Player News - Paul Thompson #12
October 30, 2006
Adding the option to the playbook: Offensive
coordinator Kevin Wilson said the staff installed
option plays to exploit Missouri's goal-line
defense. Paul Thompson scored a 3-yard TD on an
option keeper. (Dallas
Morning News)
October 19, 2006
Thompson not taking Colorado lightly: Any game played
the week after Adrian Peterson gets hurt is going
to be a challenge, but Oklahoma has a few other
hurdles to clear while trying to define its
offense without its star. Colorado comes to Norman
a week after its first win of the season, which
could have the Buffaloes on an emotional high. The
pressure to move the ball likely falls on senior
quarterback Paul Thompson, who has warned his team
about being fooled by Colorado's 1-6 record.
"They're real close to having some wins," Thompson
said of Colorado, which lost 14-13 to a
then-highly ranked Georgia team. "If we sit there
and look at their record, then we'll get beat.
They're a good team." (NewsOK.com)
September 10,
2006
Career best for Thompson:
Senior quarterback Paul Thompson recorded a career
high for passing yardage against Washington with
272 yards, passing his previous best set against
UAB last week (227 yards). (SoonerSports.com)
September 9, 2006
Sooners Defeat Huskies 37-20: Paul Thompson
threw two touchdown passes to Malcolm Kelly, and
Adrian Peterson ran for 165 yards and two scores
as No. 15 Oklahoma pulled away from Washington in
the second half Saturday for a 37-20 win. Thompson
broke a 13-13 tie on Oklahoma's first possession
of the second half when he found Kelly racing down
the right side of the field for a 35-yard TD to
put the Sooners (2-0) ahead for the first time.
Garrett Hartley made it 23-13 with his third field
goal of the day, a 30-yarder, after Jason Carter
blocked Washington's punt on its next drive. The
Huskies (1-1) had a chance to pull closer when
Chris Stevens forced a fumble by Thompson that
Scott White recovered at the Oklahoma 4, but
Washington quarterback Isaiah Stanback fumbled on
the next play. Thompson and Kelly hooked up again
for a 42-yard pickup on the ensuing drive, and
Peterson scored on a 17-yard run on the next play.
Peterson added a 1-yard TD run after he had
converted a fourth-and-1 play with just over four
minutes to play. (AP/ABC
News)
September 9, 2006
Thompson development: Oklahoma quarterback coach Josh Heupel praised
Paul Thompson's decision-making in the passing
game, but both Thompson and his coach know the
quarterback has some improvements to make in other
areas. "Every time he dropped back and went to
throw the ball, he was throwing the ball to the
correct guy," Heupel said of Thompson's
performance in last Saturday's 24-17 win over UAB.
"Fundamentally, he overthrew a guy a couple times
or he was a little low sometimes, but it wasn't
always his fault either. "Obviously, we need to
take better care of the ball in the red zone." (NewsOK.com)
September 6, 2006
Thompson getting comfortable:
Oklahoma QB, Paul Thompson on returning back to
Quarterback:"When I got the position, it seemed
like everyone was freaking out," [Paul] Thompson
said. "It was good to come out there and show
everybody that they need to calm down and
everything was going to be all right." (Dallas
Morning News)
Stoops pleased with Paul Thompson:
Stoops said he was happy with the way senior Paul
Thompson played in his second career start as a
quarterback. "He managed the game in a really good
way," Stoops said. "And he'll get better. You look
at the whole thing and he threw a lot of really
good balls. He'll only get better as he goes and
the more practice and the more game experience he
gets." (NewsOK.com)
August 25, 2006
Sooners name team captains:
The Oklahoma football team selected its captains
for the 2006 season. Quarterback Paul Thompson,
offensive tackle Chris Messner, linebacker Rufus
Alexander and defensive end C.J. Ah You were
recognized by head coach Bob Stoops at the Big Red
Rally at Owen Field Thursday evening. All four
players are seniors. Thompson, Alexander and Ah
You spoke briefly to the crowd. Messner left the
event earlier to attend an evening class. (SoonerSports.com)
August 13, 2006
Stoops likes first scrimmage: "I was very pleased," Stoops said.
