Crimson Quarterly winter 2018 issue

WINTER 2018

INNER CIRCLE

THOSE CLOSEST TO OU’S QUARTERBACK E X P L A I N W H AT M A K E S HIM TICK | 10

WHAT

DRIVES

KYLER?

‘WE WOKE THIS S TAT E U P ’ TEACHERS GET POLITICAL | 20

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Contents

HIGH POINT

INNER CIRCLE

While customers rejoice, small businesses feel the sting of Oklahoma’s new liquor laws.

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Who is Kyler Murray? Few actually know the dual-sport athlete, but those in his “Circle of Trust” say they know him best.

10

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

MANAGING EDITOR

Megan Ross

Kayla Branch

TEACHERS ON THE BALLOT Following the end of the teacher walkouts, many educators had one thing in mind: Remember in November.

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DESIGN EDITOR

Maddy Payne

H O L I DAY CALENDAR Christmas in Oklahoma is filled with fun, familyfriendly activities to enjoy all season long.

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VISUAL EDITOR

Caitlyn Epes

Crimson Quarterly is a publication of University of Oklahoma Student Media. Nick Jungman, director of student media, authorized printing of 10,000 copies by University Printing Services at no cost to the taxpayers of the State of Oklahoma.

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HIGH POINT B Y T I M H AT T O N P H OTO S B Y E M I LY ADDINGTON

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While customers rejoice, small businesses feel the sting of Oklahoma’s new liquor laws.

O

n the morning of Oct. 1, the wine aisle at Homeland on the corner of 12th Avenue and Alameda Street was decorated with a wide arch of balloons shaped like grapes, almost like the grocery store was in the middle of a celebration.

Only a few customers trickled through the aisle, and most were just browsing instead of making a purchase.

But, since alcohol sales in grocery stores had become legal just hours before, it was the busiest the Homeland wine department had ever been.

Oklahoma’s new liquor laws, which came into effect at the beginning of October, have dramatically reshaped most aspects of buying alcohol in the state. Both customers and businesses are waiting to see what kind of economic impact the new legislation will have on Oklahomans.

Under the new legislation, liquor stores can now refrigerate beverages and sell merchandise beyond alcohol, like cigars, corkscrews and drinking games. The updated law also increases liquor stores’ hours — they can now stay open from 8 a.m. to midnight, expanded from their previous hours of 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. The stores will remain closed on Sundays.

The greater change, though, affects grocery stores and gas stations. These stores can now sell beer up to 8.99 percent alcohol by volume (ABV) and wine up to 14.99 percent ABV. Previously, they could only sell low-point beer up to 3.2 percent ABV, while only liquor stores could sell spirits, wine and high-point beer.

At Homeland, one of the few customers who stopped by the beer and wine aisle the morning of Oct. 1 was Cheryl Hughes, who works at the store but was shopping on her day off. She said both staff and shoppers have been enthusiastic about the new products for sale.

“It’s fantastic,” she said. “Today’s the big day. We’re excited about it, a lot of customers are excited about it.

We’ve all been waiting.”

At Walmart on 12th Avenue that same morning, Scott White wasn’t shopping for wine specifically, but he stopped by to check out the retail giant’s selection. He was most impressed by the prices he saw.

“I think it’s going to create competitive pricing, that’s the big upside,” he said. “Other stores are going to have to be more competitive … if you buy (alcohol) by the case through Amazon or through here, you’ll save some money.”

Another Walmart customer, Patti Marshall, was also impressed with the store’s prices. She didn’t grow up in Oklahoma, so she said she was happy to see the state’s alcohol laws adjusted to more closely resemble those

found across the country.

“I grew up in New York, so I was used to being able to buy things where you have to,” Marshall said. “I mean, you tend to wonder about (the quality of) wine at a Walmart store, but I’m seeing everything I could possibly want from a liquor store at a cheaper price.”

The new liquor laws passed as the result of a 2016 ballot measure known as State Question 792, which amended the state’s constitution. Oklahoma’s new laws place it well within the spectrum of neighboring states’ regulations.

Since the new law took effect, Oklahoma’s laws are more similar to those in Texas and Arkansas, both of which allow beer and wine to be sold at grocery stores but limit the sale of spirits to liquor stores.

Like Oklahoma, both states generally prohibit the sale of hard alcohol on Sundays, although in Arkansas, exceptions can be found in specific counties and cities.

“ Today’s the big day. We’re excited about it, a lot of customers are excited about it. We’ve all been waiting. ”

Much like Oklahoma’s previous requirements, Colorado and Kansas allow wine and spirits to be sold only at state-licensed liquor stores, and permit only low-point beer to be sold at grocery and convenience stores. By contrast, beer, wine and liquor may be sold at any grocery or convenience store in New Mexico and Missouri.

Oklahoma’s previous ban on refrigerated alcohol was relatively unique in the U.S. The only comparable legislation is in Indiana, which requires grocery stores to sell alcohol at room temperature but allows liquor stores to keep its merchandise refrigerated.

The new law’s advantages are clear for not only customers but also grocery and convenience stores — customers benefit from lower prices as a result of

CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

competition, while the stores have more product to sell.

The advantages aren’t as clear for liquor stores. Even though they can now chill their drinks and sell a wider range of nonalcoholic products, increased financial pressure from larger grocery stores or chains may hurt their business.

After the laws had been in effect for a few weeks, Jonathan Lapsley, general manager at Spiritz N’Wine on Interstate Drive, said he’d already noticed a sizable drop in the store’s business.

“Sales have gone down quite a bit because most of our wine and beer sales that we were used to getting have gone either to gas stations or grocery stores,” Lapsley said. “I would estimate it’s gone down maybe 25 percent, just from the gross sales I’ve noticed day to day.”

At Corkscrew on Lindsey Street, manager Jake Sheehy also said he’d noticed a drop in sales, but he was confident the store would bounce back because it has strengths larger retailers do not.

“What we have that they don’t, besides liquor, is really good customer service,” Sheehy said. “All our staff is very knowledgeable. We have more of a homey, neighborhood-type effect, whereas those big chain stores don’t have that. We’ll bend over backwards for customers.”

Matt Brechley, an employee at The Cellar liquor store on Main Street, said he hasn’t noticed much of a difference in revenue. He’s not especially worried about

competition from larger stores because The Cellar serves a different client base.

