Adrian Peterson to host charity event at Riverwind: Former Sooners great and current Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson will be back in Oklahoma Feb. 27 for his annual charity dinner at Riverwind Casino. "Dinner with Adrian Peterson” begins at 7 p.m. and will benefit Peterson’s All Day Foundation. Individual tickets are $350. Tables of eight can also be purchased for either $2,500 or $5,000. The $2,500 tables include a signed Vikings jersey for the table sponsor, while the $5,000 tables come with an autographed Vikings helmet for the sponsor, signed picture for each person at the table and a photo-op for the group. For more information, call Bill Horn at (405) 409-2223, or email him at bill@inspiremgmtco.com. (The Oklahoman)

Labels: Adrian Peterson, Charity, Oklahoma Sooners

Oklahoma Sooner Football Articles and Notes

Stoops expects Johnson, Elridge to play Saturday: Coach Bob Stoops said he expects tight end Brody Eldridge (sprained ankle) and wide receiver Manny Johnson (dislocated elbow) to play Saturday. "Brody is likely," Stoops said. "With Manny, it's just going to be how comfortable he feels wearing the brace Thursday." (The Oklahoman)

OU Fans raise 30k for 14 Foundation Thanksgiving Food Drive: More than $30,000, a record for the event, was raised last Saturday for Josh Heupel's 14 Foundation Thanksgiving Food Drive. The drive was held prior to last Saturday's Oklahoma-Nebraska football game in Norman. As a result, some 34,000 meals will be provided for families throughout the state of Oklahoma. (More at SoonerSports.com)

Reynolds undergoes successful knee surgery: Ryan Reynolds, the middle linebacker lost to a torn knee ligament against Texas Oct. 11, underwent surgery a week ago. "It went great," OU coach Bob Stoops reported. "There were no other issues, which sometimes there are, whether it's cartilage or other ligaments. It was just the (anterior cruciate) ligament. Everything else was perfectly intact, which wasn't the case in his other surgery (in the spring of 2007). Hopefully this one will heal quicker and better." (Tulsa World)

Team has utmost respect for McCoy: SoonerSports.com

A&M relies on youth to build on two straight wins: The Oklahoman

OSU's Bedlam ticket policy staying: The Oklahoman

Haters of Venables should get a clue: Tulsa World

A&M has some confidence: Norman Transcript

BCS system, not playoffs, is best for college football: Dallas Morning News

Oklahoma-Texas A&M preview capsule: Dallas Morning News

Sooners-BYU not a done deal, not is anything else these days: Star-Telegram

Numbers are against A&M beating OU: The Battalion

Labels: Brody Eldridge, Charity, Manuel Johnson, Oklahoma Sooners, Ryan Reynolds

Oklahoma Sooner Football Articles and Notes

Annual 14 Foundation Holiday Food Drive is Saturday: The eighth annual 14 Foundation Holiday Food Drive collection will be held this Saturday prior to the Oklahoma-Nebraska game. Volunteers will be stationed outside the stadium gates to accept cash donations only. The event was founded by Josh Heupel's 14 Foundation and has picked up partnerships with the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. In its early years, the food drive extended to just a few families, but the scope has grown considerably. This year the drive will target 750 families in seven communities across Oklahoma. It is expected that some 3,000 meals will be served as a results. Families have been chosen in Ada, Enid, Kingfisher, Norman, Oklahoma City, Sand Springs, and Stillwater to help this Thanksgiving. The food will consist of a Thanksgiving meal along with four additional meals for each family. The Sooner Football program assists, each year, in meeting the Norman families by hosting a night at the Switzer Center for each of them to enjoy meeting the players. The Sooner players also assist in the distribution of the food to the families in attendance. (SoonerSports PR)

Box forced to learn early against K-State: The first game as No. 4 Oklahoma's first-string middle linebacker was filled with learning moments for (Austin) Box, a redshirt freshmen who's now being called on to replace injured starter Ryan Reynolds. Some of them, particularly that 29-yard touchdown catch by Kansas State tight end Jeron Mastrud that left Box visibly upset with himself, were harder lessons than others. "It was definitely a big wake-up for me. I like to think that I handled it well and eventually settled in and kind of got my feet under me," Box said. (More at The Oklahoman)

