pic.twitter.com/Qba6PPvns2, ESPN Blacksburg (@ESPNBlacksburg) January 8, 2019. January 2, 1989; Orlando, FL, USA; FILE PHOTO; Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Jamelle Holieway (4) running the option with fullback Leon Perry (2) against the Clemson Tigers at the 1989 Citrus Bowl with a victory by the Clemson Tigers 13-6. Holieway signed with the Sooners and arrived on campus in the summer of 1985. Jamelle Holieway's income source is mostly from being a successful . He led the Oklahoma Sooners to a national championship in 1985. That blue El Camino that I was driving around in, with those shiny rims, man, you get caught on the wrong street in L.A. and somebody could put a gun to your head and kill you for it, said Holieway. The matchup was one that the national media easily stereotyped. Coach Switzer always said, Theres three teams that we cant lose to: Texas because of recruiting, Nebraska because were the real Big Red, and Oklahoma State, because I cant go anywhere in the state and have a good meal without some damn cowboys harassing me, said Holieway. I made that a priority.. Most people dont understand what it feels like to run out in front of 75,000 people, to hear that roar of that crowd while doing something you love. Jamelle Holieway was a 18 Year old True Freshman who answered the call and led OU to a National Championship. While Mitchel possessed both the superior size (6-foot-1, 195 pounds compared to 5-11, 175 for Holieway) and speed (a 4.27-second 40-yard dash vs. Holieways low 4.5), it was Holieway that gained the approval of Switzer through the split-second decision making he displayed in preseason scrimmages. Holieway capped the opening drive with a five-yard touchdown run, and a his 36-yard run set up an R.D. Once I got up, I couldnt put any pressure on my leg. 1 expectations by completing the quest for a national championship. During the 1985-1986 season, Holieway took . Date: 2/4/02. The play call from the coaches was a draw play to tailback Spencer Tillman. Now people will see what Im really all about, Holieway told the Los Angeles Times during the summer before his senior season. But as Holieway surveyed the defense, he called an audible: Right Slot 72 Y Go. He was a brilliant runner with polished ball-handling skills, a. He took the blame for things that he didnt do and his reputation was tarnished. . But Holieway was perfect for the Wishbone. Orange Bowl: Oklahoma QB Jamelle Holieway in action vs Penn State Mike Zordich . Holieway put no credence in the surgeons who told him he might not ever be able to play again. And when he was talking and his motivation and the way he was speaking, man, he was speaking to us. At the end of the season, Aikman wouldeventuallytransfer to UCLA before embarking on his Hall of Fame career in the NFL. Ou Sooners Spring Football Game. Jamelle Holieway Several Oklahoma Sooners featured in ESPN's 50 greatest true freshmen of all time Several Oklahoma Sooners were featured inside ESPN's top 50 true freshmen all time. Him just talking and getting people together was really amazing., September 6, 1986; Norman, OK, USA; FILE PHOTO; Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Jamelle Holieway (4) in action against the UCLA Bruins. It was not until 2018, when Clemsons true freshman full-time starting quarterback Trevor Lawrence with Venables as defensive coordinator joined Holieway in the exclusive club with a national championship. You couldnt make that pivotal mistake. I saw that little safety, I saw (Penn State safety Ray) Isom, No. In what is referred to as, Game of the Century II, Oklahoma and freshman quarterback Charles Thompson beat Nebraska for the fourth year in a row, 17-7, and clinched its fourth-consecutive Big 8 championship. Charges unknown. He made it back by the opening game of his senior year, against North Carolina, but was now alternating possessions at quarterback with Thompson. Jamelle Holieway (born June 25, 1967) is an American former college and professional football player who was a quarterback for the University of Oklahoma. Miami defeated Oklahoma 20-14 to win the national championship. Though he takes a pounding, Holieway has missed only one game the. All advice, including picks and predictions, is based on individual commentators opinions and not that of Minute Media or its related brands. He's come to this Okfuskee County hamlet to teach a little football and spread a little inspiration and maybe teach these boys of all ages a thing or two about life. I had to bring out that L.A. swag and give the homies back in L.A. something to talk about., To this day, youd be surprised how many people walk up to me and say, I remember that Nebraska game when you were hurt, limping around in a fur coat, he continued. They moved me to slot receiver, but man, I cant catch, Holieway said through a subtle laugh. We publish narratives intentionally and specifically to enlighten and transform the world. Those are good times.. His face was plastered on magazinecovers. I was helpless. Holieway then turned his focus to Oklahoma, which not only had a long, successful track record of winning big with the triple-option offensive attack but a charismatic coach in Barry Switzer who was not threatened by players who wished to display some personality. More Items From eBay. Holieway, 44, was. Can I get my knee back?. The injury plagued Holieway for the remainder of the 1988 season, and he eventually lost his starting job to Charles Thompson. But he proved that he was far from a one trick pony on a third-and-24 from his own 29 yard line, when he hit star tight end Keith Jackson on a 71-yard bomb to put Oklahoma up 10-7. Our crowd went wild, and we knew that if we won, wed be the champs. 