“If you want your Budweiser, if you want your popular domestics, people will probably go to Sprouts or Walmart,” Brechley said. “The majority of their cooler space is going to go to those. But you’re not going to find Squatters Tropical Double-Hop IPA at Walmart cold. You’ll find it here cold. We’re trying to compete by having a more comprehensive selection of beer and wine in our coolers.”

However, The Cellar is one of Norman’s largest liquor stores, and it was able to invest in coolers and nonalcoholic products in order to be prepared for the Oct. 1 launch. Brechley said he can see how the new laws might have a different effect elsewhere.

“I don’t think it’s hurt us nearly as bad as it’s going to hurt other liquor stores,” he said. “Liquor stores in Oklahoma can only be owned by one person, so there are no big corporations, no franchises, it’s one person.

Because of that, it comes down to whether that one person has the capital to put money in their liquor store.”

Like all investments, installing coolers and purchasing new merchandise carries a certain amount of risk for the liquor store owners. However, in the new economic climate since the law came into effect, many feel like they have no choice. “(At Corkscrew,) we installed coolers about three months ago, but you’re only just now seeing coolers

coming into other liquor stores because it’s a big, big investment upfront,” Sheehy said. “It was a big investment, a big risk on our part, but we felt like we had to take it to compete early on.”

A CLOSER LOOK GROCERIES AND CONVENIENCE STORES CAN SELL BEER UP TO 8.99% AND WINE UP TO 14.99% ALCOHOL Even when stores are able to invest in coolers and nonalcoholic products, the process hasn’t always gone smoothly. For example, Spiritz N’Wine has coolers installed, but mechanical issues have kept them from operating properly, and the store has not been able to have them serviced because of wait times since there is a high demand for repairs from other liquor stores.

Sheehy said Corkscrew is facing a similar issue in trying to stock Coca-Cola products — too many liquor stores are relying on too small a group of Coke suppliers.

At Midway Liquor on Flood Avenue, there are no refrigerated drinks or drinking games for sale. In fact, the store has still been able to sell only hard liquor since Oct. 1. Midway rents its space from 7-Eleven, and its lease includes a non-compete clause. Because the

convenience store chain can now sell wine and highpoint beer, the liquor store cannot.

“It’s definitely going to change the business,” said Midway employee Preston Alltizer. “It’s slowed down.

We’re still exploring what direction, exactly, we want to take the business: Do we want to do cocktail stuff, catering to the higher-end clientele? Do we want to focus on pints, half-pints? It’s kind of up in the air as to what’s going to happen.”

Stores where the inventory is not so restricted have also had to reduce the volume or variety of product they stock.

“The beer’s probably going to take the biggest hit because it has to go in the fridge,” Lapsley said at Spiritz N’Wine. “We’re trimming down on some wines, too. A lot of wines, actually, that don’t sell as well.”

He paused.

“It’s kind of sad because we used to pride ourselves on having a really good selection. But this is what we have to do now.”

When Oklahoma voters approved State Question 792 two years ago, they knew what they were getting: more and colder alcohol at cheaper prices with greater availability throughout the state.

So far, that’s exactly what they’ve received. But for area businesses both large and small, the new laws will have far-reaching economic consequences, both positive and negative, that won’t be fully understood for months to come.

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INNER 10

CIRCLE Who is Kyler Murray? Few actually know the dualsport athlete, but those in his “Circle of Trust” say they know OU’s quarterback best.

S

ome call them the “circle of trust.”

Others call them the “inner family.”

Kyler Murray calls them “his people.”

Those “people” are the ones who know him best.

They’re the ones who have seen him behind the wall that so many of us have caught ourselves climbing just to get a peek into the life of the dual-sport phenomenon. Murray has knowingly, and wisely, shielded himself from the outside noise, keeping those closest to him by his side. These aren’t the people who know his 42-0 high school record or the ones who know he’s just as good at football as he is at baseball or even the ones who know he drives a white Chevy Camaro and his favorite rap artist is Drake.

No, these are the people who had a locker next him, who caught his first passes from him, who were the first to find out Oklahoma would be his new temporary home, who hugged him after his first loss as a starter and who know what his future may hold.

So when I called Steele Walker, who has known Murray since he was 12, to ask what he knew about the quarterback who everyone wants to think they know, he summed up Murray’s mysterious journey to greatness in the simplest of ways.

“He’s hard to get to know,” Walker chuckled. “If you know him, you know him. You know?”

No, Steele. I don’t know.

Few do. Here’s what they say:

MEET

THE

CAST

RYAN HOOGERWERF The back-up quarterback at Allen High School from 2012-14; also played baseball at Allen and continued his baseball career at the University of Portland from 2014-17 (Allen HS, class of 2014).

OLIVER PIERCE Allen’s starting quarterback for the first five games of the 2012 season; went onto wrestle at Arizona State University (Allen HS, class of 2013).

STORY BY GEORGE STOIA P H OTO S B Y C A I T LY N E P E S

MAYOMI OLOOTU JR. Starting cornerback for Allen from 2012-13; played football at Northern Illinois from 2014-17 (Allen HS, class of 2014).

COLE CARTER Starting wide receiver at Allen from 2012-13; played baseball at West Virginia before transferring to play football at Texas A&M Corpus Christi (Allen HS, class of 2014).

JALEN GUYTON Starting wide receiver at Allen from 2013-14; had 82 receptions for 1,770 yards and 22 touchdowns as a senior; currently a sophomore wide receiver at North Texas (Allen HS, class of 2015).

TEJAN KOROMA Starting center at Allen from 2012-13; continued his career at BYU as a four-year starter from 2014-17; currently on the injured reserve for Kansas City (Allen HS, class of 2014).

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CHAD ADAMS

TOM WESTERBERG

LEE MORRIS

STEELE WALKER

Starting corner for Allen from 2012-13; continued his career as a safety at Arizona State from 2014-17 (Allen HS, class of 2014).

Head coach at Allen from 2004-15 where he posted a 148-17 record; currently the head coach and athletics director at Barbers High School in Mont Belvieu, Texas.

Wide receiver at Allen from 2011-15; walked on at the University of Oklahoma in 2015; recently earned a scholarship as a redshirt junior (Allen HS, class of 2015).