"There was a lot of clean play. Paul (Thompson) managed the huddle well and had
good snap control all day. He still has some brushing up to do, but he really
got in a rhythm as we went along. Thompson hit on 15-of-26 passes for 133 yards
with two touchdowns, both in red-zone work, and one interception. The senior
completed 11 of his last 13 attempts. (Full scrimmage notes, and stats at
SoonerSports.com)
August
3, 2006
Stoops talks to the media, and names Thompson
starter: In a press conference at 3 p.m. today, Bob Stoops
announced that Paul Thompson will take the reigns
as starting quarterback for OU. He also addressed
the fact taht Rhett Bomar and J.D. Quinn were
dismissed from the University of Oklahoma football
team Wednesday after a school investigation
determined they had been paid for hours they did
not work at a Norman car dealership. "We'll
discuss it today and no longer after today,"
Stoops said. "If somebody knows the rules and
knowingly breaks them, then everyone suffers the
consequences." (NewsOK.com)
August 2, 2006
Paul Thompson,
SR., QB/WR, Last year, started season opener
throwing 11-26 for 109 yards and an INT last year
vs. TCU in a lost. Career 42-73, 428 yards, 4 TDs,
3 INT as a back-up.
October 5, 2006
Young on
Thompson move from QB to WR: Earlier this
season, OU's Paul Thompson volunteered to move to
receiver after losing the starting quarterback job
to Rhett Bomar. Young, who counts Thompson as a
friend, says he never would have made such a
decision. "I wouldn't sell out myself," Young
said. "If somebody took my job, I'd be fighting to
take it back." (San
Antonio Express)
October 4, 2006
Oklahoma's
Thompson hoped to lead Texas: Paul Thompson
grew up in Leander, Texas, about 20 miles
northwest of Austin. And having watched former
Texas quarterback James Brown, Thompson thought he
would one day lead the Longhorns. But UT coach
Mack Brown would offer Thompson a scholarship only
if the quarterback moved to receiver, a change the
player resisted. So Thompson landed at Oklahoma, a
school that was happy to let him run the offense.
Thompson laughed at the irony now. The OU junior,
who lost the starting quarterback job after the
season opener, will line up at receiver Saturday
against Brown and the Longhorns. "I just figured
that Oklahoma was the best fit for me," Thompson
said after being asked repeatedly about being
recruited by UT. Thompson said he spends most of
his practice time with the receivers, even though
he's still considered OU's backup quarterback. (Dallas
Morning News)
September 9, 2005
Sooners Moving
Thompson to WR.: Paul Thompson started the
season throwing Oklahoma's passes. Now, the junior
will be catching the passes. Sooners coach Bob
Stoops said Monday that Thompson will be switched
to wide receiver, ESPN's Joe Schad reported. "He's
an excellent athlete who's worked hard and we want
the opportunity to get him on the field," Stoops
said. "Rhett Bomar has got four years in front of
him and he's ahead in some areas right now."
Thompson, a 6-foot-4 right-hander, bided his time
behind Nate Hybl and White to earn the spot as
Oklahoma's top quarterback before the season
began, but he was replaced by Bomar after the
Sooners were upset in their opener by TCU. (ESPN.com)
September 7,
2005
Thompson
catching passes: OU quarterback Paul Thompson,
who will back up Rhett Bomar Saturday against
Tulsa, spent some time on his own after practice
Tuesday catching passes - not throwing them.
Thompson did not work at wide receiver Tuesday.
