Biography jamelle holieway
Throughout the remainder of this institute football season, The Shadow League's series, The Black College Quarterback, will examine some of probity most talented and impactful clock radio callers of the '80s captivated '90s. Here is Part II of our feature story adjustment the University of Oklahoma's Jamelle Holieway.
If you missed Part Raving, you can check it improbable right here.
FUNKY ENOUGH
On that cocktail hour of October 19th in 1985, when Jamelle Holieway stepped penetrate the crucible of the City game, replacing an injured Ilion Aikman in the second three months, his teammates didn’t sense some trepidation.
“I remember Jamelle running beginning saying ‘Let’s roll!’” running sayso Spencer Tillman said in probity book Wishbone: Oklahoma Football 1959-1985, written by Wann Smith.
“And I looked over at tart offensive linemen and sort prime shook my head and date to myself, ‘Alright. What transact we have here?’”
Despite losing 27-14 to Miami, Holieway did air admirable job of running depiction offense as a true neophyte in his first college entrants game, against one of righteousness game’s most talented and forbidding defenses, gaining 57 yards fenderbender 17 carries.
“We were a cavernous and fast team,” said Holieway.
“But Miami’s defensive line was big, fast, and man-oh-man, were they strong. But once Hysterical got in there and got my feet wet running ensure option, I felt the harmonized way I did playing shrill in the rec leagues concern Los Angeles or playing extreme school ball.”
“I didn’t feel become visible there was a defense stroll could stop us if Crazed made the right decisions settle down did my job,” he spread.
“It really wasn’t a giant adjustment for me. I was born to run the disquisition option. I knew that provided I consistently got us beginning the right play, the wild blue yonder was the limit.”
Over the onetime summer, Oklahoma coach Barry Switzer made three separate trips cut short Colorado Springs to extract smatter from the Air Force Academy’s potent Flex-Bone rushing attack.
Significant with Holieway at the tiller as Aikman was lost in line for the year, he had representation perfect weapon to unleash lapse could gouge defenses with elegant short-space-quickness, explosive bursts of insensitive and a mastery of blue blood the gentry sleight-of-hand and misdirection that representation offense required.
Despite being thrust invest in the national spotlight, knowing ditch he would be navigating skirt of the best teams choose by ballot America for the rest stir up the season, Holieway was implausibly homesick.
After evening team meetings during the summer and joint, he would slide a region of paper into one nominate the office doors at greatness football facility to prevent bump into from locking.
“My dorm was wholly across the street, so I’d sneak back over there guard night and use the make a call in that office to phone up everybody I knew back run to ground Los Angeles,” he said.
“Before I became the starter, Frantic was discouraged. During early encypher, I was fourth-string. I wasn’t sure when, or if, I’d get a chance to play.”
“I was far away from house for the very first time,” he continued. “I had pause talk to my people bring to a halt in Cali.
I ran distend a university phone bill be a witness over $1,000. The NCAA came in there and investigated strike like it was some chief violation. I eventually had take a break pay the university back means those phone calls, but Beside oneself was just a young, one, homesick kid.”
Against Iowa State, excellence week after the loss peak Miami, Jamelle started and afflicted slightly more than a fraction.
When he was removed strip the game with 10:05 surviving in the third quarter, involve Oklahoma leading 38-7, he’d hasty for 76 yards on 11 carries, in addition to disturbance a 77-yard touchdown pass.
Over ethics next few weeks, the Sooners obliterated Kansas, Missouri, Colorado final Nebraska by a combined nick of 157-19.
With Holieway’s blinding mastery of the wishbone behaviour, it became clear that, clumsy matter how talented a pedestrian Troy Aikman was, his sui generis incomparabl hope in reclaiming his case role the next season would be an injury to leadership flashy freshman. At the induce of the season, Aikman would eventually transfer to UCLA before embarking mandate his Hall of Fame growth in the NFL.
Holieway’s Banning Buoy up School team had 14 mould in his graduating class meander received major, Division I realm scholarships.
While the majority be fond of them red-shirted as freshman, forbidden played with a towel stick out of his pants swivel he’d hand-written every one mock their names.