JEFF FLEENER

LINCOLN RILEY

Played baseball at Prosper High School (Prosper, Texas) from 2011-15; also played on same travel team as Murray since the age of 12; continued career at University of Oklahoma from 2016-18; was drafted No. 46 overall by the Chicago White Sox in the 2018 MLB Draft.

Offensive coordinator at Allen from 2006-15; currently the head coach at Mesquite High School in Dallas.

Offensive coordinator at Oklahoma from 2015-17; currently the head coach at Oklahoma.

BOBBY EVANS Offensive tackle and tight end at Allen from 2011-15; currently Oklahoma’s starting left tackle; has started every game for OU the past two seasons (Allen HS, class of 2015).

CONTINUED ON PAGE 12

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CHAPTER 1 Kyler the competitor

Summer of 2012: Ryan Hoogerwerf and Oliver Pierce have heard the rumors — there’s a new kid in town. But neither of them expected what they saw on a hot summer day during a workout at Curtis Middle School in Allen, Texas.

RYAN HOOGERWERF

We were doing some seven-on-seven work and had heard about this new kid that was supposed to be really good.

OLIVER PIERCE

I was originally a wide receiver, but moved to quarterback my senior year. I was the expected starter.

Murray was transferring to Allen after spending his freshman year at Lewisville. Everyone expected Oliver to be the starter and Ryan to replace him a year later.

RYAN HOOGERWERF

It was an all-out brawl for that starting spot.

COLE CARTER

We had been around some good quarterbacks before, so I’m thinking this guy can’t be anything too great.

JALEN GUYTON

He was a new face in the program. I didn’t think much of him — he was really quiet at first.

OLIVER PIERCE

He was scrawny, man.

Kyler was no bigger than 5-foot-9, 170 pounds at the time.

RYAN HOOGERWERF

Then he threw the ball.

COLE CARTER

He almost ripped someone’s head off.

BOBBY EVANS

I’ve never seen anyone throw the ball like that.

MAYOMI OLLOOTU JR.

I was like, “Woah, that dude can throw.”

OLIVER PIERCE

I thought, “Oh shit, this kid can throw. I’m going to have to ball out.”

RYAN HOOGERWERF

I was super annoyed at first. I was like, “Well crap, there go my playing hopes.”

CHAD ADAMS

It was the elephant in the room … Kyler was going to be the guy.

OLIVER PIERCE

I went back to receiver after a few games.

Pierce started the first five games of Murray’s sophomore season, but after a loss to Coppell High School, Murray became the starter in game six. His ability to cut up defenses both through the air and on the ground made him one of the best players in the state.

RYAN HOOGERWERF

It was me and (Pierce) going back and forth for that job … But then Kyler just exposed his true talent and so we obviously moved him, and it clearly treated us well.

COACH JEFF FLEENER

You see a great a player and he just takes it to a whole other level. He plays a different game than everybody else.

JALEN GUYTON

The first time I caught the ball from him, I knew he was different. He was coming at a different pace.

OLIVER PIERCE

Everyone talks about how he can run, but he was taught his entire life how to throw the football. He can flat spin it. He’s the total package.

RYAN HOOGERWERF

You forget that anyone else is in the stadium. It’s like you’re just watching Kyler … He does things that make you forget that there’s anyone else around you.

COACH TOM WESTERBERG

There were games where we were blowing people out and then there were games we were down in the fourth quarter where he would just take over …

When people know he’s going to work, and things weren’t going our way, he’d just say ‘all right, let’s get it done.’ Everyone expected him to make plays, and he did.”

Murray was an anomaly growing up, not because he played football and baseball, but because of the level he was able to perform at in both. It was always easy to him. There was seemingly nothing he couldn’t do.

COLE CARTER

He would be sleeping two minutes before a game, wake up and hit a home run in his first at-bat.

RYAN HOOGERWERF

Rather than a state of jealousy or state of anger, it became a state of awe. It was so much fun to watch him. I was watching greatness.

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OLIVER PIERCE

He was just a pup his sophomore year — he took off his junior year. Just the way he carried himself, you were like, “Damn. This kid is going to be special.”

RYAN HOOGERWERF

He’s not going to settle for anything less. He’s going to be No. 1.

TEJAN KOROMA

Kyler is the best at everything he does. It’s that simple.

While everyone tends to focus on the athlete Murray has become, it’s video games, according to friends, where he really shines.

COACH JEFF FLEENER

He doesn’t get guys that have to flip a switch to turn it on. When it’s time to practice, it’s time to practice.

When it’s time to play a game, it’s time to play a game. He doesn’t understand pregame speeches.

He doesn’t understand that need to listen to a song before they got out and play … It bothers him that guys don’t just walk on the field and the switch is on to be a beast.

Murray’s competitiveness has made him who he is today. The confidence and swagger showed throughout his high school career.

JALEN GUYTON

Anything he does, he does it hard, like playing video games. FIFA, 2K, Madden, all that stuff.

RYAN HOOGERWERF

He wouldn’t let me play 2K with him anymore because he’s there to win, and I was holding him back.

OLIVER PIERCE

We played NCAA 14 and he would run the score up on me, and I would get so mad. All he did was go to school, play football and play video games.

RYAN HOOGERWERF

We played on the same team once in a FIFA tournament. He only let me use one button … We won the tournament.

JALEN GUYTON

He would be the guy that could control 10 guys on the team, and I would be the guy that would just stand in the corner. He would coach the players as if they could hear him.

Murray is the same way on the football and baseball field.

COACH JEFF FLEENER

For three years, I never had to yell at receivers to run hard on a route. Kyler was going to let them hear it and the whole field was going to hear it.

JALEN GUYTON

If he sees something he doesn’t like or something isn’t right, then he will step up and say, “Let’s go, get your head out of your ass.”

LEE MORRIS

He’s always been a playmaker, and he’s always expected the best out of his teammates.

COACH JEFF FLEENER

We used to have a little five-minute break in our practice after we did routes on air. There were multiple instances where he would say, “We’re not going to break. Get your butt back out here.” He would get after them.

MAYOMI OLLOOTU JR.

He’s so competitive that after practice he would make us do one-on-ones. Me, him and Guyten. We went at it.

