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University of Oklahoma Athletics
The Toughest Job in Sports
October 06, 2008 | Football
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| Senior QB Joey Halzle |
This job does not belong to Olympian Michael Phelps either. All he did was win eight gold medals against the best swimmers in the world. He did so with the pressure of an entire nation watching his every move.
Finally, that job is not on the shoulders of Green Bay Packers' starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers. He has the simple task of leading a team who hasn't seen another quarterback start a game in more than 15 years. Oh, and the man he replaced happens to be a living legend who is arguably the best to ever play the position.
Maybe those tasks are extremely difficult. According to Heupel, though, the hardest job in sports belongs to the Sooners' backup quarterback, Joey Halzle.
"It is the hardest thing in sports," Heupel said, "to prepare yourself like a starter every week knowing the opportunity may never come. I am very impressed how he does that on a weekly basis."
 "It's the hardest thing in sports to prepare yourself like a starter every week knowing the opportunity may never come." |
"My goals for Joey on a daily basis are for him to become better at the little things he works on in practice every time he takes the field," Heupel said. "My job is to prepare him and get him ready so that whenever he gets the chance to come in and play, he can do so at a competitive level."
But Halzle takes his job seriously. If the moment ever comes when Sooner fans see a #15 jersey under center instead of a #14 jersey, he has to be ready.
"I prepare every day like I'm the starter," said Halzle. "I don't want to let the team down. When they call on me to come in, I want to give us a chance to win. I can't afford to take a day off."
Nobody wants to see the scenario, but it has happened before. Sooner fans are still trying to forget November 17 of last year. On that day, Halzle's "toughest job in sports" suddenly got tougher as he entered the game against Texas Tech which had one of the best offenses in the nation. Halzle got off to a slow start in the first half. In the second half, he connected with Manuel Johnson for a couple of touchdowns and showed tremendous improvement. Although the Red Raiders got the best of OU that day, Sooner fans and Halzle look back and see different results.
"I still see the Texas Tech game as a good situation," said Halzle. "Obviously, it's never good to lose, but it was beneficial to me because it won't be a new experience anymore. I will be able to start a little faster next time."
Halzle nearly led the Sooners to a fourth quarter come-from-behind victory before time ran out and he has moved forward. As for his first pass of the 2008 season? That resulted in a familiar 11-yard completion to Johnson for a first down. His second pass? That one went for a 36-yard touchdown to Juaquin Iglesias.
It's a new year and a new opportunity for the Sooners. As a senior, Halzle is doing his part to push Oklahoma toward its ultimate goal. With the support of his coaches and teammates, his job is a little easier.
Halzle's character is also displayed in his relationship with close friend and starting QB Sam Bradford. |
It is difficult to comprehend Halzle's impact on the team from a fan's point of view. His accomplishments have certainly not gone unnoticed. The Oklahoma coaches are more than confident in their backup quarterback.
"Joey has consistently had to fight for his position," said Heupel. "He comes to work every day and is very mature. He brings confidence and understanding to his position and has a grasp on the situation. That helps us tremendously as a team."
The way Halzle is handling his situation is having an obvious impact on the younger players in the locker room as well.
"The guys see how he brings a great attitude every day and his will to prepare," said Heupel. "He is an example of the level of character you should have."
Halzle's character is also shown in his relationship with close friend and starting quarterback Sam Bradford.
"We hang out a lot outside of football," Halzle said. "We have a tradition of grabbing lunch every Friday before a game."
Maybe just as important, the two quarterbacks have a great relationship on the field as well.
"We're always talking in between drives about what we see out there," Halzle said. "It's always helpful to have another set of eyes on the field. We help each other out."
A relationship that started out as a quarterback battle in the 2007 spring has developed into a close friendship. The two teammates have been through a lot together, but in the end, their goals are the same as they were on day one.
"It's always been about winning at Oklahoma. We want to ultimately keep the winning tradition going here." |
Halzle knows it's going to be tough, just like every season. But he is taking one piece of advice with him along the way.
"Coach Stoops always says that someone out there is getting better today," Halzle said. "We have to make sure it's us."
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Feature by Drew Kirtley | OU Athletics Media Relations
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