Sooner Fans Counting Down to Kick Off

Originally Published: Aug 14, 2009 10:9 PM CDT

Oklahoma Sports Staff Writer

NORMAN, Oklahoma -- More than 14,000 football fans turned out to meet the Sooners at the annual fan and media day on Friday, August 7th in Norman.

Fans lined up to get autographs from their favorite players and coaches. Rhonda Burleson said being a Sooner fan is a family tradition.

"My dad has always been a sooner fan, and he passed away," Burleson said. "Now my son is a sooner fan. So he's over with Stoops getting his autograph."

Coach Bob Stoops says he believes thepreseason practiceshave gonewell.

"We're excited to start the 2009 season and I'm looking forward to it," Stoops said. "I think everybody at this time of year, coaches in particular, get a little bored and they're anxious to get back on the field and work with your players. I know we are."

"Well the advantage I guess is that it certainly has your players attention right away through the summer, and starting off in our practices, that we need to be on top our game right off the shoot because we're playing such a good opponent and tradition-rich program, a team that wants to come down here and beat us," Stoops said.

"The disadvantages is always that if you're not successful, then it hurts you right off the bat. But hey, Joe (Castiglione) and I's philosophy has always been to have a difficult schedule or if you're a top-10 team to have a difficult type of schedule. So, hopefully we can continue to manage it like we have in the past. We've handled it for the most part pretty well."

Oklahoma is ranked third inthe USA Today preseason football coaches' poll. Defending national champion Florida was ranked first followed by Texas.