University of Oklahoma Athletics
A Newcomer's Perspective
September 16, 2007 | Athletics
NORMAN, Okla. -- For someone who has grown up with the tradition of Oklahoma football their entire life, it is difficult to imagine an environment that is any different. For someone on the outside looking in, it is common to envy the program's success and the fans who are fortunate enough to enjoy it year-in and year-out.
This week, the Boomerblast offers an analysis of the rich tradition of Sooner football from the eyes of one who has just recently been introduced to it.
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First off, I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself. My name is Tory Kukowski, and in cooperation with a number of individuals in the OU Athletics Department, I am the one responsible for bringing you the Boomerblast each week.
Born and raised in Lewiston, Minn., a small town in the southeast corner of the Land of 10,000 Lakes, and a graduate of the University of Minnesota, I was not Sooner born and Sooner bred. A little over two months ago, however, I was fortunate enough to be offered the position of Assistant Director of Internet Services at OU and was welcomed into the Sooner family.
Realizing how many thousands, if not millions, of people would give anything to have my job and experience the things I get to on a daily basis, I definitely count myself lucky and understand the fact that I have one of the greatest jobs in the world.
While I did not grow up with it, I have long been well aware of and have had a deep appreciation for the rich history and tradition of Oklahoma football. And upon my arrival, while I was not completely familiar with many of the legendary coaches and players who have graced Owen Field through the years, I was offered a quick but thorough education. Within my first two weeks in Norman, I received a firsthand account from many of those players themselves.
During the football intro video shoot in July, I had the opportunity to interview each and every one of the former greats who came back to participate. Once I tallied it all up, I had talked to 16 former Sooners who combined for 18 national awards, 17 All-America honors and 28 first-team all-conference selections while wearing the Crimson & Cream. The list included 1969 Heisman Trophy winner Steve Owens and four members of the College Football Hall of Fame.
That's not something you get to do every day, huh?
My point here is not to gloat but to reiterate how truly special this place is. While you all obviously already know that and have been surrounded by it for so long, I can't explain how amazing it has been to step into a situation like this from a completely different environment.
Because I am proud of my origin, I am going to propose the theory that Sooner football would not be where it is today without roots traced back to my home state of Minnesota. For those of you are unaware, the 'Godfather' Bud Wilkinson is a native Minnesotan who played for the Golden Gophers and participated on three straight national championship teams from 1934-36. A couple of years after graduating, Wilkinson returned to Minnesota as an assistant under his former coach, the legendary Bernie Bierman. Minnesota was one of the premier college football programs in the nation at the time, and Wilkinson was on the fast track to taking over the reins upon Bierman's retirement.
With the onset of World War II, however, Wilkinson left to join the Navy. When the war was over, Oklahoma coach Jim Tatum persuaded Wilkinson to join his staff in 1946. Needless to say, Wilkinson never returned to his alma mater.
Call it fate, but personally I think it was simply the worst instance of bad luck in college sports history. It was around the same time that John Wooden took the head basketball job at UCLA despite Minnesota being his first choice. A freak blizzard in the middle of April knocked out all phone lines in the Twin Cities area, preventing Minnesota from calling Wooden back on the day in which they intended to offer him the job. Wooden accepted the UCLA job the following day.
The rest, I guess, is history. Oklahoma has won seven national championships in football while Wooden guided the Bruins to 10 NCAA basketball titles. Minnesota, on the other hand... well, let's just not talk about that.
For me to step into this situation, I have to admit I'm a little envious of the fact that my Gophers missed out. I have experienced the history and understand the foundations of Sooner football, however, and for that I must say, y'all are lucky.
The atmosphere down here is something I have never experienced anywhere else. I have been to some of the great stadiums in the Big Ten -- Camp Randall in Madison, Iowa's Kinnnick Stadium and the 'Horseshoe' in Columbus -- but football in the south is something else. Seeing 30,000 fans show up for the Jenks-Union game a couple weeks ago -- that is truly awesome. I have witnessed similar enthusiasm for high school hockey in Minnesota -- the toughest ticket in the Twin Cities is without a doubt for the state championship game -- but it still doesn't compare to what I have witnessed here.
Each experience I have been a part of since my first day on campus has raised the bar and each day I become more and more amazed at how special this place is.
