University of Oklahoma Athletics

Media Selects Oklahoma Pre-Season Big 12 South Champion

July 27, 2001 | Football

By: Athletics Communications

July 27, 2001

Audio from the 2001 Big 12 Media Day
* Head Coach Bob Stoops (Part I)
* Head Coach Bob Stoops (Part II)
* Sr. Frank Romero
* Sr. Rocky Calmus
* Sr. Josh Norman

NORMAN, Okla. - During the Big 12 Conference's annual Football Media Days at Union Station in Dallas, Texas, members of the media covering the event selected Oklahoma as their pre-season pick to win the South division of the conference. They also selected five Sooners to the Pre-Season All-Big 12 team, including linebacker Rocky Calmus, who was tabbed Pre-Season Defensive Player of the Year.

Head coach Bob Stoops and the Oklahoma contingent kicked off the event Thursday morning, and the Sooners were chosen to win the South division over Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Oklahoma State and Baylor, respectively. Last season's final division standings mirror the pre-season picks made by the media. Nebraska was chosen as the pre-season Big 12 North division winner, ahead of Kansas State, Colorado, Iowa State, Missouri and Kansas.

Adding to his impressive list of accolades, Calmus was nearly a unanimous selection as Pre-Season Defensive Player of the Year. The Tulsa, Okla., native was a consensus first-team all-American during the Sooners' national title season of 2000, and is expected to lead the defense in OU's quest to repeat as conference, and national, champion.

Joining Calmus on the Pre-Season All-Big 12 defensive unit are defensive back Roy Williams and punter Jeff Ferguson, both of whom garnered numerous all-conference honors last season. Williams has already been named to the pre-season "watch list" for the Jim Thorpe Award, given annually to the nation's top defensive back.

Offensive lineman Frank Romero and placekicker Tim Duncan were the Sooners chosen to the Pre-Season All-Big 12 offensive team. Romero was a first-team all-conference pick during the 2000 season, while Duncan was an honorable mention All-Big 12 performer.

Oklahoma begins its quest for an eighth national championship on Aug. 25 when North Carolina visits Norman for the Hispanic College Fund Football Classic. The conference slate begins on Sept. 29 when Oklahoma hosts Kansas State, its opponent in the 2000 Big 12 Championship game.

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