Media Relations Hits Campaign Trail

NORMAN, Okla. -- Oklahoma sports information director Kenny Mossman has a fresh, new story about quarterback Jason White that he's dying to tell. It will give awards voters a side of White other than 28 touchdown passes against only four interceptions. But it won't be told before its time.

Timing is everything right now as voters for college football's major awards are looking for a reason to separate one candidate from another.

Oklahoma doesn't put on Heisman campaign for Jason White because it feels the Heisman is won on the field.
Last year, everyone knew about White's battle back from major surgeries on both knees. But they didn't know he was from a family that works in the concrete business in Tuttle, Okla. Mossman made sure that story reached the likes of Sports Illustrated and ESPN The Magazine and major television networks just as the voting season was getting hot and heavy late last November.

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As Heisman Trophy voters were making their decision about whether to vote for White, Pittsburgh receiver Larry Fitzgerald, Mississippi quarterback Eli Manning or Michigan running back Chris Perry, the image of White sweating in the summers while pouring concrete in a blue-collar family with great work ethic was fresh in their minds.

Mossman made sure what he called "a very genuine apple pie story" hit papers and broadcasts when it would have the most benefit for White and not sooner. (No pun intended.)

"There are definitely times when you sit on a story," Mossman said. "And then you release it when the votes are coming due."

Mossman knows a little something about the subject. He made sure information got out to voters as OU players won an unprecedented seven major college football awards last year, including the Heisman Trophy and Davey O'Brien Award (White), the Thorpe and Nagurski awards (Derrick Strait), the Butkus and Bednarik awards (Teddy Lehman) and the Lombardi Award (Tommie Harris)

The highest number of major awards won by a single school before last season was five...

Complete Article at ESPN.com | OU - The Program

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NEW YORK (AP) -- Heisman Trophy ballots were mailed Wednesday to 923 voters, who will pick the best player in college football.

Voters have until Wednesday, Dec. 8 to submit their ballots. The award will be handed out in New York on Dec. 11.

The voters consists of 52 Heisman winners, 870 media equally covering six regions of the country and one fan vote.

Oklahoma quarterback Jason White won last year's award and is one of the contenders this year. He would be the second player to win two Heismans, joining Ohio State's Archie Griffin.

Other top contenders in what appears to be a wide-open race include Southern California quarterback Matt Leinart, Auburn quarterback Jason Campbell, California quarterback Aaron Rodgers and Oklahoma running back Adrian Peterson.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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