Minnesota signs OT Phill Loadholt: The Vikings announced they have signed their second-round pick, OT Phil Loadholt, to a contract. Terms of the deal were not announced. Loadholt, the 54th pick in the draft, will have every chance to win the starting ORT job over Ryan Cook, last year's starter there. (Pro Football Weekly)
Phil Loadholt taken No. 54 overall: Offensive tackle Phil Loadholt never got the chance to block for Adrian Peterson at the University of Oklahoma. But he'll get that opportunity in the pros. Loadholt will be joining Peterson in Minnesota, as the Vikings selected Loadholt in the second round with the No. 54 overall pick during Saturday’s NFL Draft in New York City. Even though many analysts believed guard Duke Robinson and wide receiver Juaquin Iglesias had the chance to also be second-round picks, Loadholt was the only Sooner taken on the first day of the draft, which will resume today. Some analysts speculated before the draft that Loadholt had the chance to go late in the first round. (The Oklahoman)
The Boz impressed with OU facility upgrades: Brian Bosworth is blown away OU's facilities upgrade since his era. "It's amazing," he said. "It would be an honor to come back and play when you have facilities like this. The kids that come into the program now need to take it for what it's worth. You've got a first-class organization, you've got a first-class coach, you've got fans that absolutely adore them. So they should come out here and work harder than they've ever worked, reach down and dig deeper than they ever thought they could. "They've got something really special here, and they've just gotta keep working on it, create that chemistry that's going to get them that last game, put that last game to bed." (Tulsa World)
Loadholt to visit Raiders:ProFootballTalk.com is reporting University of Oklahoma offensive tackle Phil Loadholt has an official visit today with the Oakland Raiders, according to a league source. The All-Big 12 lineman is one of the biggest linemen in the draft at 6'8," 332 pounds. A projected second-round draft pick, Loadholt has 5.34 speed in the 40-yard dash. (ProFootballTalk.com)
Stoops denies ineligibility rumors: Stoops said there were no academically ineligible players for the national championship game, and Stoops said he expected everyone to be available who has been. "We are hopeful that Alan Davis and Austin Box will be back," Stoops said. "We're hoping here fairly soon." Internet rumors that Holmes and offensive tackle Phil Loadholt were academic casualties, they said, were laughable. Loadholt graduated last week. "It's the Internet," Loadholt said. (Tulsa World)
Bradford confident with OU's receivers: "I heard that comment (that Kelly's departure would hurt) all spring, and it really didn't make sense to me," Sam Bradford said. "We've got so many wide receivers that can make plays, and they proved it tonight." (Tulsa World)
Loadholt and Broyles suspended one game: [Phil] Loadholt's suspension may have stemmed from a June arrest for suspicion of DUI. OU coach Bob Stoops said Loadholt and Broyles were suspended for one game for "team reasons" and would be available to play Saturday against Cincinnati. (The Oklahoman)
Williams to play in '08? Defensive end John Williams also missed Saturday night's game, as he tries to determine if he's going to play the '08 season. Williams was awarded a sixth season of eligibility after the '07 season, much of which he missed after tearing his Achilles' tendon at Tulsa. (Tulsa World)
Granger dropped to No. 2 on depth chart due to back injury? Defensive tackle DeMarcus Granger did not start but played in the first quarter. Granger was sent home from the Fiesta Bowl after being charged with misdemeanor theft. Stoops, however, had said Granger's drop to No. 2 on the depth chart was related to a sore back that hampered him during August drills. Adrian Taylor started at tackle. (The Oklahoman)
Box likely to return against Cincinnati but where? Enid's Austin Box, who sat out Oklahoma's 57-2 rout of Chattanooga Saturday after having knee surgery earlier this month, should play this week against Cincinnati. "I anticipate he will," said OU defensive coordinator Brent Venables. Whether Box will return to his starting weakside linebacker spot is uncertain. Travis Lewis, who started in Box's place Saturday, led the Sooner defensive charge with four solo and two assisted tackles. "He's got to go back there and earn it," Venables said of Box. "We'll see how it goes." (Enid News and Eagle)
Second longest game in Sooner football history: Saturday's game, which spanned four hours and nine minutes, will go down as the second-longest in program history. The 2005 Baylor game, which went 4:12 through two overtimes, ranks as the longest. There have been five 4-hour games in OU history. The others: at Texas Tech in 2007 (4:03), Kansas State in 2000 (4:03) and Texas-El Paso in 2002 (4:00). (The Oklahoman)
Sooner OT Phil Loadholt arrested: Oklahoma senior starting left tackle Phil Loadholt was arrested Saturday along Interstate 35 on suspicion of driving under the influence and for allegedly transporting an open container, criminal misdemeanor charges, according to Oklahoma Highway Patrol documents. Kenny Mossman, OU senior associate athletics director in charge of communications, said he did not expect coach Bob Stoops to comment on the arrest. The situation likely will be handled internally, and it is not expected that Loadholt, 22, will be dismissed from the team. (The Oklahoman) UPDATED: Loadholt, the Sooners' 6-foot-8, 350-pound starting left tackle, was pulled over at 2:35 a.m. Saturday after a state trooper saw his white Chevy Impala cross the center line and run onto the shoulder on Interstate 35 in Norman, according to an affidavit filed in Cleveland County District Court. The trooper reported in his affidavit that Loadholt, 22, had a blood-alcohol content of 0.15 percent – or nearly twice the legal limit of 0.08 percent – on two separate tests. The trooper's affidavit also indicated that open containers of Busch Light beer and malt liquor were on the center console of Loadholt's car. (Dallas Morning News)
Loadholt receives mid-season SI honors: OU left offensive tackle Phil Loadholt has been named a mid-season first-team All-American by SportsIllustrated.com. Defensive end Auston English, who leads the Sooners with six sacks, made the second team. (NewsOK.com)