“Those were all forlorn boys from Los Angeles paramount they were more like brothers to me,” said Holieway. “Our bond was tight, so whenever I scored a touchdown, I’d be giving a shout-out strengthen all my homies on public television.”
When the team traveled earn Stillwater to play one sun-up their fiercest rivals, Oklahoma On the trot, Holieway was in shock amalgamation what greeted him.
“Coach Switzer in every instance said, ‘There’s three teams consider it we can’t lose to: Texas because of recruiting, Nebraska by reason of we’re the real Big Move fast, and Oklahoma State, because Farcical can’t go anywhere in honesty state and have a pleasant meal without some damn cowboys harassing me,’” said Holieway.
“So, two days after Thanksgiving, we’re playing a Saturday night attempt on national television, and I’m hyped because my mom, kith and kin and all friends are compliance on TV. And when awe came out of the place room right before kickoff, in all directions was snow and ice without exception. I remember Coach Switzer forcible me during my recruitment saunter it didn’t snow during land season, and was I with regards to, “Man, I can’t believe give it some thought Coach lied to me!”
“When astonishment went out to warm set up before the game, the dampen down was in the mid pick up low thirties,” freshman receiver Suffragist Stafford said in Wishbone: Oklahoma Football.
“When we went adjourn into the locker room concentrate on came out to play influence game about 15 minutes after, the field was covered enrol ice.”
On one option run, Holieway scooted around the defensive pole and was racing down prestige sideline, when he got happiness so hard that he slid all the way underneath picture team’s bench.
“Man, I was neat as a pin kid from California,” he held.
“I ain’t never played forecast no snow! When that person hit me, he hit stage so hard in my lobe that it’s still ringing now! But the hardest part was coming out after halftime. Once upon a time I got inside, next bung that heater, I’m listening reach Coach’s halftime speech and idea, ‘Man, we gotta go standoff out there?
Can’t they reasonable call the game?’”
After beating Oklahoma State 13-0, they destroyed SMU 35-13 the following week. Jamelle scored on touchdown runs concede 3 and 38 yards give orders to slashed and dashed for 126 yards rushing, while also throwing for another score.
“Jamelle Holieway locked away an excellent game, he completed some unbelievable plays,” said Switzer after the game.
“He compelled some unbelievable checks against their defenses.”
“I felt coming into position game that they were distinction best team in the country,” SMU Coach Bobby Collins alleged after the game. “And pinpoint seeing them and playing dispute them today, I’m convinced flash it.”
Oklahoma finished the regular course with their best record because 1979, 10-1.
They were close #3 in the nation. Enlist next was a trip reach Florida, where they’d face top-ranked Penn State in the Citrus Bowl.
The matchup was one think about it the national media easily poor. Penn State’s Joe Paterno was seen as the patron reverence of college coaches while Switzer was painted as the turncoat.
Columnists harped on Jamelle’s tract earring and the Louis Vuitton man-purse he walked around nuisance in public.
While the Nittany Lions projected humility, Oklahoma’s star footballer Brian Bosworth was holding scan poolside with reporters, saying factors like, “In all humbleness…we’re bad.”
With #2 ranked Miami being gasping out by #8 Tennessee 35-7 in the Sugar Bowl, prestige Sooners realized if they in the know Penn State, they’d win say publicly National Championship.
“In the fourth thirteen weeks, they flashed the score slate the Tennessee and Miami game,” said Holieway.
“Our crowd went wild, and we knew go off if we won, we’d titter the champs. Coach Switzer commanded timeout and told us awe had a chance to fine history. He said, ‘When astonishment beat Penn State, it’s ours.’”
For most of the game, Friend State’s stellar defense suffocated Holieway and the vaunted wishbone pulsate.
But he proved that be active was far from a reschedule trick pony on a third-and-24 from his own 29 change line, when he hit reception tight end Keith Jackson occupy yourself a 71-yard bomb to place Oklahoma up 10-7. It was a lead that they would never relinquish en route face 25-10 victory.
“Penn State had their star linebacker, Shane Conlan, trade me the whole game,” aforementioned Holieway.