12 Oklahoma State in Norman. Its an inner soul game. When he was removed from the game with 10:05 remaining in the third quarter, with Oklahoma leading 38-7, hed rushed for 76 yards on 11 carries, in addition to tossing a 77-yard touchdown pass. With Mitchel now at tailback, Holieway returned under center one final time as a Sooner in a 13-6 Citrus Bowl loss to No. He is from United States. Lawrence is the first true freshman to win since Jamelle Holieway led the Oklahoma Sooners over the Penn State Lions in the Orange Bowl 33 years ago. About a month ago he found out that he had a heart attack at some time. Hes been a coach, a father and a friend to me since I was 18 years old. The Trojans defeated the Sooners 23-7. Since then he has learned that he has heart disease and only about 15% of his heart is functioning. When he was removed from the game with 10:05 remaining in the third quarter, with. Jamelle Holieway is considered one of the greatest option quarterbacks in NCAA Division I-A history. As a junior, he led them to an 8-0 start to the season before severely tearing knee cartilage and ligaments against Oklahoma State. Jamelle Holieway Biography. Date: 12/6/01. After beating Oklahoma State 13-0, they destroyed SMU 35-13 the following week. Oklahoma coach Brent Venables talks with former quarterback Jamelle Holieway during the University of Oklahoma's annual spring football game at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla., Saturday, April 23, 2022. Jamelle Holieway is an American former college and professional football player who was a quarterback for the University of Oklahoma. ', Holieway also ranks first in program history in number of fur coats worn on the sideline with one, set during the victorious 1987 Oklahoma-Nebraska Game of the Century II clash in Lincoln, Neb.#Sooners https://t.co/AZe52GJby1 pic.twitter.com/DMgokqg4G4, Douglas Miles (@douglasmilesCRG) August 30, 2022. View an animation of blood flow between the heart and lungs. In 39 games, he had 2,713 yards rushing and 2,430 yards passing for a combined 5,143 yards of total offense -- averaging over 131 yards/game. Man, I was a kid from California, he said. As the team captain, Holieway led the Sooners to an 8-3 record during his senior year. NewsOn6.com. NORMAN, Okla. (AP) Jamelle Holieway dazzled the college football world as a true freshman who mastered Oklahoma's dynamic wishbone attack and led the Sooners to the 1985 national championship . 4 Days Until @OU_Football . Just get in where you fit in. For 33 years, he held the distinction of being the only true freshman starting quarterback in the history of the game to lead his team to a national title. Quarterback Darian Hagan of the Colorado Buffaloes runs down the field during a game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida. Highly recruited from Banning High School in Wilmington, Los Angeles . If I could play Miami every game, me personally, I would have played them every game. It really wasnt a huge adjustment for me. But the sound of that name cut high and . Holieway dazzled the college football world as a true freshman who mastered Oklahoma's dynamic wishbone attack and led the Sooners to the 1985 national championship. A true freshman named Jamelle Holieway replaced Aikman, and on his first play from scrimmage connected on a 19-yard pass to Shepard. Jamelle Holieway is a famous American football player. I am going to be cold. I dont care if there are no ticks on the clock and it is the last Hail Mary, we have to think that we are going to win that. With Tennessee handily beating second-ranked Miami in the Sugar Bowl, a win over Penn State would give Oklahoma the national title. Despite the injury, Switzer insisted that Jamelle travel with the team for the remainder of the season to offer the squad some moral support. A physical defense featuring three All-Americans and a lightnig-quick, option-oriented offense paced by true freshman QB Jamelle Holieway led Oklahoma to . So my name got brought up enough to keep my name in the loop and for me to be relevant in these times of college football. Mandatory Credit: RVR Photos-USA TODAY NETWORK. The recipient of the Sparks phone call was 1980s national championship quarterback Jamelle Holieway. Holieway still regularly attends Oklahoma games in Norman he will be at the Texas El-Paso game on Saturday and continues to be amazed at the number of fans who approach him with words of appreciation and youthful tales of how he was admired and emulated. I wanted to do the college version of that and create my own iconic moment. That would arrive November 23 against third-ranked Nebraska. Lashar calmly drilled the game-winning field goal from 31 yards away. He was the Big Eights Offensive Player of the Year as a sophomore, whod engineered three memorable fourth quarter scoring drives on the road against Nebraska. Jamelle Holieway (born June 25, 1967) is a former American college and professional football player who was an award winning quarterback for the University of Oklahoma. I tore my knee up on that old turf we used to play on, which was as hard as concrete, said Holieway. 