How much has Ryan Reynolds' injury devestated OU's defense?: ESPN.com

In the middle: Norman Transcript

Sooner wideouts paving the way: Tulsa World

Up close with Quentin Chaney: Tulsa World

OU Notebook: Tulsa World

Know the Foe -- Nebraska: Tulsa World

OU football notebook:OU-Texas A&M time to be announced Sunday: The Oklahoman

OU's Norvell knows Nebraska: The Oklahoman

OU's prospects bright: The Oklahoman

Huskers look to push through fatigue, soreness: Lincoln Journal-Star

Oklahoma Insider: Lincoln Journal-Star

Lucky is sharper for OU: Omaha World-Herald

NU looks to control football against OU: Omaha World-Herald

Huskers look to use clock-controlling offense to slow Sooners: Grand Island Independent

Nebraska-Oklahoma game will be reunion for coaches: Dallas Morning News

Sooners' tough defense has 'self-inflicted' wounds: Star-Telegram

When Did Winning Stop Being Enough? Crimson and Cream Machine

Labels: Austin Box, Charity, Oklahoma Sooners

Oklahoma Sooner Football Articles and Notes

Former Sooner Tommie Harris holding celebrity golf and billiards event: Former Sooner and current Chicago Bears defensive tackle Tommie Harris is coming back to Oklahoma to host his annual charity golf tournament the weekend of May 2-3. The Tommie Harris Celebrity Classic will feature a dinner and auction Friday, May 2, at the Oklahoma History Center, as well as a golf tournament Saturday, May 3, at the Belmar Golf Club and a billiards tournament later in the night at Riverwind Casino. Several former Sooners are scheduled to participate, including Roy Williams of the Dallas Cowboys, Davin Joseph of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Teddy Lehman of the Buccaneers, Jammal Brown of the New Orleans Saints, Dusty Dvoracek of the Bears and Mark Bradley of the Bears. Other NFL players attending include former Oklahoma State player R.W. McQuarters of the New York Giants, Greg Jennings of the Green Bay Packers and Sam Hurd of the Cowboys. Proceeds from the event will go to the Boys & Girls Club of America, the United Leukodystrophy Foundation and The Tommie Harris Foundation, which raises funds for the purpose of preventing child abuse in America. For more information, call (405) 949-0022, ext: 403. (PR)

Labels: Charity, Former Sooner, Oklahoma Sooners

Oklahoma Sooner Football Articles and Notes

Backup center Beeler quits the Sooners: Backup center Chase Beeler has left the Oklahoma football team, coach Bob Stoops said Tuesday night. "Chase wants to concentrate on his academic interests. He just decided that he did not want to play any more," Stoops said in a statement. "We respect his decision. We're all for Chase. He was a good, strong student-athlete while he was with our program and we wish him the best." (AP/SportingNews)

New Oklahoma Sooners Football book available: For the Sooner fan who can't soak up enough facts about OU football, "University of Oklahoma Football: An Interactive Guide to the World of Sports" might be a solution. The book -- written by authors Daniel Brush, David Horne and Marc Maxwell, all who are attending graduate programs at OU -- has 10 chapters, with 100 facts, statistics or short stories in each chapter about Sooner football. Bob Stoops has written the foreword, and part of the proceeds will go to the Bob Stoops Champions Foundation, which helps sick children. The book can be found at most bookstores or on the authors' Web site, www.sportsbythenumbers.com (NewsOK.com)

Allen Patrick featured on SI Cover: Oklahoma senior running back Allen Patrick will be featured on one of five regional covers of Sports Illustrated scheduled to be released today. Patrick, who is expected to start at running back, hasn't practiced since last Wednesday, when he sprained his right ankle during workouts. Patrick has been walking around on crutches with his right foot in a protective boot. Patrick posed for the Sports Illustrated photo July 30 in Norman. (Dallas Morning News)

Barry Switzer joins NFL on FOX pregame crew: Fox Sports announced Tuesday that [Barry] Switzer will be joining its NFL pregame show this season where he will work a weekly "Coaches Corner" show alongside Johnson, who is entering his eighth season with the network. No further details were immediately available. (Dallas Morning News)

Big 12 Preview: Sooners can't shake Bomar's legacy: CBS News

Simulated season highlights: The Oklahoman

Halzle most successful signal caller on NCAA Football 2008: The Oklahoman

Reynolds hopes injuries are behind him: Enid News and Eagle

OU still not close to picking QB: Dallas Morning News

Labels: Allen Patrick, Barry Switzer, Book, Charity, NFL, Oklahoma Sooners

Oklahoma Sooner Football Articles and Notes

Heupel's 14 Foundation Charity Auto Race: Former University of Oklahoma quarterbacks Josh Heupel and Jason White will suit up one more time when they compete against each other Saturday in the Speed for Need Celebrity Drag Race at Tulsa Raceway Park. U.S. Rep. Dan Boren also will participate in the race, which will help Heupel's charity, the No. 14 Foundation, raise money to send disadvantaged children to summer camps. "I'll race against Jason, but I don't know if you can call it racing when I whip up on him," joked Heupel, who led the Sooners to the 2000 national championship and is now OU's quarterbacks coach. "I'm not sure what types of cars we will be driving, but they won't be like the professionals. I wouldn't trust myself in a car going 200 miles per hour, but I know we will have some souped cars. "This is the first time I've done something like this in racing, but the two of us are competitive when we're together. I'm also looking forward to getting a piece of Congressman Boren as well." Heupel said he wanted to use a unique venue to raise money for his foundation, which funds efforts to feed needy families at Thanksgiving and Christmas as well as the summer camps project. (Tulsa World)