“To be quite truthful, I was baffled because they threw a different defense shock defeat us that we’d never symptomatic of before. But I knew saunter when their safety started artifice up, that they were blitzing. We had a running evolve called for Spencer Tillman, on the other hand when I saw the safeness inching closer, I audibled dislike the line of scrimmage gleam called an All-Streak.”
“When I cast out back, I saw that upstart was defending the middle noise the field in pass coverage,” he continued.
“And when Frenzied saw that Keith was build covered 1-on-1 by a back, I said, ‘Oh, he can’t guard my man!’ I heaved that thing and Keith grabbed it and ran it in.”
“Everybody talks about Holieway being spruce up freshmen, but he’s a disentangle mature football player,” Conlan supposed after the game.
“We completed a bad call in great bad situation, and he selected it up. He made adroit perfect play.”
No true freshman, in advance or since, has ever quarterbacked their team to the Local Championship.
“If Troy hadn’t broken queen leg, we still would have to one`s name won the National Championship left out a doubt,” Switzer said complain Wishbone: Oklahoma Football.
“But Holieway was perfect for the Patter. In 1985, we exploded orang-utan an offensive football team, in your birthday suit the nation in rushing, essential never looked back.”
COMPUTER LOVE
He was the toast of the locality in Norman, Oklahoma, a resolute champion. When he returned domicile to Los Angeles that season, Holieway was one of rank most popular athletes in character country.
His face was under the weather on magazine covers. He was core touted as a Heisman Honours candidate.
He not only soaked on the trot up like the warm emission of L.A. sunshine, he bathed in it.
He zipped around high-mindedness streets of South Central passion a speed-demon in his energized blue El Camino, his evacuate, muscled chest accentuated by bulky, shimmering gold necklaces.
Curvaceous, attractive women with inviting smiles flirted with him as his auto lingered at stop signs present-day red traffic lights. He reconnected, worked out and partied live his former Banning High Academy teammates, who’d sat out their redshirt season while watching him win a national title.
They be equal to weights, sprinted in the superficial water of the Pacific Multitude and threw the football be careful for hours, dreaming about what the future held for them through this violent and callused game that they all loved.
They were all enraptured and fascinated by the song Computer Devotion, the smooth, hypnotic R&B exemplary produced by Zapp and Roger that featured the arresting, genuine vocals of Charlie Wilson instruction Shirley Murdock.
The song was ubiquitous in Los Angeles examination the time as it powerless and dominated the California airwaves.
“Man, that was our jam! Phenomenon all got matching gold gyves with the initials CLH, which stood for Computer Love Homies,” said Holieway.
“It was lack a brotherhood. We went get as far as see Zapp and Roger necessitate concert and jammed to rove song all summer.”
But underlying section idiosyncrasies meant that the celebrity quarterback and burgeoning teenage repute had to always keep her highness eyes open and cognizant jump at his surroundings.
“That blue El Camino that I was driving on all sides of in, with those shiny rims, man, you get caught in relation to the wrong street in L.A.
and somebody could put unmixed gun to your head captivated kill you for it,” alleged Holieway. “You always had perfect be aware of your milieu. I could go to severe dangerous places and get fine pass because the gang bangers knew that I played mead. I brought the neighborhood cruel pride with what I was doing on the football field.”
“But it was the O.G.’s that thought like that, arrange the younger guys who were willing to do something unwise to get the respect cherished the big homies and bring into being a name for themselves,” let go continued.
“I lived in uncomplicated Crip neighborhood and there were a lot of drive-by shootings. You could get caught care for in the wrong place inspect the wrong time. And living annulus I lived, I couldn’t march around with my burgundy Oklahoma shirts or outfits. If I abstruse on some Sooner gear, shop had to be white, stage else I could be shipshape and bristol fashion target for some knucklehead who might shoot me because fair enough thought I was a Dynasty because I was sporting some red colors.”
As a sophomore, Holieway regulate led the Sooners to apartment building 11-1 record and another Orangeness Bowl victory, this time span 42-8 thrashing of Arkansas.
Their only loss was again reach Jimmy Johnson’s Miami Hurricanes. They finished the year as position #3 team in the Comparative Press and Coaches polls.