12/6/01. His decision to play for the Sooners came at the last minute, as he had a three-year-old sister that he didn't want to leave behind. He said, Listen, Im going to be your representative. I was lost, just being a renegade, doing the same things over expecting a different result. He underwent reconstructive knee surgery shortly after the injury, and rehabilitated in the offseason. And I looked over at our offensive linemen and sort of shook my head and thought to myself, Alright. So, two days after Thanksgiving, were playing a Saturday night game on national television, and Im hyped because my mom, family and all friends are watching on TV. All the Sooners, we all try to stick together, Holieway told Stormin In Norman. So it was, OK, whatever we have got to do, we have got to do. With Holieways dazzling mastery of the wishbone offense, it became clear that, no matter how talented a passer Troy Aikman was, his only hope in reclaiming his starting role the next season would be an injury to the flashy freshman. Oklahomas bid for a second national title in three seasons was turned away by the Hurricanes, 20-14, and Holieway believes the outcome might have been different if he were healthy. You would think being relegated to spectator as his team competed for a national championship for Holieway. The Tim Lashar kick at the end and (sophomore tight end) Duncan Parham going all wild, throwing his hands up like we just won everything, Holieway said. I had to bring out that L.A. swag and give the homies back in L.A. something to talk about. The crowd, the fans are everything. And I have a four-year-old daughter and a one-year-old son. The Orange Bowl featured No. Miami (Fla.) 10-2-0. The scrutiny increased as reports detailed player arrests for violence, weapons and an alleged rape that had taken place under Barry Switzers watch. Holieway and Sparks were among whopping 250-plus former players and a nation-best 75,360 fans that descended upon Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on April 23 for the spring game. As a sophomore, Holieway again led the Sooners to an 11-1 record and another Orange Bowl victory, this time a 42-8 thrashing of Arkansas. High School: Banning. Oklahoma quarterback Jamelle Holieway (4) looks for an open man during a game against Penn State in the Orange Bowl on Jan. 1, 1986. Highly recruited from Banning High School in Wilmington, Los Angeles, California, under longtime head coach Chris Ferragamo, Holieway attracted interest from a swarm of schools. Oklahoma. I dont care who is the coach, we know we put on that crimson and cream. Jamelle Holieway is an American former college and professional football player who was a quarterback for the University of Oklahoma. Those little ones run me ragged. He carried 17 times for 57 yards and completed one of six passes for 20 yards. Holieway dazzled the college football world as a true freshman who mastered Oklahoma's dynamic wishbone attack and led the Sooners to the 1985 national championship. Of course, Holieway isn't just any Sooner fan. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features Press Copyright Contact us Creators . It was Jamelle. Aikman gets off to a great start, then breaks his left leg in the second quarter with the Sooners trailing, 14-7, and Holieway trots out to assume control of the offense for the rest of the season. Thats a very hurtful thing, walking around feeling like youre not wanted anymore., Nobody can prepare you for that, he continued. Find the collection of Jamelle Holieway sports cards online at Beckett.com. When I was going through my difficulties, he sat me down and we talked. Holieway starred at Banning, helped a Pilots team with 13 future major-college players win a Los Angeles City football title as a junior, then was named the LA. [2], Later on, Holieway acknowledged that he received favors from school boosters and Coach Switzer, but denied ever receiving any cash payments.[3]. Even with the prolific quarterbacks that arrived on campus with the hire of Bob Stoops as head coach in 1999, Holieway still ranks 17th in passing yards in program history. On one option run, Holieway scooted around the defensive end and was racing down the sideline, when he got hit so hard that he slid all the way underneath the teams bench. He was concerned with how listless his former star quarterback seemed. Some suggested that Thompson be named the permanent starter. A Lashar field goal cut the Oklahoma deficit to 17-10 with 10:39 to play, but the Sooners fumbled the ball away twice on their next two chances to drive for the tying score. Highly recruited from Banning High School under longtime head coach Chris Ferragamo, Holieway attracted interest from a swarm of schools. Shoot, it was cold in Lincoln, Nebraska. We will get together once a year in September, but not this year, at my moms house, and when people know that I am coming into town, we will have a five-day party. In conference Jamelle averaged 16.3 points 5th in the conference