I wanted the ball in my hand, Holieway said. And this one was pretty good, but man, do you ever read what you've written before hitting the "send" or "submit" button?? 4 Days Until @OU_Football . But a homevisit from Oklahomas coach, Barry Switzer, knocked all of the other competitors out of hisrecruiting mix. Amid that backdrop, Charlie Mae tried her best to provide Jamelle with a moral compass and elevated sense of self-esteem that would negate the allure of the gangs. Just a bit of constructive criticism Only thing missing was the fur coat & purse. HubPages is a registered trademark of The Arena Platform, Inc. Other product and company names shown may be trademarks of their respective owners. Seemingly buried at fifth on the quarterback depth chart, injuries to sophomores Kyle Irvin and Glenn Sullivan immediately vaulted Holieway into a training camp battle with fellow freshman Eric Mitchel to determine who would back up sophomore Troy Aikman. It was the days of the Grapes of Wrath, Switzer told Sports Illustrated in 1986. Young Jamelle was always active and in the street either riding bikes or playing games like Kick-the-Can. Went to Banning High, Banning CA. Johnson andSwitzer once worked together as assistants at Oklahoma in the early 1970s and Jimmy later coached at in-state rival Oklahoma State, where he was winless in five tries against Switzers powerhouse Sooner program. But Charlie Evans would be pleased at the sight of the Spirit of Oklahoma Football Camp, with Jamelle Holieway . 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. People that have just as good of athletes as we do. That would arrive November 23 against third-ranked Nebraska. He talks about himself every chance he gets. But he says no. Jamelle was an amazimg college player. Highly recruited from Banning High School in Wilmington, Los Angeles . Not an upstanding person any longer. He used his flash-and-dash moves to become the leader of Oklahoma's vaunted rushing attack after someone else's injury put him in charge . Far better: "Holieway obviously lived in the fast lane, even back then." The 71-yard strike gave Oklahoma the lead for good at 10-7. And when Colorado and Coach (Bill) McCartney said he was going to change to the wishbone, I am like, You just want me there. The University of Oklahomas Jamelle Holieway Part II, Series Intro The Black College Quarterback, Your email address will not be published. They would earn a birth to the Orange Bowl to play Penn State for the . OU legend Jamelle Holieway understands Caleb Williams' early success, Spencer Rattler's fall from QB1. You would think being relegated to spectator as his team competed for a national championship for Holieway. (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images). His passing efficiency rating was 84.9 over 39 collegiate games. The only man to do so was Oklahoma's legendary wishbone wizard, Jamelle Holieway. Against the Sooners fierce, top-ranked defense during fall practices, Holieway had been successful in marching a team of back-ups up and down the field. He said, Yall see Holieway? This is his home, Holt said. They would take me with them to scout other teams, so Id sit in the stands, study what the other team was doing, then wed go back to the coaches houses and break the film down to figure out the best way to attack them. Holieway finished his Sooner career with 2,713 yards rushing on 539 attempts (an average of 5.0 yards per carry) and 32 touchdowns. Post author: Post published: April 2, 2023 Post category: what did the kickapoo tribe believe in Post comments: where can i cash a check from edward jones where can i cash a check from edward jones We had the best defense in the country. Judging by the practice routine in the week leading up to the game, one had to wonder if an appearance from Holieway was the plan all along. , At the end of this clip, Jerome Brown helped to break Aikman's ankle, which led to his transfer to UCLA. After one game, while waiting by the ramp in the arenas garage where the players parked their cars, he came face-to-face with one of his idols and the man who would later come to symbolize that flashy substance of the L.A. athletic aesthetic, a rookie from Lansing, Michigan who was fresh off of winning the National Championship at Michigan State University by the name of Earvin Magic Johnson. Switzer had beenan assistant coach at the University of Arkansas when Johnson wasan All-Southwest Conference defensive lineman there in the early 1960s. Glad he is doing well. I am hollering all my friends names and all like that, it was the ultimate.. The recognition I get is from my friends and my family still remembering those times, Holieway said. Hed considered many other schools, including Oregon, Nebraska, Notre Dame and Colorado. Yet, when it came to national retrospectives on 1980s college football, Holieway was customarily left out in favor of players like Doug Flutie, Bo Jackson, Herschel Walker, and Holieways teammate, Brian Bosworth. While not technically wrong, the first sentence in the above paragraph is awkward, to say the least. Hed eventually go down in history as one of the best to ever play the position. So therefore, it was only Colorado or Oklahoma. Holieway likes the intelligence Hurts brings to the game. Very nice blog, Berry. Holieway tore the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee in a game versus the Oklahoma State Cowboys on November 7, 1987. I get on that bus to get on that plane, and Coach Switzer says, Where did you get that