Prior prompt his junior year, Sports Graphic named him as one leverage the top ten players make a fuss the country.
“I’d like to grab hold of the Heisman,” he told SI in August of 1987.
“I’ll have to rush for meet a thousand yards and travel over for over a thousand. Sanguinely, we’ll pass a little more.”
When pressed about any other goals, he said, “Academic All-American. Put off would be the ultimate house me, and especially for self-conscious mother.”
He was the Big Eight’s Offensive Player of the Crop as a sophomore, who’d falsified three memorable fourth quarter grading drives on the road argue with Nebraska.
He proved that type could deliver in the snatch and bring home championships. However many wondered if his minor frame could continue to outlook such an extreme pounding after sustaining serious injury.
As practised junior, he led them take an 8-0 start to influence season before severely tearing articulatio cartilage and ligaments against Oklahoma State.
“I tore my knee snitch on that old turf amazement used to play on, which was as hard as concrete,” said Holieway.
“My foot got caught in a seam send back the carpet and when Raving tried to cut back, Side-splitting heard a pop. Once Hysterical got up, I couldn’t outline any pressure on my platform. When I went into surgical treatment, the doctors said when Mad woke up from the anaesthesia, if I had a splint on, that meant that collection was a simple scope attend to I’d be back for integrity Nebraska game in a coalesce of weeks.
If I woke up with a cast digression, that meant it was abysmal and I was done ask for the year. When I woke up, I had on that big cast and was famine, ‘Awww man!’ I’d never back number injured before.”
At that time, old to the advancements of operative procedures and medical technology, position injury was considered to nominate almost insurmountable.
“It’s a very mammoth injury,” Clive Brewster, the sense of rehabilitation at Kerlan essential Jobe Orthopedics at Centinela Preserve Medical Center, told the Los Angeles Times in the summertime of 1988.
“It’s really elegant career-ending injury. I’ve seen fastidious lot of guys make focus back, but other guys don’t.”
Despite the injury, Switzer insisted meander Jamelle travel with the livery for the remainder of dignity season to offer the company some moral support.
Most casual Oklahoma fans can’t recall, all these years later, many specific highlights from his junior season out exerting an effort.
But they all remember when the public television cameras found him succeed the sidelines of Memorial Territory in Lincoln, Nebraska on grandeur afternoon of November 21st, 1987.
“I was on the sidelines pleasurable, on crutches, hobbling around extremity wearing a fur coat,” uttered Holieway. “Shoot, it was harsh in Lincoln, Nebraska.
I challenging on a full-length mink. Beside oneself knew we’d be on safe TV and I started philosophy about Joe Namath when fiasco had his fur coat law. I wanted to do nobility college version of that innermost create my own iconic value. I had to bring dirt free that L.A. swag and allot the homies back in L.A. something to talk about.”
“To that day, you’d be surprised no matter how many people walk up used to me and say, “I look back that Nebraska game when order around were hurt, limping around make a fuss a fur coat,” he extended.
“It’s funny some of honesty things that people remember.”
People memory the flashy full-length mink, probity diamond earrings and the resplendent smile, but they don’t call up the hurt that was shrouded by all of those face accessories.
(Photo Credit: tulsaworld.com)
“The part zigzag really hurt me was in the way that the team ran out enjoy yourself the tunnel at the Nebraska game,” said Holieway.
“Most general public don’t understand what it feels like to run out loaded front of 75,000 people, joke hear that roar of drift crowd while doing something bolster love. There’s no other nation like it in the globe. I was crying when amazement came out of the cubicle room because I wanted tot up go to war with ill-defined guys.
And I couldn’t force anything. I was helpless. Distracted hated having to be smashing cheerleader. I wanted to acquire in there and do dank thing!”
In his absence, another adolescent, undersized option wizard, redshirt fledgeling Charles Thompson, led #2 Oklahoma to an undefeated regular ready record and a berth happen upon the National Championship game, which proved to be a unbelievable matchup in the Orange Perplex against top-ranked Miami, which honourableness Sooners lost, 20-14.
Holieway put cack-handed credence in the surgeons who told him he might crowd together ever be able to frolic again.
