A Clean Start for Oklahoma, Oklahoma St.

The wind that went sweeping down the Oklahoma plain this past winter was especially chilling for the state’s two major football programs.

First, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State were hit with NCAA probations. Then, in a span of about six weeks, five Oklahoma players were arrested for felonies, a series of events that helped lead to the resignation of Coach Barry Switzer.

Now the rebuiding begins at both schools. A rebuilding of pride as much as talent.

“We’ve got one of the greatest traditions in college football,” said Oklahoma’s new coach, Gary Gibbs. “And due to the incidents of this past winter, people are questioning Oklahoma and the people within the program.

“I think we’ve got to work hard to set the record straight.”

The three-year probation no doubt cost Oklahoma some recruits, but those who signed weren’t shaken by what happened. Of the Sooners’ 15 signees, 14 are on hand and the only defector decided to pursue a baseball career instead.

Oklahoma State had 20 scholarships available and filled each one. All 20 freshmen were on hand for the first day of workouts.

“We’re kind of the new guard,” said Matt Jose, who came to Oklahoma State despite the fact the Cowboys are banned from bowl games for three years.

“After the probation, people asked me ‘What are you going there for?’ But we’ve just got to act right and keep our noses clean,” Jose said. “We can’t change people’s attitudes. We’ve got to worry about ourselves and let the rest take care of itself.”

Earl Wheeler, a redshirted freshman quarterback at Oklahoma State, has two players listed ahead of him on the depth chart. He could have left after the probation was announced, but didn’t.

“Oklahoma State’s a good program. All the freshmen who came in in my class knew that,” he said.

“The fact everyone stayed shows we’re gonna gut it out. And like Coach (Pat) Jones told us, we have 11 bowl games to play.”

They are sentiments shared by several new players at both schools. They say they came to Oklahoma and Oklahoma State because they felt comfortable and because they had a chance to win.

“I’ve been pretty close to the guys down here,” said Joey Mickey, a Sooner tight end recruit from Oklahoma City. “I know what they’re really like.

“I just feel proud to be a part of this great tradition. It hasn’t changed and I don’t think it will change.”

“Bowl games and TV don’t really make a football player, to me,” said Michael Coats, a linebacker from Oklahoma City who signed with the Sooners. “You still have a chance to win a national championship and a Big Eight championship.”

Dewell Brewer, the state’s top tailback during his final two years of high school, had his choice of colleges. He chose Oklahoma and its tradition.

“I knew that I was going to come here and knew I wanted to be here,” Brewer said. “I look around and see I’m on this team, and this is something wonderful. All these guys are Sooners, and I’m a Sooner, too.”

Reggie Barnes, an Oklahoma linebacker, was redshirted last season and then saw what went on during the winter. This season, he has a chance to play a lot. A chance to help the Sooners start over.

“Now we’re starting anew,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of young players who are ready to make a name for themselves in a positive way. ...

“Right now, we sit there and think ‘What can we do as a team to improve this?’ We’re going to do things to try to show everybody we’re a team, that we’re gonna stand behind each other and go through this thing together.”