COLE CARTER

Coach Fleener would always say, “You have to practice at that speed, not just flip a switch … Unless you’re Kyler.” Because he didn’t need to flip a switch — the switch was always flipped.

CHAPTER 2 Kyler the legend

His 42-0 record and three consecutive state championships are well known. But it’s the games, and moments, that made him go from a star to a legend. When asked what game defined Murray’s career, nearly everyone had a different answer.

RYAN HOOGERWERF

It came against DeSoto.

MAYOMI OLLOOTU JR. Southlake.

CHAD ADAMS Coppell.

COACH JEFF FLEENER

Skyline or Southlake Carroll.

TEJAN KOROMA

It was against Mesquite.

JALEN GUYTON Maybe Hebron.

COACH TOM WESTERBERG

There were so many moments.

One game in particular was mentioned by each and every teammate and coach at Allen. It happened Dec. 14, 2013.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 14

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TEJAN KOROMA

The DeSoto game was something special.

COACH JEFF FLEENER

It was to go to the state championship. Everything on the line.

It was Murray’s junior year. He had led the Eagles to a perfect 13-0 record, but that was in jeopardy at halftime as they trailed 22-17.

TEJAN KOROMA

Koroma: We went into halftime, and I was like, “I don’t know, man.” But Kyler took over. A lot of people were frustrated during that game. Not Kyler.

His team still trailed 35-20 with 8:35 left to play in the fourth quarter.

COLE CARTER

He came to me on the sideline and said, “We’re good.”

JALEN GUYTON

He hit me on a 60-some-yard touchdown to cut it to eight.

MAYOMI OLLOOTU JR. We got a stop.

TEJAN KOROMA

Then we went and scored.

RYAN HOOGERWERF

Kyler converted the two-point conversion to tie the game. He sprinted 100 yards down the sidelines, pylon to pylon, screaming at our bench to get fired up …

That’s the most emotional I’ve seen Kyler.

Murray’s heroics weren’t done. He would score on a 24-yard touchdown run with 11 seconds remaining to seal the victory and send Allen to the state championship.

JALEN GUYTON

We were playing Hebron and they had subbed in the backup corner. Me and Kyler were on the same page, so he checked in a post play and we were both thinking touchdown. But I tripped on my own feet and fell, and the kid intercepted the ball … Kyler was pissed. We scored the next time we ran the play.

COLE CARTER

Halftime of the state championship his senior year, he was furious because he only had about 250 to 300 yards, and he felt that he should have 450 to 500. He was mad the offense wasn’t showing what they could do. He holds himself to such a high standard that it rubs off, which makes everyone else around him better.

TEJAN KOROMA

I remember when I became a fan of Kyler Murray, not just a teammate. It was against Mesquite. It was fourth-and-one, he was stuffed in the backfield, spun out, and went for six.

COLE CARTER

We had a playoff (baseball) game on a Saturday and Kyler had to take the SAT, so he was going to be late.

I’m sitting in centerfield and he rolls up about 30 to 45 minutes late — we’re in the third inning. He’s so nonchalant, shaking people’s hands in the parking lot, and now he’s the first one up to bat with his shoes barely tied, and the first pitch he smacks a double off the wall. And that’s Kyler Murray in a nutshell ... Oh, and we won the game. He hit a homer later.

Murray’s high school career will go down as one of, if not the best, of all time in Texas. But if it weren’t for one man, his father, he may have never reached his full potential.

MAYOMI OLLOOTU JR.

He just changed the game. I’ve never seen anyone run that fast — he was running with the defensive backs.

COACH JEFF FLEENER

He’s just built different.

CHAD ADAMS

He just has a different mentality than everyone else …

He doesn’t lose.

COLE CARTER

He carries himself as if to say, “Been here, done this.”

He was never a guy to show a lot of emotion. But he did then.

TEJAN KOROMA

It was just Kyler being Kyler.

Beyond the DeSoto game, nearly every player shared their favorite “Kyler” moment during his career at Allen.

RYAN HOOGERWERF

I can pinpoint a moment when I knew he was a future Heisman contender … We were playing Plano West Kyler’s junior year. (Texas A&M coaches Kevin Sumlin and Jake Spavital) had just landed their helicopter in the open field right next to the football stadium, and Kyler had just broken a 70-yard zone read. I remember Sumlin and (Spivatal) were standing in the end zone and Kyler shook both of their hands after he walked across the end zone. And he just walked back to our sideline like it was no big deal.

CHAPTER 3 Kyler the son

Kevin Murray was a standout quarterback and baseball player at Texas A&M from 1983-87. After suffering a serious ankle injury during his career at A&M and making a short stint in the NFL, Kevin became a well-known QB coach in Texas.

15

OLIVER PIERCE

I kind of knew who (Kyler) was because of his dad … His dad now trains my little brother.

Kind of funny how it all works out.

TEJAN KOROMA

We love coach Kevin. He believes in Kyler so much. It’s all love over there.

JALEN GUYTON

I don’t think anybody’s relationship with their father should be underestimated. I think Kevin is not only the reason Kyler has been able to find success, but also someone like me. He was able to pour so much into me.

MAYOMI OLLOOTU JR.

He gets a lot of his competitiveness from (Kevin) ... This summer we were throwing the football around with Antonio Brown and Marquise Brown, and his dad got out there and started throwing some routes, saying, “I still got it.” It’s just in their blood.

Kevin has played a major role in Murray’s life. He trained Murray as a kid, along with many other quarterbacks. He’s trained guys like former Baylor quarterback Seth Russell, current Purdue quarterback David Blough and Highland Park’s rising star quarterback Chandler Morris, son of Arkansas head coach Chad Morris.

TEJAN KOROMA

It’s all love over there. He wants the best for Kyler… And yeah, all parents are there to reassure you that you’re the best and his dad thinks he’s the best, and, hell, he might be.

COACH JEFF FLEENER

I used to not do a single interview before unless Kyler and Kevin gave me permission. But with how this season is going, Kevin has told me I’m good … I’m getting two calls a week.

Kevin loves his son — no question about it.

He believes he’s doing what’s best for Murray.

And in the end, it was Murray’s decision to transfer, and man, did it pay off.

JALEN GUYTON

When it came time to coach, he was able to put on that coaching hat, and Kyler was able to learn. His dad has trained him to a T.