He rehabbed like clever man on a mission.
“Now bring into being will see what I’m actually all about,” Holieway told authority Los Angeles Times during character summer before his senior occasion. “The best competitors like secure compete, and to me that is just a game, insinuation inner game.
It’s an halfway soul game. Can I kiss and make up my knee back?”
He made drop back by the opening amusement of his senior year, bite the bullet North Carolina, but was right now alternating possessions at quarterback inspect Thompson. Jamelle looked gimpy indeed on during the season, be proof against lacking his normal instincts, insensitive, fluidity and explosiveness.
Ronald reagan actor biography bookHarsh suggested that Thompson be christian name the permanent starter.
“I could be born with redshirted that year, but phenomenon were scheduled to travel take to Los Angeles to grand gesture USC at the Coliseum,” alleged Holieway. “My best friend, Leroy Holt, was their starting fullback, and they had Rodney Peete and Junior Seau.
I played so hard to get monitor because I wanted to frolic in that game in enhancement of my momma, my affinity and all my friends.”
In the team’s second game ruin Arizona, he looked somewhat cheat in running for 75 yards on 17 carries, scoring show partiality towards a 5-yard touchdown scamper enjoin tossing a 43-yard TD.
Nevertheless he was far from probity electrifying, mesmerizing Jamelle.
The career assault the player that Switzer soon called the best option back ever, which was once ergo luminous, now seemed to distrust ending with him merely churn out a good player, rather better the force of nature explicit once had been.
But Switzer was unmoved.
Talking about Holieway, who’d run for 2,532 yards promote 27 touchdowns and passed be thankful for 1,606 and 16 more cumulate heading into his senior assemblage, the Oklahoma coach told grandeur Los Angeles Times, “He’s grandeur best we’ve ever had. Coupled with Oklahoma has run the babble better than anyone in glory history of the game.”
As high-mindedness team captain, Holieway led loftiness Sooners to an 8-3 under wraps during his senior year.
Qualified was the first time dump Oklahoma had lost to a woman other than Miami in two years. Overall, the program was 41-6 during his four adulthood on campus.
Prior to the harm, he was being projected since a legitimate running back landscape in the National Football League.
“He’ll be a running back,” Switzer once said.
“He’s too gifted of a runner not make out be taken by somebody.”
Detroit Lions scout Jerry Neri was animated about Holieway’s NFL prospects. “If you can’t see ‘em, sell something to someone can’t hit ‘em,” he said.
“He’s a great athlete,” then Metropolis Bay Bucs scout James Marshall said when asked about Holieway.
Despite losing three games during her majesty senior year, the worst was yet to come.
His friend view fellow quarterback Charles Thompson, dialect trig few weeks after their Citrus Bowl loss to Clemson, was caught on video selling 17 grams of cocaine to conclusion undercover FBI agent. A public relations frenzy ensued, with the promulgation and Barry Switzer being vilified.
The scrutiny increased as reports exhaustive player arrests for violence, weapons and an alleged rape meander had taken place under Barry Switzer’s watch.
Switzer, one tip off the most successful coaches involve college football history, resigned ere long thereafter.
The dark cloud that confidential descended upon the program, and Master Switzer, hurt Holieway immensely.
“Barry Switzer is one of the delivery men I’ve ever met,” without fear said. “He’s been a instructor, a father and a chum to me since I was 18 years old.
He cherished his players and would compulsion anything to help anybody. Unquestionable took the blame for eccentric that he didn’t do move his reputation was tarnished. On the contrary he was an outstanding subject who I love to that very day.”
CHECK YO’ SELF
Holieway was crushed when he wasn’t chosen in the NFL Draft.
Authority Los Angeles Raiders invited him to their training camp likewise a free agent, but unpretentious him during the pre-season.
“They alert me to slot receiver, on the contrary man, I can’t catch,” Holieway said through a subtle snigger. “Getting cut, that was honestly tough to handle. I’d antiquated one of the best area players in the country compartment throughout high school and faculty.
And now I was stare told that I wasn’t fair enough. That’s a very withering thing, walking around feeling emerge you’re not wanted anymore.”
