Thompson Anxious to Start for Sooners

NORMAN, Okla. -- Instead of starting at quarterback for Oklahoma on Saturday, Paul Thompson could just as easily be somewhere else -- even if it was on the same field.

While waiting for his chance to be the Sooners' starting quarterback, Thompson heard suggestions that he should change positions.

He counts at least five quarterbacks who came and went while he continued to seek the starting job. But instead of transferring to another school or moving to a different position, Thompson stayed put -- and it paid off.

"I just kind of stuck it out through all of that," Thompson said Tuesday. "It was just my upbringing. I'm not going to give in. I'm not going to quit. I'm not going to back down to competition in any way."

Paul Thompson Bio | Sooner Gameday Central: TCU

It took three full seasons and a close competition with redshirt freshman Rhett Bomar this fall, but Thompson will finally get his shot to start when the seventh-ranked Sooners face TCU on Saturday. Thompson has been in 14 games with Oklahoma -- relieving Nate Hybl during Oklahoma's Rose Bowl season in 2002 and Jason White during his Heisman Trophy season in 2003. He redshirted last season.

"I definitely knew my day would come," Thompson said. "I just continued to prepare myself and put myself in the situation that I'm in now."

Since he was named the starter last week, Thompson says he seems to be more recognizable as people have approached him to congratulate him. And although the perception of him may be changing, he's trying to stay the same.

He plans to keep all the same pregame routines -- from studying film down to wearing the same shirt underneath his jersey.

And that's exactly how offensive coordinator Chuck Long wants it.

"He needs to not get caught up in the hype and keep it simple," Long said.

When game time comes, it should be easier for Thompson to keep focused. While the quarterback race has garnered most of the preseason attention in Norman, the Sooners figure most opponents will be concentrating on Adrian Peterson, the sophomore running back who finished second in the Heisman voting as a freshman.

"Guys are going to want to key on Adrian Peterson," Thompson said. "Hopefully, that'll open up some things in the pass game as well as the quarterback run game."

Thompson said his goal is simply to open up the offense and help the Sooners score points. He hopes his speed -- he's run a 4.4-second 40-yard dash -- will provide an added dimension to Oklahoma's offense that it didn't have with White playing on two surgically repaired knees. The offense itself will not change, but coaches have added some wrinkles that allow Thompson to run or bootleg out of the pocket.

Through fall practice, Thompson has earned a reputation as a steady quarterback who'll pass up a risky downfield play to get a sure-thing short gain. But when a big play is available in a game, Thompson said he'll be prepared to go for it.

"I do want to get out there and prove some things," Thompson said. "At the same time, I don't want to try to do too much or try to force too much. I want to stay in the rhythm of the offense, in the rhythm of the team and in the rhythm of the game and not try to do too much because that's when mistakes happen."

Thompson said he would get butterflies when he walked down the tunnel to enter Owen Field for a game -- even though he wasn't the starter and wouldn't necessarily play. When he finally gets his chance to start, he doesn't expect that to change either.

"Sometimes I can't tell if I'm nervous or anxious," Thompson said. "I think I'll be a little bit of both."

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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