One Locker Room, Three Wuerffel Winners

Great players are as common to Oklahoma football as shoulder pads and chinstraps.? The statues along Jenkins Avenue and a Switzer Center full of hardware testify to the many outstanding athletes who have played in one of America's premier programs.

But men of character have been common, too.? Names like Gautt, Selmon and Kalsu remind us that courage, class and selflessness have been foundational in building this very uncommon success.

Such has been the case in recent years, as well.? Take 2013 for example.? It was in that season that three soon-to-be Wuerffel Trophy winners played on the same Sooner team.

No other program has produced more than one winner.

The Wuerffel Trophy is an award presented annually to the college football player who best combines exemplary community service with athletic and academic achievement.? In other words, you have to be a stud on the field, in the community and in the classroom, no small chore in a fast-paced world with many time demands.

That 2013 team included Gabe Ikard, Ty Darlington and Trevor Knight, all of whom eventually won the award.? Ikard was the honoree in '13, Darlington in '15 and Knight in '16 after spending his graduate season of eligibility at Texas A&M.

1 Locker Room, 3 Wuerffel Winners
Student-Athlete	OU Years	Wuerffel
Gabe Ikard	2009-13	2013
Ty Darlington	2012-15	2015
Trevor Knight	2012-15	2016

No other program has produced more than one winner.? The fact that three called the same locker room home is remarkable.

“That is pretty significant,” said OU Head Coach Bob Stoops when told of the feat.? “Those are three quality guys.? It was an honor to have them in our program.? They set an incredible example of what it means to be a successful student-athlete and a community servant.”

Stoops quietly serves in a number of capacities and the trio of Wuerffel winners cited his example as a tone-setter.

"Those are three quality guys. They set an incredible example of what it means to be a successful student-athlete and a community servant."
-- OU Head Coach Bob Stoops

“Coach Stoops doesn't just talk about it, he lives it out,” Knight said.? “He is certainly a catalyst when it comes to service and he shows it by how he treats everyone, both in the OU football family and outsiders.”

Ikard concurred.

“Coach Stoops makes it clear that you can make a difference in people's lives,” he said.? “No act of service is too small.? He also provides players with the resources to get more involved in the community and local charities.”

Darlington, who was also the 2015 William V. Campbell Trophy recipient as college football's top scholar-athlete, called it, “a top-down approach of service and selflessness,” that is passed from one generation of players to another.

“When Trevor and I showed up on campus, Gabe was doing Relay for Life, Austin Woods was organizing trips to OU Children's Hospital, Tress Way was FCA president and was doing a toy drive for orphans, and Landry Jones and Ben Habern were regular speakers at FCA events,” Darlington remembered.? “Community service was expected and we felt the responsibility to fill their shoes of leadership when those guys graduated.”

Trevor Knight and Gabe Ikard on the field together vs. West Virginia in 2013.

Ikard, Darlington and Knight had a bent towards serving others when they arrived on campus.? They had been active during their high school years in projects ranging from food drives to Ikard's mission trip to Peru, and all three eventually went to Haiti as college students.? Once they were on the same campus, they fed off each other's energy on a bigger platform.

“Community service and involvement was the norm,” Darlington said.? “We participated in everything together, along with other members of a core group of service-minded football players.”

Knight, also a finalist for the 2014 Wuerffel Trophy, added, “The succession of great people is incredible.”

A carpe diem philosophy of seizing the day motivated all three.

“My No. 1 goal in college was to represent my friends and family, the University of Oklahoma and myself well,” Ikard said.? “I took pride in doing things the right way on and off the football field.? It was simple to me: all of those people showed up and cheered for us on Saturdays.? Community service was just a small way for me to say, ?thank you,' for their support.”

It's a window that closes quickly for college athletes.? For those who do not advance to a career in the NFL, the spotlight can fade just as quickly as it brightened.

“I believe that this four-to-five-year period of my life is a unique time in which I have a platform,” said Knight.? “Young kids and other fans care what I say and what I do.? If I didn't use that platform to impact people, I would be selling myself short.? Winning football is one of my favorite things in the world, but winning at life is the greatest reward.”

"If I didn't use that platform to impact people, I would be selling myself short."
-- 2016 Wuerffel Winner Trevor Knight

Darlington agreed that acting quickly and fully was important.

“I wanted to maximize my platform and use my influence as an OU football player to make a positive impact in the community,” he said.? “It was always very important to use football as a vehicle to promote service.”

Not every player shows up on campus so aware of the opportunity or equipped to step forward in a leadership role.? The success stories sometimes come in front-page figures like Ikard, Darlington and Knight, and sometimes they come and go with little fanfare.

Ty Darlington and Gabe Ikard anchored OU's offensive line together in 2013.

“Every young person we recruit is different,” Stoops said.? “They have different backgrounds and skill sets.? Success during their time here may look different.? It's important that we remember that these are young people who haven't fully developed.? I'm proud of guys like Trevor, Ty and Gabe.? But I'm proud of a lot of other guys, too, who got in our program, experienced a positive environment and became better people.”?

All it takes is a little desire, and that's true in the weight room or a hospital room.? The want-to factor matters in every facet of life according to these three.

“It's all about what you make it,” Knight said.? “I was fortunate enough to be surrounded with people like Ty and Gabe who made connections with people at OU Children's Hospital, for example.? Once the relationships are there, it's all about using your platform and making yourself available to others.”

When that happens, things like the Wueffel Trophy follow.? At the same time, a legacy is established.

“Student-athletes, especially football players, are constantly fighting stereotypes about what is expected of them as people,” said Darlington.? “I wanted to be a positive role model as I represented the OU football team to my community and beyond.

“I think I was able to maintain the legacy of service that was established before me.? Hopefully others will continue.”

2013 Wuerffel Trophy winner Gabe Ikard

2015 Wuerffel Trophy winner Ty Darlington

Note:The Wuerffel Trophy was established in 2005 and is named for former Florida quarterback Danny Wuerffel, who remains active with the award today.? It is presented by the All Sports Association of Fort Walton Beach, Fla., and the winner is recognized annually at the prestigious National Football Foundation Awards Dinner in New York City.