There is no indication a position change is in the
works. But Thompson, who started at quarterback
against TCU, was recruited by many schools as a
receiver. (NewsOK.com)
September 6,
2005
Bomar to Start
vs. Tulsa: Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops said
after Monday's practice that redshirt freshman
Rhett Bomar will start at quarterback for the
Sooners this Saturday against Tulsa. Bomar gets
the nod over junior Paul Thompson, who started the
season opener against TCU. "We're going to give
Rhett Bomar a chance to start and see where he
takes it,” Stoops said. "By no means am I
sitting here saying that Paul Thompson is
responsible for the way we played Saturday. That's
not the case. We had a lot of guys, mostly older
guys, play as poorly as I have seen them play. We
feel Rhett deserves the same opportunity that Paul
had." Stoops did not elaborate on how playing time
might be divided between the quarterbacks. Bomar
got 10 of the team's 67 snaps last Saturday. He
completed 2-of-5 passes for 19 yards and rushed
two times for 15 yards, including a long of 28,
the best rush by a Sooner on the afternoon. (SoonerSports.com)
Bomar and
Thompson restricted to media: Stoops has
limited the availability of quarterbacks Rhett
Bomar and Paul Thompson to the media. Whereas the
quarterbacks used to be available after games,
Monday's practice and either Tuesday's practice or
Tuesday's media luncheon, they will now speak only
after games and on Monday. (NewsOK.com)
September 4,
2005
Sooner Nation
left in shambles: The Horned Frogs whooped,
hollered and belted out the school song after
holding sophomore Adrian Peterson to 63 yards
rushing and forcing fumbles by quarterbacks Paul
Thompson and Rhett Bomar in key situations. "Go
back to Fort Worth!" an OU fan yelled. The Frogs
did just that, only the 26-point underdogs were
the ones sporting a 1-0 record. The Sooners, who
had won 18 straight games at Oklahoma Memorial
Stadium, were the ones struggling for answers.
"Disappointed across the board, definitely," said
OU coach Bob Stoops, who also questioned the
team's desire. "I told the players, 'Just because
you had it before doesn't mean you're going to do
it again.' Maybe they tune me out." It was TCU's
biggest win over a ranked opponent since a 6-0
victory over top-ranked Texas in 1961. The
announced crowd of 84,332 was also the
third-largest crowd to witness a TCU football
game. Hard to tell how many were also on hand in
1996, the last time OU suffered a season-opening
home loss. The opponent: TCU. (Complete Story at
Dallas Morning News)
Sooner's still
trying to find their man: Is it Thompson or
Rhett Bomar? "We're still trying to find that
guy," said offensive coordinator Chuck Long, who
indicated OU would probably continue to rotate
quarterbacks next week against Tulsa. Neither
quarterback was effective Saturday, in OU's 17-10
loss to TCU. They combined to complete 13 of 31
passes for 128 yards. "Oklahoma's going to become
a lot better football team as their quarterbacks
grow up," TCU coach Gary Patterson said. To be
fair, the quarterbacks were hampered by the play
of the offensive line, which struggled to protect
them. They were sacked twice. And OU's running
game was nearly nonexistent. And yet, there were
open receivers. Thompson and Bomar didn't hit
them. "We were just a tad off," Bomar said.
Thompson, who started, led OU on its only
sustained drives, including a nine-play, 72-yard
drive for OU's only touchdown. But an earlier
opportunity ended when Thompson fumbled at the TCU
5.Long said he went with Thompson in the fourth
quarter because "he's been around the longest."
Coach Bob Stoops said coaches considered playing
Bomar in the fourth quarter. "But I don't know
that there weren't some occasions where we felt he
could have performed a little better," Stoops
said. "It's not like that was the obvious thing to
do." (In part from
NEWSOK.com)
August 31, 2005
Bomar to play
1st half: Offensive coordinator Chuck Long
insists quarterback Rhett Bomar will get to play
in the first half Saturday against TCU. The
redshirt freshman from Grand Prairie was concerned
that he would not get to play unless the score got
out of hand. Junior Paul Thompson won the starting
job but admits that the competition will continue.
