Landry Jones Ready to Work

NORMAN, Okla. -- Signing day has turned into a season of its own. Prospective players earn celebrity status as the recruiting process churns forward under the spotlight of dozens of recruiting services. Some love the attention. Others, like Oklahoma quarterback Landry Jones, would prefer to simply get college started.

"I'm ready to get in here and just be a part of the team," said Jones, who already is attending classes at OU. "National Signing Day is always a big deal but I'm just ready to get to work."

Jones is one of the newest members of a Sooner team, who finished the 2007 season as Big 12 champions and with a BCS game berth. But for him, OU is the next chapter in what has already been a long journey so far.

"I knew I wanted to play football from the beginning," Jones said. "The thought of doing anything else never really entered my mind."

Playing football was a certainty; it was only a matter of where he would end up that was left to be seen. Jones had been to OU once for a football camp during his junior year of high school, but to him, it was about more than just having fun at a summer camp.

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"I have always liked OU," Jones said. "OU always seems to be winning. Almost every year they seem to be at the top. Whenever people talk about the best teams in college football, OU is going to be there."

But there is a reason for all the success at Oklahoma. Any team at that pinnacle is stocked with talent, players like quarterback Sam Bradford, who many expect to be the starter again next season. Bradford set records last season like he was a fifth-year senior. That, however, did not dissuade Jones.

"I knew there was going to be really good competition and that is something that can make me a better player," said Jones. "I thought, 'OU is a place that can send me to the next level of my game.'"

Competition wasn't the only thing that lured Jones to Oklahoma. The thought of playing under two Oklahoma legends didn't hurt; and two legends with championship rings on their fingers made it even more tempting.

"Coach Stoops is a competitor," said Jones. "His competitive nature and his desire to win is what I like most about him as a coach and a football guy."

The member of the OU coaching staff, other than Stoops, who attracted Jones to Oklahoma is one of the most beloved OU quarterbacks of all time, and a role model of Jones'.

"Coach Heupel being here really influenced my decision," Jones said. "Being a former standout at my position, he knows how it is. He was as successful as a player can be on the football field. He was a really smart player and I think that helps make him a great coach. He just knows how to get it done."

Oklahoma quarterbacks coach Josh Heupel has seen the obvious things that made Jones one of the nation's top recruits, but looks forward to seeing how he develops.

"The thing that jumps out, first of all, is the physical talent he brings to the table," Heupel said. "He's got a strong throwing arm and he moves around in the pocket well. The things we're most excited about, however, are the intangibles -- he's an extremely hard worker, he picks things up quickly and he just has a lot of upside for a young guy coming in mid-year."

Jones would agree that there is not much for him to do in February other than improve on his game. Jones has been in the weight room constantly trying to make himself stronger and faster in order to be ready for the upcoming season.

"I'm just looking for his ability to compete not only on the field, but in the weight room, watching film and in meetings," Heupel said. "My goal for him is for him to be doing what it takes to push himself and become a better player."

As for competing for playing time, Heupel says the only thing his players can do at the moment is learn from each other and make one another better. That goes for all the quarterbacks.

"All of our quarterbacks have to learn from each other," said Heupel. "If you're a young kid and you just try to learn from watching your own tapes, then you're missing the boat. No matter who it is, whether it be a first string player or a fourth string player, all of our quarterbacks can learn from each other, watch last year's films and learn from our ups and downs as a team."

According to Jones, he learns from more players than just those at Oklahoma. Jones looks to a former USC Heisman Trophy winner and current Cincinnati Bengals starting quarterback Carson Palmer as a role model.

"I've always enjoyed watching Carson Palmer," said Jones. "I feel like I've learned a lot from watching him play. He has really good footwork, a really strong arm, he moves around well in the pocket and I try to model my play on the field after his."

Speaking of the NFL, Jones has put little thought into anything past the upcoming season at the University of Oklahoma.

"I haven't put much thought into life after football," Jones said. "Part of the reason I decided to come to OU is to get a great education in case football doesn't work out, but it's still early."

The truth is, Jones has not thought about much at all past this season. He's just ready to don that crimson jersey and charge Owen Field with his teammates this fall. He does, however, want to do more than run onto the field. He wants to help his team win football games any way he can. That is, of course, why he came to Norman in the first place.

"This is a place where everyone expects to win every game," Jones said. "I'm no different."

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Q: What is your favorite sports team?
A: Cincinnati Bengals

Q: What is your favorite class?
A: Math

Q: What is your favorite movie?
A: Talladega Nights

Q: Who is your favorite actor?
A: Will Ferrell

Q: What is your favorite food?
A: Chicken fried steak

Q: What is your favorite drink?
A: Fruit Punch Gatorade

Q: What is your favorite possession?
A: My Ford F-250 truck

Q: What is your favorite moment in sports history?
A: Winning the state championship my senior year

Q: Who is your role model?
A: Carson Palmer

Q: What is your favorite quote?
A: "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." - Proverbs 27:17

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