OLIVER PIERCE

Him and his dad are pretty tight, man. They’re all business. That’s where he gets a lot of his success.

COACH JEFF FLEENER

Kevin gave him the opportunities and has that mentality, but he never pushed it on Kyler.

He’s just one of those special kids that’s wired a different way. From 4 years old, he’s wanted to be the best and he’s willing to do the work to get there. It was Kyler that said, “Dad, let’s go throw, let’s go hit some balls.”

TEJAN KOROMA

I’d say he gets all of his confidence from his abilities.

COACH JEFF FLEENER

I got lucky to be extremely close with him and his family. The one thing I will say Kyler did learn from Kevin is that circle of trust. He keeps his circle extremely tight as far as who he’s friends with, who he opens up with.

After Murray transferred from Texas A&M to Oklahoma, and rumors spread Kevin had something to do with it, Kevin shut off all contact with the media.

COACH JEFF FLEENER

I think Kevin gets a bad wrap because of the way he treats the media, but he wants everything to be about Kyler. He doesn’t want any publicity, he doesn’t want any credit for anything because he knows how hard Kyler has worked for so long. You’ll notice on Saturdays they never pan to him in the crowd … He’ll never give them permission to do that because he wants the focus on Kyler.

Provided photo

CHAPTER 4 Kyler the transfer

Murray was rated as one of the top recruits in the country out of high school. ESPN rated him as the No. 1 dual-threat QB in the country. But he also had a decision to make: Football or baseball? Or both? MLB scouts visited Murray throughout his senior year, wondering if the two-sport athlete would choose baseball while the football letters continued to stack up.

RYAN HOOGERWERF

I pretty much came in at halftime of every game my senior year, and that was cool for me because I got a bunch of playing time in front of D-I scouts … The coaches would always put our letters on top our lockers, and my locker was next to Kyler’s, so I would always come in early and slide all his letters to my locker … He didn’t buy it.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 16

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MAYOMI OLLOOTU JR.

He basically told me, “I’m getting ready to move, getting ready to move to Oklahoma.” I don’t ever question Kyler. I knew he had a good reason.

JALEN GUYTON

I just remember thinking, “I hope he can get on the field ASAP,” because I knew as soon as he hit the field, it was lights out.

MAYOMI OLLOOTU JR.

Growing up, seeing him play, you knew that guy was going to do some damage. It was more of a matter of when and where than if.

COACH TOM WESTERBERG

I thought all along he gives (Oklahoma) so much — all the things that he can do, throwing the football and adding the run game to it, also.

I think he’s pretty much what everybody’s looking for.

TEJAN KOROMA

I’m a fan — I couldn’t wait for him to play. He knew his time would come.

Murray’s career has taken off while at Oklahoma. While he had to sit out a year and play back up to 2017 Heisman Trophy winner Baker Mayfield, Murray has taken full advantage of his final season of football…

Or is it?

CHAPTER 5 Kyler the

player

When Murray was taken No. 9 overall by the Oakland Athletics in the 2018 MLB Draft, everyone assumed Murray’s final season of playing football would come in 2018. But those close to him have a feeling 2018 may not be the last we see of Murray the football player.

In his two seasons at Oklahoma on the baseball field, Murray had a batting average of .261, 10 home runs and 53 RBI. He started 50 games his junior year. In his first season as the starting quarterback at Oklahoma, Murray has taken the college football world by storm, becoming one of the frontrunners for the Heisman Trophy.

COACH LINCOLN RILEY

I know he can play in the NFL. There’s no doubt about that.

OLIVER PIERCE

Knowing Kyler, he probably thinks he’s going to be the Heisman Trophy winner and a starting NFL quarterback while playing baseball.

CHAD ADAMS

I don’t know what his plans are, but I know he could do it easily.

TEJAN KOROMA

I hope and I wish — I’m selfish — that I get to keep watching him play football. But I know whatever he’s got planned is great and the best for his future.

COACH JEFF FLEENER

It’s different today — he has to be smart about the money and safety in baseball. He’s so much more seasoned of an athlete. But I will say this: as much as I’ve seen him play football and baseball, that energy that he gets on a Saturday afternoon in front of 100,000 people and on national television, that’s where you see him be him.

STEELE WALKER

Right now, he’s a football player and he’s loving it. He’s all in.

TEJAN KOROMA

When I talked to him about it, he said he had a plan and that everything was going to work out.

Murray’s decision will be made soon — sometime following the season — and it may already be decided. Surely the “circle of trust” will know first.

STEELE WALKER

He’s joked around a little bit about that with me.

COACH LINCOLN RILEY

Is he one of the best athletes I’ve ever coached?

He’s up there.

MAYOMI OLLOOTU JR.

Do both NFL and MLB? Yeah. If he wants to do both, he could do it — no question.

TEJAN KOROMA

If anyone could do it, it’s Kyler.

RYAN HOOGERWERF

I’m sure he’d love to do that being the competitor that he is. He would love to be a Bo Jackson or something like that … I think he has the skill set and work ethic to do that.

COACH JEFF FLEENER

He loves the game. I always laugh when people say this is his last year. I’ll believe it when I see it. With that kid, and knowing people have done it in the past, I wouldn’t put anything past him.

Photo by Paxson Haws

17

TEJAN KOROMA

I felt like it didn’t really matter where he went because honestly he felt, and I felt, that he would make that team great. I remember he would throw teams out to me and I’d be like, “Them too?” And he’d say, “Yeah, why not?”

He was confident that no matter where he went, he would make them a better team.

COACH LINCOLN RILEY

Had a couple of good phone conversations.

Ended up going down to Allen and met with him, had a really good meeting, hit it off. But, right before signing day, it was a little too much, too fast. Little too much ground to make up. So he went ahead and signed with A&M. Left it on good terms.

COACH JEFF FLEENER

I said, “What do you want to do? What are you thinking?” He said, “I want to be a professional player, but I’m not done playing football. I’m 17 years old, and if I sign, they’re going to send me to rookie ball in June in the middle of nowhere, riding buses with guys that I don’t know, playing in front of 200 people and staying in cheap hotels … Or, I can go to A&M and play in front of 100,000 people in a game I still love and still play baseball … It’s a no-brainer to me.”

Murray chose his father’s alma mater. But after a tumultuous freshman season in which Murray started only three games and played in eight, he decided to transfer.