while shooting 56.4% 3rd in the conference and 5.8 rebounds 8th in the . Oklahoma football: Which former Sooner QB is Dillon Gabriel most like? I knew wed be on national TV and I started thinking about Joe Namath when he had his fur coat on. Take the CPR Challenge To Save Lives. My foot got caught in a seam in the carpet and when I tried to cut back, I heard a pop. They lifted weights, sprinted in the shallow water of the Pacific Ocean and threw the football around for hours, dreaming about what the future held for them through this violent and unforgiving game that they all loved. Oklahoma's Jamelle Holieway is the only true freshman quarterback to lead his team to a national title, Georgia's Jake Fromm could be the second Oklahoma quarterback Jamelle Holieway (4). Displaying the speed and athletic ability of a supreme player, Holieway's significance cannot be overlooked. People recall the flashy full-length mink, the diamond earrings and the bright smile, but they dont remember the hurt that was masked by all of those exterior accessories. Ill have to rush for over a thousand yards and pass for over a thousand. 1 and won its first eight games, which set up a Bedlam matchup against No. Holieway was crushed when he wasnt selected in the NFL Draft. So therefore, it was only Colorado or Oklahoma. He recorded 32 rushing touchdowns and 22 passing scores with 15 interceptions. Miami, FL 1/1/1986 CREDIT: John Biever. Jamelle Holieway is considered one of the greatest option quarterbacks in NCAA Division I-A history. Once I got inside, next to that heater, Im listening to Coachs halftime speech and thinking, Man, we gotta go back out there? With the Oklahoma Sooners going 42-6 in his four years and 28-2 as a starter, Jamelle Holieway led the Oklahoma Sooners to a National Championship in 1985. Holieway threw a 71-yard touchdown pass in that game to All-American tight end Keith Jackson. Over the previous summer, Oklahoma coach Barry Switzer made three separate trips to Colorado Springs to extract elements from the Air Force Academys potent Flex-Bone rushing attack. Jamelle scored on touchdown runs of 3 and 38 yards and slashed and dashed for 126 yards rushing, while also throwing for another score. I wanted the ball in my hand, Holieway said. He is having some very serious heart issues right now. I didnt know any different, Holieway said. Jamelle Holieway. But once I got in there and got my feet wet running that option, I felt the same way I did playing ball in the rec leagues in Los Angeles or playing high school ball., I didnt feel like there was a defense that could stop us if I made the right decisions and did my job, he continued. Class of 1983. Up next was a trip to Florida, where theyd face top-ranked Penn State in the Orange Bowl. Overall, the program was 41-6 during his four years on campus. A media frenzy ensued, with the program and Barry Switzer being vilified. I brought the neighborhood some pride with what I was doing on the football field., But it was the O.G.s that thought like that, not the younger guys who were willing to do something foolish to get the respect of the big homies and make a name for themselves, he continued. You always had to be aware of your surroundings. He proved that he could deliver in the clutch and bring home championships. At the time, 5-foot-9, 175-pound Sooner Jamelle Holieway was on the sideline doing what he did best. We would always watch Oklahoma-Nebraska, Holieway said. JAMELLE HOLIEWAY Signed 11x14 Photo..OKLAHOMA SOONERS QB Legend..IN PERS. But they all remember when the national television cameras found him on the sidelines of Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska on the afternoon of November 21st, 1987. With Jackson streaking down the near sideline, Holieway fired the ball over Thomas at the Nebraska 35, Jackson tipped the ball to himself, corralled it and raced to the 14-yard line with nine seconds left. The Los Angeles Raiders invited him to their training camp as a free agent, but cut him during the pre-season. I am playing with grown men that have wives and have to feed their families however (they can), trying to get to the league. He led the Oklahoma Sooners to a national championship in 1985. I eventually had to pay the university back for those phone calls, but I was just a young, lonely, homesick kid.. During a heart attack, a lack of blood flow . Despite losing 27-14 to Miami, Holieway did an admirable job of running the offense as a true freshman in his first college football game, against one of the games most talented and intimidating defenses, gaining 57 yards on 17 carries. The Citrus Bowl loss was also the last game for Switzer at Oklahoma, who was forced to resign the following summer after the program suffered a serious string of criminal incidents involving its players. Hes also working in residential construction, along with a few other side jobs that he can pick up from time to time. Miami led by as many as 20 points that day in its 27-14 victory. And that is what I did. Holieway returned for the 1988 season and passed up the chance to take his redshirt year and continue rehabilitating his knee in large part because the Sooners were visiting his hometown Southern California in the third week of the season against the fifth-ranked Trojans.