(Dallas
Morning News)
August 26, 2005
Thompson will
start for Sooners: Oklahoma head coach Bob
Stoops closed the preseason portion of football
practice on Thursday evening with the highly
anticipated announcement of a starting
quarterback. Junior Paul Thompson was given the
starting nod, although Stoops emphasized that
redshirt-freshman Rhett Bomar will play early and
often. "We decided as a staff that we are going to
start Paul Thompson," said OU head coach Bob
Stoops. "We feel that he has earned it to this
point. The way they have both competed and been
supportive of each other and the team is a real
positive in the eyes of the coaching staff. "We do
believe that Rhett has performed well enough and
is close enough (to Thompson) that we intend to
give him snaps early in games, as well as late in
games." Thompson was Jason White's backup in 2003,
when the Sooner alum won the Heisman Trophy. Last
season Thompson redshirted, along with Bomar,
while recently departed Tommy Grady served as the
backup. "I am just excited and ready to get on the
field and make some plays," said Thompson, who has
completed 66 percent of his career passes
(31-for-47) and tossed four TDs compared to two
INTs. (SoonerSports.com)
More on QB
Race, from
Noramn Transcript: Thompson and Bomar have
battled for the position since spring practice
began in March. The competition continued
throughout the summer and into preseason practice.
In the end, the coaching staff felt Thompson had
been the more consistent performer. Offensive
coordinator Chuck Long said he used eight
scrimmages dating back to the spring to determine
the starter. "Everything was laid out to them
today and we showed them that entire body of
work," Long said. "Paul earned the right to be the
starting quarterback against TCU and we'll go from
there." In the Sooners' three open scrimmages,
Thompson was 41-for-73 for 453 yards and two
touchdowns with no interceptions. Bomar was
30-for-61 for 359 yards and two touchdowns, along
with five interceptions. Thompson and Bomar were
informed in separate meetings earlier in the day.
The team was informed at the end of practice. The
decision left the two quarterbacks in different
moods. In the Sooners' three open scrimmages,
Thompson was 41-for-73 for 453 yards and two
touchdowns with no interceptions. Bomar was
30-for-61 for 359 yards with two touchdowns, but
also five interceptions.
August 25, 2006
Long says QB
decision soon: OU coach Bob Stoops said the
scrimmage consisted of about 45 plays, but
wouldn't say if either quarterback had done enough
to earn the job. He also wouldn't say when the
announcement will be made. "It could be next week,
it could be a couple days," Stoops said. "We're
going to talk as a staff and do it when we feel we
need to." Wednesday's scrimmage was closed to the
public and media. Offensive coordinator Chuck Long
said both quarterbacks performed well, but didn't
get into specifics. Long also said a decision
could be made today. "We're going to talk about it
(today) and make a decision," Long said. "Then
we'll go from there." Long plans to go through
what Thompson and Bomar have done dating all the
way back to spring practice. Wednesday's scrimmage
might have been the final test, though the final
grade will encompass everything leading up to it
as well. Long also said the discussion could end
up with an announcement that both quarterbacks
will play against TCU. (Norman
Transcript)
QB comments on
decision: Following Wednesday's scrimmage,
Oklahoma quarterbacks Rhett Bomar and Paul
Thompson spoke to the media about their
performances in the scrimmage and the upcoming
decision of who the starter will be. Bomar sounded
particularly confident. "I thought I made good
decisions," said the redshirt freshman. "Those
last two scrimmages (before Wednesday) have not
really been reflective of my ability -- those two
picks in each one. Because I didn't throw many
picks before that. Regardless of what people might
think, just because they think I'm a risk-taker
and everything like that, but in the spring I
didn't throw many picks. And I haven't thrown many
picks in practice." As for Thompson, the junior
said he's in the dark just like everyone else in
regards to who will start. "I haven't heard a
thing," he said. "So I'm waiting just like you
guys". Asked if it would relieve some stress to
have a starter named, Thompson said: "I guess it
would. But I'll leave it up to (the coaches).