BOBBY EVANS

I told him to go somewhere he’d a get a chance to show what he can do.

Murray announced his decision to transfer from Texas A&M on Dec. 17, 2015 — 14 days before Oklahoma played Clemson in the College Football Playoff. The Sooners were one of the first schools that came to mind for Fleener, with Baker Mayfield — at the time — only having one elegible season remaining.

COACH JEFF FLEENER

I figured with Baker leaving soon that Oklahoma would be a good fit.

Mayfield was awarded another year of eligibility by the Big 12 for the 2017 season, after having to sit out the 2014 season due to transfer rules.

COACH LINCOLN RILEY

One of his former coaches in high school called me to let me know he was going to leave and they had a release and asked me if we would be interested. I told him we would be.

COACH JEFF FLEENER

I called Lincoln and said, “I’ve got a hypothetical question for you.” Lincoln said “yes” before I could even ask the question.

COACH LINCOLN RILEY

OLIVER PIERCE

(I) talked to Kyler pretty quickly after that, and his family. Got through the things we needed to get through. It happened in a matter of days.

His decision was mostly kept secret, but a couple people closest to him may have known earlier than everyone else.

TEJAN KOROMA

RYAN HOOGERWERF

There was a lot going on there, with Sumlin and everything else. I don’t think there was a lot of communication … He was probably looking for a little bit more transparency.

I’m biased because I played with him and I think he’s great, so when he wasn’t playing at times, I was shocked, I was hurt. So when he told me he was going to get out of there, I figured it was the best decision for him.

I don’t think he really talked to anybody about it just to keep it under wraps.

MAYOMI OLLOOTU JR.

I didn’t have any effect on the decision. I really didn’t know much about it.

RYAN HOOGERWERF

Steele might have known.

OLIVER PIERCE

I’m sure Steele had a little bit to do with it.

STEELE WALKER

I’d like to think I had a small part in him ending up at OU. Walker has known Murray since the age of 12, playing on the same baseball team nearly their entire lives.

One week later, on Christmas Eve, Sooner Nation officially received an early Christmas present: one of the top quarterbacks in the country.

BOBBY EVANS

He told me over the phone.

STEELE WALKER I got a text.

LEE MORRIS

I got an ESPN notification and a text …

We talked about the offense together and how it was going to be.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 18

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CHAPTER 6 Kyler the mysterious His entire life, Murray has surrounded himself with the people he trusts the most: Family, friends, teammates and coaches. If you’re not in the circle, he may came off as cocky or closed off, but that’s not the case.

STEELE WALKER

You’ve got his boys from Allen. And his teammates today and, of course, his family.

OLIVER PIERCE

He was one of the homies. He’s a likeable guy.

Just a laid-back guy.

RYAN HOOGERWERF

Kyler has an interesting personality. I would describe him as “reserved.” He definitely has an inner group of his dudes, and if you’re in that, he’s incredibly loyal … There’s a bond that can’t be broken.

COACH JEFF FLEENER

He’s very careful about what he says in public and around the media. In this day and time, anything you say can be taken a different way.

So he’s very careful about what he says publicly.

If you ask anybody that’s been a teammate of his, they’re going to say he’s the best teammate they ever had.

JALEN GUYTON

He’s just like anybody else — if he doesn’t know you, if he’s not comfortable with you, he’s not going to show too much of himself. But when he’s with people he knows and that he’s comfortable with, he’s a chill dude.

STEELE WALKER

By no means is he a “loner,” but it can appear that way sometimes. But that’s not the case. The dude has a great personality, outgoing, loves me, loves my family. He’s really an extension of my family.

COLE CARTER

If you don’t know him like that — I know a lot of people think he’s conceited, but honestly, he just doesn’t open up to a lot of people if you don’t know him. There’s a few people like Mayomi and Tejan that know him better than anyone.

MAYOMI OLLOOTU JR.

That’s my guy. We talk all the time.

TEJAN KOROMA

He was smart from day one. He knew he should surround himself with good people. He had a plan, a goal in mind, and I think that’s really impressive for him to have that maturity at such a young age to keep those closest to him in his circle.

Murray’s circle has changed over the years.

But with each phone call, three names continuously come up: Koroma, Olootu Jr. and Walker.

STEELE WALKER

He keeps the circle small. The people he trusts is small. But that’s not a bad thing. He’s one of the funnier dudes you’ll ever meet, but not everyone gets to see that. He’s very focused and knows where he wants to go in life.

MAYOMI OLLOOTU JR.

I feel like I only got one side of it, because yeah, he’s always around me and his friends, so we know him real well. I’m sure he has other people that I don’t know that have that same close connection with him.

TEJAN KOROMA

He’s a pretty big deal. He can’t just be hanging out with anybody and everybody. You can’t trust everybody. You don’t know other people’s agendas. It’s not so much that he’s cocky or anything like that, he just wants to keep his circle small … I think he’s just always been very mature. In the back of his head, he always knew he was going to be great. We just didn’t know it yet.

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“IN THE BACK OF HIS HEAD, HE ALWAYS KNEW HE WAS GOING TO BE GREAT. WE JUST DIDN’T KNOW IT YET.” — TEJAN KOROMA

20

21

‘WE WOKE

THIS STATE UP’ Teachers get political in wake of walkout.

BY NICK HAZELRIGG P H OTO S B Y J O R DA N M I L L E R , C A I T LY N EPES AND AUSTIN CARRIERE

22

Following the end of the teacher walkouts, many educators had one thing in mind: Remember in November.

W

hen Kelly Albright went to protest cuts to education funding at Oklahoma’s state Capitol this spring, she was ready to stay for months.

However, a decision from Oklahoma’s largest teacher union sent her home after only 10 days, not emptyhanded — teachers received a pay raise of roughly $6,000 each — but still frustrated, since the raise was thousands less than teachers had originally demanded.

Now Albright, a third grade teacher at Dove Science Academy in Oklahoma City, decided she wants to go back to the state Capitol, but she wants to be sent there by the voters of Oklahoma State House District 95.

“When the walkouts ended I thought, man, I was ready to stay there until November,” Albright said. “But I feel like we did have a big success in that we woke this state up. I mean, people didn’t seem to be aware of the behavior of our legislators.”