jacket from? I said, Coach, it is going to be snowing up in Lincoln. Holieway was not interested. They did. He expects Hurts and the Crimson Tide to claim the championship. He has right leg sticking out, I have got my left leg sticking out of the car and we are just riding around practice the whole time.. He now lives in McAlester, Oklahoma in rent reduced housing, refuses to work to support his wife and kids, along with the at least dozen kids he has with other women, outside his marriage, and lays around telling everyone how great he is because of his brief affiliation with OU. The overall unit was one of the most punishing and ferocious in all of college football. The Orange Bowl featured No. All I know is he was a good qb and nobody could stop him or ou that year. I saw that little safety, I saw (Penn State safety Ray) Isom, No. I immediately upon reading your version of the above, visualized an internal organ flopping around on a highway. Ive known Holieway since February 1985, when he was a senior at Banning High School in the Los Angeles suburb of Wilmington. After slipping three times while walking, he asked Switzer, Coach, does it snow like this during the football season? This time, for trying to restore his respectable name. We went 11-0 the next year and I ran for 325 yards in the city championship, but we wound up losing. All Rights Reserved. Holieway obviously was living in the fast lane, even back then. My foot got stuck in the turf in the season where they sewed it together, Holieway said. i agree, jamelle holieway is one of the greatest, most exciting college players of all time. A name both good and bad. I just left high school and now were on TV? He is the only one who has silver shoes like nobody else. That threw me back, and then I saw Thomas Lott with the bandana. The first time he ever had a phone in his residence was in college. Its your time! It was just me and him that whole time during that Orange Bowl, Holieway said. Not many would do the same, so he might have problems but who doesn't thank you Mr Holieway for you're time and professionalism on and off the field!!!!! He underwent reconstructive knee surgery shortly after the injury, and rehabilitated in the offseason. It is all about how you are being a general amongst this team and moving down the field and getting us in the right plays. But, Holt said, I think hes finding his way into the community., And the OU community remains dear to Holieway. I got to step in and run my stuff. For some reason that I do not know, he played some games with a total amateur team (Panteras de Madrid). He is working today to give time to young people through sports camps, and speaking to youth groups about his life in an effort to share his past and to try to make their lives better than he made his. creation festival 1997 lineup. Last evening Jamelle came and spoke to a group of our young graduating seniors in Konawa, OK. ''He keeps his composure when the game is really tough, and they win. My friends got to see. I realized then that he was the coach for me. To give people awe like that is a great feeling. LAWRENCE, Kan. Jamelle Holieway is like every Sooner fan. 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. The Arena Media Brands, LLC and respective content providers to this website may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. My best preparation prior to that game was playing against our first-team defense in practice, said Holieway. 4 Washington in the Peach Bowl on Dec. 31 in a national semifinal. I got to run first-team offense with Troy right there. He feels a connection to Hurts, yet they've never met and he wondered if Hurts even knows who he was. His name was Troy Aikman, and hed started as a truefreshmen the year before while delivering a Big 8 Conference title. Youre in! Jamelle Holieway played professionally for the National Football League's Los Angeles Raiders (1989-1990) and the Canadian Football League's British Columbia Lions (1991-1992). Holieway was a fan of the USC Trojans growing up. 13 Clemson. Magic stopped to sign some autographs and he put his bag down, said Holieway. We publish narratives intentionally and specifically to enlighten and transform the world. He was quizzing me on different situations and scenarios, said Holieway. And shed tell me things like, You dont need to go in that area over there, thats a bad area. The Shadow League is a narrative company. In Oklahoma, it was totally different. Oakland Raiders from 1989-1990, and the CFL's BC Lions from 1991-1992, February 1989 article in Sports Illustrated, Investing in Stocks, Bonds, Real Estate, More. She got him a bus pass and taught him how to navigate Los Angeles public transportation system. He played nickel back on defense and contributed on special teams, but he burned to line up under the center and run the option as a starting high school quarterback. A series of arrests over the years has tattered Holieways reputation, but hes trying to restore it. But I believe he wants to. At the time of his graduation, he was third in school history in passing yards behind Bob Warmack (3,744 from 1966-68) and Jack Mildren (3,092 from 1969-71). Now knowing that I touched that many people out there, young men, to wear No. Five plays later, following an Oklahoma time out, Holieway threw to the goal line to tight end Keith Jackson for a 17-yard touchdown. 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. But now, it's a coin toss.''. 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