Whenever they want to make a decision, they'll
make a decision. I've practiced hard and worked
hard, so hopefully I'll get a decision off of
that. "I know I've prepared myself to be the
starting quarterback here, and that's all I can
do." (NEWSOK.com)
August 21, 2005
QB Decision
soon? At Oklahoma's practice on Saturday,
coach Bob Stoops said a decision on a starting
quarterback won't come until at least after a
scrimmage scheduled for Wednesday. "We're probably
going to wait until after we work Wednesday in
another shorter scrimmage," said Stoops of
evaluating junior Paul Thompson and redshirt
freshman Rhett Bomar. "Hopefully we'll know
something by the end of the week." (NewsOK.com)
August 10, 2005
Quarterbacks
"don't know" either: Oklahoma quarterbacks
Paul Thompson and Rhett Bomar have no idea which
one will start the season opener against TCU on
Sept. 3. "I want to get a sign on my shirt that
says, 'I don't know,'" Thompson said. "Everywhere
I go, people ask, 'Are you starting?' Well, we'll
see." Bomar said: "We don't have anything to say
about it. That's basically our answer. We don't
know." The biggest question facing the Sooners
this season cannot be answered with haste,
according to coach Bob Stoops. Thompson, Bomar and
Tommy Grady all have the necessary skills. The
Sooners may need the rest of the month to figure
out which one is best suited to replace Heisman
Trophy winner Jason White and lead the defending
Big 12 champions. Who has the edge? The coach
isn't helpful. "In our mind going into (Friday's
first) practice, there was not a separation, not a
ranking," Stoops said. (San
Antonio Express)
August 9, 2005
No timetable
set on naming QB: Quarterbacks Rhett Bomar and
Paul Thompson, the centers of attention, directed
one lengthy scoring drive each. Bomar marched the
team 75 yards in nine plays. Jacob Gutierrez
covered the final yard for the touchdown. Thompson
came back to lead an eight-play, 75-yard drive
that also culminated with a one-yard run, this one
by Donta Hickson. Bomar completed 6-of-9 passes
for 90 yards, while Thompson connected on 9-of-16
for 107 "I was pleased with the quarterbacks,"
Stoops said. "I thought both were sharp in the
huddle, sharp at the line of scrimmage. They made
a lot of nice throws. That part is really
exciting," But Stoops said the decision as to a
starter is still in the distance. "We'll have one
named when we need to." he said. "It could be 10
days before, could be a week before,could be two
weeks before, could be game week. I don't know. If
we feel it's been decided or if we feel there is
some seperation, we'll separate them. At this
point, it's just too soon." (SoonerSports.com)
August 8, 2005
QB's Bomar and
Thompson to highlight scrimmage tonight: Tommy
Grady missed practice for the fourth straight day
Sunday and Paul Thompson and Rhett Bomar will
continue to handle the chores tonight. That has
been the one thing that has changed with the
quarterback race since the spring. Thompson and
Bomar are doing their best to take advantage of
Grady's absence. "I just want to be real
productive offensively, make big plays and feel
good about the offensive." Thompson said. "It's
time to build a foundation to have something to
build on. "Thompson and Bomar will be trying to
make a favorable impression on offensive
coordinator Chuck Long. Tonight will be their
first chance to show how much they've improved
since the spring in a game-like situation. "I'm
looking forward to the scrimmage," Bomar said.
"We're only going to have two guys and in the
spring we had three guys. You had to really take
advantage of your opportunities to make some plays
then. (Tonight), we get more opportunities to make
plays and I'm looking forward to that." Long said
he will be looking to see who makes the best
decisions and commits the fewest turnovers. "They
haven't protected the ball like we want," Long
said. "They're young and they'll get better at
that. In fact, (Sunday) they had their best day."
(Norman
Transcript)August 7, 2005
August 6, 2005
Thompson says,
Experience will win him starting job, Bomer "a
little overrated": Junior Paul Thompson said
his experience at quarterback could help him win
the starting job this season. But redshirt
freshman Rhett Bomar said experience is "a little
overrated." The Grand Prairie graduate said he
could become comfortable in the job in one game. (DallasNews.com)
Former Oklahoma Sooners:
Current Oklahoma Sooners:
Sam Bradford #14 Player News
DeMarco Murray #7 Player News
See Also:
Oklahoma Sooners Team Roster
|