Albright is one of nearly 100 Oklahoma teachers who filed to run for office in Oklahoma during the 2018 midterm elections following the largest teacher protest in the state’s history.

From April 2 to April 12, nearly 50,000 teachers left the classroom and headed for Oklahoma City to protest declining and inadequate state funding for public education. After 10 days, with $6,000 of the $10,000

AVERAGE TEACHER SALARIES

pay raise the Oklahoma Education Association originally asked for, the union called for an end to the protest and for teachers to take the fight to the ballots in November.

The record numbers of individuals filing to run for office during the walkout put the Oklahoma teacher walkout as one of the most significant political events in recent statewide history. And during the summer primaries as candidates won and lost, Oklahomans waited to see what the lasting political effects would be.

That movement, which once crashed like waves upon the steps of Oklahoma’s state Capitol, has now spread into an ocean touching every part of the state. Teachers who left Oklahoma City unfulfilled last spring had one thing in mind: remember in November.

The story of this political movement began with citizens who had problems and wanted to effect change.

And where there are public schools in Oklahoma, there are problems that need to be addressed.

‘I STILL DON’T HAVE FUNDING FOR MY CLASSROOM’ Every year Becki Maldonado, a candidate for state Senate and a teacher in the Oklahoma City public school district, filled her classroom with books bought from her own personal money.

“My first year teaching, my school lost eight teaching positions just like that,” Maldonado said. “You have your fantasies of the teaching world and you think everything would be beautiful. And you know, I don’t know, I’ve watched too many Disney movies, obviously.”

Maldonado said she filed during the teacher walkout because she personally wanted to institute change in the Capitol building when it came to public education.

Maldonado studied English in college but found herself teaching math because of a shortage of teachers at the first school she taught at. Emergency

COLORADO $51,808 KANSAS $49,422 MISSOURI $48,618 OKLAHOMA $45,292 NEW MEXICO $47,122

ARKANSAS $48,304

TEXAS $52,575

CONTINUED ON PAGE 24

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certification in subjects teachers aren’t accustomed to teaching is just one of the problems Maldonado sees in public education.

Albright said her students and fellow teachers struggled with class sizes that were simply too big.

“I have 27 (students) in this tiny little closet of a room. Does that make it difficult? It really does,” Albright said. “We’ve got outdated textbooks. Other schools don’t have enough desks, don’t have enough chairs. It’s just, it’s reached a breaking point.”

For Albright, that breaking point was the lack of appropriate pay after teaching five days a week and working a second job as a waitress on weekends to make ends meet.

Maldonado, a mother of two boys, was hoping for a larger raise than the $6,000 pay increase that the Oklahoma Legislature passed during the walkout.

“I still don’t have funding for my classroom,” Maldonado said. “I know a lot of people who felt that way after the walkouts.”

‘WE HAD MOMENTUM GOING’ For the teachers, the walkouts were as frustrating as they were energizing.

With 50,000 of Oklahoma’s teachers gathered in the state Capitol for 10 straight days, 66-year-old former English language and debate teacher Mary Brannon didn’t miss a day of it.

“I was so proud of the school systems that would let their teachers out to come,” Brannon said. “I was up there every day.”

Brannon is running for the U.S. Congress against an eight-term incumbent. But like Albright and Maldonado, she, too, said she is tired of business-asusual policies and sees the political environment as ripe for change.

The seeds of that change were planted in April, but many teachers felt betrayed by the Oklahoma Education Association for ending the protest before the government acquiesced to the teacher’s full demands.

“When you’re doing negotiations, there’s always that stalemate moment of who is going to flinch first,” Maldonado said. “And we flinched first — we gave up, we gave in. I think that there was a lot more that we could have done.”

When teachers felt disappointed by the result

DID YOU KNOW? THE OKLAHOMA STATE GOVERNMENT APPROPRIATED ROUGHLY $2.9 BILLION FOR EDUCATION. THIS WAS A $480 MILLION INCREASE TO FUND THE TEACHER PAY RAISE - OKLAHOMA STATE SCHOOL BOARD ASSOCIATION

25

of the walkouts, they began to turn to the approaching elections, and many of the teachers who had protested decided to run. For Albright, this was the real victory of the protest.

“After the walkout, we had momentum going. I think that was one of the big wins of the walkout, even though we didn’t earn any new funding throughout those 10 days,” Albright said. “And honestly, I think we’re seeing that with the number of teachers who filed to run.”

‘REMEMBER IN NOVEMBER’ For those who filed, the newfound political engagement in the education community is a promise for Oklahoma politics to shift toward greater awareness for public education.

Maldonado said she wants to help fix public schools because she sees supporting education as the foundation for solving other statewide problems.

“As teacher advocates, I believe that not only do we need to be pushing the education agenda, but we also have to be a part of these other agendas and fixing these other systematic problems because they affect our students outside the classroom,” Maldonado said. “And as any teacher will tell you, you know, they bring the problems into the classroom with them.”

“ It is not going to be rebuilt in one legislative session. ”

Brannon, Maldonado and Albright each shared the sentiment that Oklahoma’s government gives tax breaks for the wealthy while not finding funding for public education. A report from The Oklahoman found capital gains tax exemptions cost Oklahoma $467 million over the five years leading up to 2017.

Albright said that would be one of the first things she wants to change.

“We gave a lot of tax breaks, majority to the wealthiest Oklahomans and to corporations,” Albright said. “Right now, we have kind of a flipped, backwards income tax system. I’d like to see a more progressive income tax system, which would generate a lot more revenue, as well.”

Of all the issues the teachers want to fix about public education, Maldonado, Albright and Brannon acknowledge that it will take some a lot of work.

Brannon said even if she loses her race, she’ll run again to champion the issues she cares about.

Maldonado said she believes the future looks bright for Oklahoma, even if the change won’t come as a result of this wave of teachers running for office.

“We have to keep speaking out for ourselves because even if we get all the teachers in there, education was not destroyed in one legislative session,” Maldonado said. “It is not going to be rebuilt in one legislative session.”

SIMILAR TEACHER STRIKES HAPPENED IN ARIZONA, COLORADO AND WEST VIRGINIA, EACH RESULTING IN TEACHER PAY RAISES - NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO

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HOLIDAY CALENDAR Winter in Oklahoma is filled with fun, familyfriendly activities to enjoy all season long.