Those of you who have gotten to live this each and every day of your life are a blessed people. May the tradition live on forever until we're all Sooner dead.
Boomer Sooner!
This week, the Boomerblast offers an analysis of the rich tradition of Sooner football from the eyes of one who has just recently been introduced to it.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
First off, I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself. My name is Tory Kukowski, and in cooperation with a number of individuals in the OU Athletics Department, I am the one responsible for bringing you the Boomerblast each week.
Born and raised in Lewiston, Minn., a small town in the southeast corner of the Land of 10,000 Lakes, and a graduate of the University of Minnesota, I was not Sooner born and Sooner bred. A little over two months ago, however, I was fortunate enough to be offered the position of Assistant Director of Internet Services at OU and was welcomed into the Sooner family.
Realizing how many thousands, if not millions, of people would give anything to have my job and experience the things I get to on a daily basis, I definitely count myself lucky and understand the fact that I have one of the greatest jobs in the world.
While I did not grow up with it, I have long been well aware of and have had a deep appreciation for the rich history and tradition of Oklahoma football. And upon my arrival, while I was not completely familiar with many of the legendary coaches and players who have graced Owen Field through the years, I was offered a quick but thorough education. Within my first two weeks in Norman, I received a firsthand account from many of those players themselves.
During the football intro video shoot in July, I had the opportunity to interview each and every one of the former greats who came back to participate. Once I tallied it all up, I had talked to 16 former Sooners who combined for 18 national awards, 17 All-America honors and 28 first-team all-conference selections while wearing the Crimson & Cream. The list included 1969 Heisman Trophy winner Steve Owens and four members of the College Football Hall of Fame.
That's not something you get to do every day, huh?
My point here is not to gloat but to reiterate how truly special this place is. While you all obviously already know that and have been surrounded by it for so long, I can't explain how amazing it has been to step into a situation like this from a completely different environment.
Because I am proud of my origin, I am going to propose the theory that Sooner football would not be where it is today without roots traced back to my home state of Minnesota. For those of you are unaware, the 'Godfather' Bud Wilkinson is a native Minnesotan who played for the Golden Gophers and participated on three straight national championship teams from 1934-36. A couple of years after graduating, Wilkinson returned to Minnesota as an assistant under his former coach, the legendary Bernie Bierman. Minnesota was one of the premier college football programs in the nation at the time, and Wilkinson was on the fast track to taking over the reins upon Bierman's retirement.
With the onset of World War II, however, Wilkinson left to join the Navy. When the war was over, Oklahoma coach Jim Tatum persuaded Wilkinson to join his staff in 1946. Needless to say, Wilkinson never returned to his alma mater.
Call it fate, but personally I think it was simply the worst instance of bad luck in college sports history. It was around the same time that John Wooden took the head basketball job at UCLA despite Minnesota being his first choice. A freak blizzard in the middle of April knocked out all phone lines in the Twin Cities area, preventing Minnesota from calling Wooden back on the day in which they intended to offer him the job. Wooden accepted the UCLA job the following day.
The rest, I guess, is history. Oklahoma has won seven national championships in football while Wooden guided the Bruins to 10 NCAA basketball titles. Minnesota, on the other hand... well, let's just not talk about that.
For me to step into this situation, I have to admit I'm a little envious of the fact that my Gophers missed out. I have experienced the history and understand the foundations of Sooner football, however, and for that I must say, y'all are lucky.
The atmosphere down here is something I have never experienced anywhere else. I have been to some of the great stadiums in the Big Ten -- Camp Randall in Madison, Iowa's Kinnnick Stadium and the 'Horseshoe' in Columbus -- but football in the south is something else. Seeing 30,000 fans show up for the Jenks-Union game a couple weeks ago -- that is truly awesome. I have witnessed similar enthusiasm for high school hockey in Minnesota -- the toughest ticket in the Twin Cities is without a doubt for the state championship game -- but it still doesn't compare to what I have witnessed here.
Each experience I have been a part of since my first day on campus has raised the bar and each day I become more and more amazed at how special this place is.
Those of you who have gotten to live this each and every day of your life are a blessed people. May the tradition live on forever until we're all Sooner dead.
Boomer Sooner!
Tuesday, June 09
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Monday, April 13
Monday, April 06