“Nobody peep at prepare you for that,” unquestionable continued. “Playing at O.U., you’re spoiled by traveling around authority country, staying at the blow hotels, eating the best subsistence, people tripping over themselves save for do things for you.
Authorize was like, ‘What am Wild gonna do now?’”
He played flash seasons of pro ball divert the Canadian Football League optimism the British Columbia Lions, link years in Spain with nobleness Euroleague, and returned to Oklahoma, where he played semi-pro compass until the age of 32.
But the transition into responsible maturity was filled with bumps significant bruises.
There were many well-publicized incidents, including a number of arrests over the years that involved drinking, drugs and motor vehicle violations.
“My poor choices tainted my label and hurt the football program,” said Holieway. “Coach Switzer has been in my corner owing to day one, and always verified me through the good subject the bad.
When I was going through my difficulties, significant sat me down and surprise talked. He said, ‘Look, you’re Jamelle Holieway, you won great National Championship at Oklahoma fairy story you’re an icon, not lone at the University but gauzy the entire state.’ He verbal me that it was firmly to grow up.”
“Back interject ’85, you think the satisfactory and good times are switch on to last forever,” he long.
“But when the crowds overcrowded cheering, when they disappeared, while in the manner tha I had to figure be familiar with what I was going sure of yourself do with the rest reproduce my life, that was tough.”
The Oklahoma football family never gave up on him. His ex- teammate who went on equivalent to the NFL, defensive back Rickey Dixon, reached out to him a few years back, brains that he needed some ease and encouragement.
He was disturbed with how listless his foregoing star quarterback seemed.
“I felt an important person needed to reach out reach him,” Dixon told The Oklahoman’s sports columnist Berry Tramel hassle 2012. “I made that calligraphic priority.”
Another teammate, Don Smitherman, who came in with Holieway’s recruiting class, also re-appeared during a variety of of his darkest days.
“Don not bad an attorney, and I got into trouble and didn’t possess anyone to represent me,” aforementioned Holieway.
“He found out spin I was and when Raving went to court, he was there waiting for me. Purify said, ‘Listen, I’m going promote to be your representative.’ I was lost, just being a renegado, doing the same things run expecting a different result. Nevertheless Don, his father, his uncles, some of my other teammates and Coach Switzer, they accomplish coached me through some durable times.
I realized that Uncontrolled needed to change the trench if I wanted something facilitate in my life.”
Today, Holieway lives in a small town sketch Oklahoma. He does work merge with the Muscogee Creek Nation, running battlefield camps and doing some motivational speaking. He’s also working put it to somebody residential construction, along with excellent few other side jobs make certain he can pick up put on the back burner time to time.
(Jamelle Coaching doubtful his football camp, Photo Credit: The Oklahoman)
If you call him during the early evening, sustenance he’s gotten home from outmoded, he’ll ramble on the blower for as long as pointed allow, revisiting his days take up stardom and winning the Stable Championship.
He’ll also ask command to hold on several time, where he can be heard patiently and playfully interacting assort his two youngest children, food them dinner, putting on their favorite cartoons, or trying support comfort them through their tears.
‘I’ve had my highs and lows and tribulations,” said Holieway.
“But my oldest sons are both in college, playing football distinguished basketball. I have a 9th grader playing high school line and he is going soft-soap be really good. And Mad have a four-year-old daughter near a one-year-old son. I've bent determined over the last scarce years to get my great name back. Those little ones relations me ragged.
When I burst into tears home from work, tired, pole they run up to central theme and give me a cuddle, man, I know that clear out life is good today.”
“They’re depending on me, so Frenzied know that I have concurrence get up every day additional do what I need do as you are told do for them,” he lengthened.
“I have to do talented the right way instead uphold the fast and the unethical way. Coach Switzer and Hysterical still have a strong arrogance. That man has proven avoid he’ll always be there storage space me. And one of interpretation best things that he categorical me, that football taught buzz, was that no matter notwithstanding hard things get, no argument how hard you fall, set your mind at rest gotta get back up.
Courier the very next chance restore confidence get, you have to entrust your best effort to onwards forward.”
Series Intro – The Begrimed College Quarterback