Out of the blue and apropos of nothing, somebody sent me this yesterday:
Houston rejected Heupel
Associated Press
HOUSTON - Josh Heupel, the lefty quarterback largely responsible for No. 1
Oklahoma's return to prominence, might instead have breathed life into the
University of Houston program if the Cougars hadn't rejected him.
"(Houston) seemed to like him very much and I know Tony (Fitzpatrick, then
an assistant coach) had a visit set up and he was coming down," Steven
Svendsen, Heupel's high school coach, told Houston television station KRIV.
Svendsen said Houston was the only Division I-A school seriously considering
Heupel, the Heisman Trophy finalist who got little attention playing in
Aberdeen, S.D. But the journey south never materialized.
"I actually got dropped about eight hours before my plane trip out on my
recruiting trip," Heupel said this week in Florida. "But things have
definitely worked out the best for me."
Heupel instead went to Weber State in Ogden, Utah. He was injured for most of
his redshirt freshman season, in 1997, then starred at Snow Junior College,
also in Utah, for one season before joining the Sooners in 1999.
On Thursday, Heupel won the Associated Press' College Player of the Year award
in balloting by AP member newspapers, TV and radio stations.
Oklahoma has gone 18-5 in Heupel's two seasons, including an Independence Bowl
berth last year. His final game will come against Florida State in the Orange
Bowl for the national championship.
Conversely, Houston is 10-12 over that time with no bowls.
"I was kind of surprised they didn't bring him in," said Svendsen, a
former graduate assistant at Houston. "Josh was kind of disappointed, just
like anyone else would be when you have a Division I-A school looking at
you."
Fitzpatrick, a Houston assistant from 1988 to 1998, said former head coach Kim
Helton made the call on Heupel.
"We went into a staff meeting and we were turned down by ... Coach
Helton," Fitzpatrick said.
Helton, who was fired after the 1999 season, did not answer the phone at his
home Thursday. The school did not immediately return a message left by the AP.
Heupel does not regret the circuitous route to Oklahoma.
"God has taken me there for a reason," he said. "I've learned a
lot about myself and learned a lot about life along the way."
Houston rejected Heupel
Associated Press
HOUSTON - Josh Heupel, the lefty quarterback largely responsible for No. 1
Oklahoma's return to prominence, might instead have breathed life into the
University of Houston program if the Cougars hadn't rejected him.
"(Houston) seemed to like him very much and I know Tony (Fitzpatrick, then
an assistant coach) had a visit set up and he was coming down," Steven
Svendsen, Heupel's high school coach, told Houston television station KRIV.
Svendsen said Houston was the only Division I-A school seriously considering
Heupel, the Heisman Trophy finalist who got little attention playing in
Aberdeen, S.D. But the journey south never materialized.
"I actually got dropped about eight hours before my plane trip out on my
recruiting trip," Heupel said this week in Florida. "But things have
definitely worked out the best for me."
Heupel instead went to Weber State in Ogden, Utah. He was injured for most of
his redshirt freshman season, in 1997, then starred at Snow Junior College,
also in Utah, for one season before joining the Sooners in 1999.
On Thursday, Heupel won the Associated Press' College Player of the Year award
in balloting by AP member newspapers, TV and radio stations.
Oklahoma has gone 18-5 in Heupel's two seasons, including an Independence Bowl
berth last year. His final game will come against Florida State in the Orange
Bowl for the national championship.
Conversely, Houston is 10-12 over that time with no bowls.
"I was kind of surprised they didn't bring him in," said Svendsen, a
former graduate assistant at Houston. "Josh was kind of disappointed, just
like anyone else would be when you have a Division I-A school looking at
you."
Fitzpatrick, a Houston assistant from 1988 to 1998, said former head coach Kim
Helton made the call on Heupel.
"We went into a staff meeting and we were turned down by ... Coach
Helton," Fitzpatrick said.
Helton, who was fired after the 1999 season, did not answer the phone at his
home Thursday. The school did not immediately return a message left by the AP.
Heupel does not regret the circuitous route to Oklahoma.
"God has taken me there for a reason," he said. "I've learned a
lot about myself and learned a lot about life along the way."