B Y K AY L A B R A N C H PHOTO BY JAMES HARBER PHOTOGRAPHY

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POP-UP SHOPS The Holiday Pop-Up Shops will feature more than 50 Oklahoma-owned shops and a Christmas tree lot for its seventh year at Midtown in Downtown Oklahoma City.

The shops will rotate each weekend and will open Nov. 23 and continue until Dec. 23. There will also be a hot chocolate vendor and the Big Friendly beer bus. For more information, visit okcpopups.com.

N O V. 2 3 - D E C . 2 3 T H U R - S AT: 1 0 A M - 9 P M SUN: 10AM-6PM

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A CHRISTMAS CAROL

NUTCRACKER BALLET

CHICKASHA FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS

A classic holiday production will be on OU’s campus for the first time ever this christmas season.

Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” focuses on the wealthy and greedy Ebenezer Scrooge who is visited by multiple Christmas ghosts. The ghosts take him on a journey through the past, present and future to eventually learn the importance of generosity.

The show is being produced by University Theater and features students from the Helmerich School of Drama, the School of Dance and various young performers from around Norman.

Showings will take place the weekends of Nov. 30 and Dec. 6 in the Elsie C. Brackett Theatre on campus.

Tickets can be purchased online at theatre.ou.edu, by calling 405-325-4101 or by visiting the OU Fine Arts Box Office in the Catlett Music Center. The production is suitable for all audiences.

Returning to the Oklahoma City ballet stage is “The Nutcracker”, presented by Devon Energy.

The story of “The Nutcracker” follows the young Clara who meets the Nutcracker Prince and goes on an adventure to defeat the Mouse King.

The Oklahoma City Philharmonic and students in the Oklahoma City Ballet Yvonne Chouteau School will join professional OKC ballet dancers.

Showings will be the weekends of Dec. 14 and 21 at the Civic Center Music Hall in Oklahoma City.

Tickets may be purchased by calling 405-848-8637, going online to okcciviccenter.com or visiting the Oklahoma City Ballet Ticket Office or the Civic Center Box Office.

For its 26th year, the Chickasha Festival of Light, a non-profit, volunteer organization, will include a ferris wheel, food trucks, carriage and camel rides, Santa photos and a gift shop, among other things.

The free festival is centered around a 43-acre light display in Shannon Springs Park and visitors come from around the state and country. Visitors can choose to walk through the park or follow a driving route in a vehicle.

For more information, visit the festival’s Facebook page.

N O V. 3 0 , D E C . 1 , 6 , 7 : 8 P M DEC.1,2,8: 3PM E L S I E C . B R A C K E T T T H E AT R E 563 ELM AVE. NORMAN, OK 73019

DEC.14: DEC.15: DEC.16: DEC.21: DEC.22: DEC.23:

7PM 2&7PM 2PM 7PM 2&7PM 2PM

N O V. 1 7 - D E C . 3 1 SUN-THUR: 6-10PM F R I - S AT: 6 - 1 1 P M

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BRICKTOWN TREE LIGHTING

DELUXE WINTER MARKET

SANTA RUN

The Bricktown tree lighting is a free annual event held Nov. 23 at the Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark.

Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt along with Santa will light the Christmas tree. The lighting, which is sponsored

by Sonic, will also have live music, food trucks and face paintings, among other things.

For more information, visit downtownindecember.com.

At the Deluxe Winter Market, artists and other shop owners come together for a day of shopping on Nov. 24 at Leadership Square in Downtown Oklahoma City.

Shoppers have free admission and will be able to peruse a variety of items like handmade cards, paintings and candles, among other things. There will also be The Elf Market where those under the age of 14 can shop by themselves for gifts under $10 and proceeds will go to The Foundation for Oklahoma City Public Schools.

For more information, visit deluxeok.net.

Runners will dress up in Christmasthemed costumes and take to the streets Dec. 8 as part of the SandRidge Santa Run to benefit the Downtown Oklahoma City Partnership.

The run, which includes a 5k race and a one-mile fun run, will be followed by a costume contest and prizes for the first three male and female runners in each race. There will be a photo booth, face painting and snacks, among other things, throughout the morning.

The event is open to anyone of running age and it costs $35 for the 5k run and $20 for the one-mile fun run.

Runners must register online before the event or in-person the morning of the race. For more information, visit downtownindecember.com.

N O V. 2 3 : 5 - 7 P M

N O V. 2 4 : 1 1 A M - 5 P M

DEC.8: 7:30- CHECK-IN/ R E G I S T R AT I O N O P E N S 8 : 4 5 - R E G I S T R AT I O N C L O S E S 9:00- 1-MILE FUN RUN BEGINS 9:30- 5K RACE BEGINS 10:00- RACE RESULTS 10:30- COSTUME CONTEST

P H O T O S P R O V I D E D B Y S A N D R A B E N T, J A N A C A R S O N , D O W N T O W N O K C P A R T N E R S H I P, T E G A N B U R K H A R D A N D K I M S I M S K O H L E R

OCT. 15

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ODDS & ENDS OCT. 2

OCT. 4

The University of Oklahoma announced the OU Sooner Card can be added to students’ Apple Wallet accounts.

Anywhere the plastic cards were accepted will now be available to students using their phones.

Two OU law professors signed a letter arguing against Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation to the Supreme Court days before the Senate confirmed him.

CROSS VILLAGE, OU’S NEWEST ON-CAMPUS LIVING OPTION, SWITCHED MANAGEMENT COMPANIES MIDWAY THROUGH THE SEMESTER AFTER LOW OCCUPANCY AND TENANT COMPLAINTS. THE NEW COMPANY, CAPSTONE ON-CAMPUS MANAGEMENT, HAS HELD MEET-ANDGREETS FOR CROSS RESIDENTS TO GET TO KNOW THE NEW STAFF.

OCT. 7 Mike Stoops was replaced by Ruffin McNeill as OU’s defensive coordinator following Oklahoma’s 48-45 loss to Texas in the Red River Showdown. Several coaches and players have posted goodbye statements since Stoops’ dismissal.

OCT. 9 A new baby elephant was born into the Asian elephant herd at the Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden. The OKC Zoo participates in the Species Survival Plan for Asian elephants.

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