the ultimate for me, and especially for my mother.. I worked so hard to get back because I wanted to play in that game in front of my momma, my family and all my friends.. But Holieway was not as green as has often been portrayed. It is humbling, Holieway said. It is not all about the cheering. Another teammate, Don Smitherman, who came in with Holieways recruiting class, also re-appeared during some of his darkest days. 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. I remember Coach Switzer telling me during my recruitment that it didnt snow during football season, and was I like, Man, I cant believe that Coach lied to me!, When we went out to warm up before the game, the temperature was in the mid to low thirties, freshman receiver Anthony Stafford said in Wishbone: Oklahoma Football. #Gatewood @GotBoz44 #EddieWally #1987OUNeb @Barry_Switzer @SpenceTillman @EarlJoh26055677 pic.twitter.com/hTzhvYx5id, Wallis Marsh (@WallisMarsh) August 30, 2022. When that guy hit me, he hit me so hard in my earlobe that its still ringing now! A Lashar field goal cut the Oklahoma deficit to 17-10 with 10:39 to play, but the Sooners fumbled the ball away twice on their next two chances to drive for the tying score. (Jamelle Coaching at his football camp, Photo Credit: The Oklahoman). , At the end of this clip, Jerome Brown helped to break Aikman's ankle, which led to his transfer to UCLA. Holieway starred at Banning, helped a Pilots team with 13 future major-college players win a Los Angeles City football title as a junior, then was named the LA. Despite losing 27-14 to Miami, Holieway did an admirable job of running the offense as a true freshman in his first college football game, against one of the games most talented and intimidating defenses, gaining 57 yards on 17 carries. Successive wins against overmatched foes in Iowa State, Kansas, Missouri and Colorado allowed Holieway to get his footing with the first-team offense and moved the Sooners to fifth in the rankings but did little to capture national attention. Orange Bowl: Oklahoma QB Jamelle Holieway victorious with teammates after winning National Championship game vs Penn State. Set the stage for the well-documented October 19 visit from unranked Miami I gon na do now? Credit! Fan base, Oh, he led them to an 8-0 start to the something about Miami... 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