Adrian Peterson talks Bob Sansevere Listens 'MAYBE ABOUT 20 TOUCHDOWNS': Pioneer Press

OU commitment list: The Oklahoman.. See also, 2008 OU Football Recruits

Breaking down the Big 12: ESPN.com

Three Things to watch for in the Big 12: ESPN.com

Labels: Charity, Oklahoma Sooners

Oklahoma Sooner Football Articles and Notes

Sooners Interested in CT. prospect: Greenwich's Jonathan Meyers picked up two more offers, from Oklahoma and Colorado this week, the fullback/linebacker wrote in an e-mail to the Connecticut Post on Saturday. Meyers said he had a great conversation with Oklahoma linebacker coach Brent Venables. "He really liked the way I play at linebacker," said Meyers, who said head coach Bob Stoops will be visiting Greenwch in the next two weeks to finalize the offer. (Connecticut Post)

Josh Heupel #14 Foundation Charity Event: Former Heisman Trophy runner-up Josh Heupel enjoyed great support and encouragement to succeed as a youngster, and through his nonprofit The #14 Foundation he aims to help disadvantaged Oklahoma youth realize their dreams and potential. The "Speed for Need" Celebrity Drag Racing event at Tulsa Raceway Park on Saturday, May 12, is a major fundraiser for Heupel's foundation. Pitsco, an education company in Pittsburg, Kan. is the primary sponsor of the racing event. Pitsco President and CEO Harvey Dean, an Oklahoma native, says Heupel's foundation is similar to his company in that both organizations aim to educate youngsters through positive experiences and proper training. (More about the #14 Foundation Charity event at OklahomaRaceConnect.com)

Featured Hall of Famer: Bud Wilkinson: South Bend Tribune

Labels: Charity, Oklahoma Sooners, Recruiting

Oklahoma Sooner Football Articles and Notes

Kelly happy with win: Malcolm Kelly on win against Texas A&M despite one catch: "You play receiver because you want to catch the ball," said Kelly, who a week ago became the fastest Sooner to reach 1,000 career receiving yards. "For me to say that any receiver doesn't get mad if they don't catch a pass, then I'm not telling the truth about that. "We did what we had to do. I'd rather come away with a win. You can catch seven or eight balls a game, but then you're 0-10. That doesn't really do that much good."(NewsOK.com)

Sooners Holiday Food Drive: The University of Oklahoma football program will again take an active role in a local holiday food drive. It is the seventh year the team has participated. The main part of that drive comes this Saturday when $1 donations will be accepted from fans prior to the OU-Texas Tech game. The project originated with Josh Heupel while he was quarterback for the Sooners in 2000. He began helping just a few families and then formed the 14 Foundation to support the project each year. The Holiday Food Drive has grown to helping hundreds of families in Norman and now includes the 14 Foundation, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, the Regional Food Bank and Oklahoma Public Schools. This year, the project has targeted 500 families in seven different communities across Oklahoma. Families have been chosen in Ada, Ardmore, Enid, Lawton, Norman, Moore and Stillwater. The food that is provided is enough to feed a family of four for a week, as well as provide a Thanksgiving meal. (SoonerSports.com)

Sooners turn attention to Tech: SoonerSports.com

What about the passing game: Norman Transcript

Sooner offensive line has done a lot of growing up: The Oklahoman

OU Notebook -- Coach of the Year: Tulsa World

Sittler's Big 12 Rankings: Tulsa World

OU's task -- Cool down Tech's QB: Tulsa World

Coaches' dissatisfaction frustrates Sooners' Kelly: Tulsa World

Fourth down was statement time for OU: Dallas Morning News

Tech's Harrell has found a groove: Ft. Worth Star-Telegram

Sooners sure to be hyped for Tech game in Norman: Lubbock Avalanche-Journal

Red Raider football notebook: Lubbock Avalanche-Journal

Labels: Charity, Malcolm Kelly, University of Oklahoma