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                                                                                                        sports Monday 11 deceMber 2017


















            Walk-on to Heisman: Oklahoma’s Mayfield wins in landslide



            Continued from Page 18                                                                                              who  also  was  at  the  Best
                                                                                                                                Buy  Theater  in  midtown
            Mayfield  is  the  third  player                                                                                    Manhattan, for welcoming
            to  win  the  Heisman  head-                                                                                        a  “chubby,  unathletic  kid
            ing to the College Football                                                                                         into the program with open
            Playoff. The second-ranked                                                                                          arms.” That was also Riley’s
            Sooners  meet  No.  3  Geor-                                                                                        first  season  as  Oklahoma’s
            gia in the Rose Bowl on Jan.                                                                                        offensive  coordinator.  The
            1. He is the first senior to win                                                                                    two  have  been  a  perfect
            the award since Smith and                                                                                           match.  “For  any  coach  to
            the  first  Heisman  winner  to                                                                                     have  a  chance  for  your
            begin his career as a walk-                                                                                         guy  to  be  standing  here,
            on  since  athletic  scholar-                                                                                       to win the Heisman Trophy,
            ships started in the 1950s.                                                                                         and just to do it kind of at
            “It’s been a tough journey,”                                                                                        the end of such a long jour-
            Mayfield  said  during  his                                                                                         ney  we’ve  had  together,
            acceptance  speech.  He                                                                                             it’s very special,” Riley said.
            choked back tears, thank-                                                                                           Mayfield’s  departure  from
            ing his parents and first-year                                                                                      Texas  Tech  was  conten-
            Oklahoma  coach  Lincoln                                                                                            tious. At first, he lost a year
            Riley.                                                                                                              of eligibility, despite not be-
            “Tried to play it cool,” May-                                                                                       ing on scholarship. He even-
            field  said  later.  “That’s  not                                                                                   tually  got  that  year  back
            my thing though. I’m a guy                                                                                          when  the  Big  12  tweaked
            that wears his emotions on                                                                                          its  rules,  but  he  never  did
            his sleeve.”                                                                                                        let  it  go.  For  his  last  game
            Mayfield  finished  fourth  in   In  this  Oct.  7,  2017  photo,  Oklahoma  quarterback  Baker  Mayfield  (6)  leaps  over  Iowa  State   against Texas Tech this sea-
            the  Heisman  voting  two    defensive back De’Monte Ruth, bottom, in the second quarter of an NCAA college football game   son,  he  wore  the  “Traitor”
            years  ago  and  third  last   in Norman, Okla. Mayfield is the 2017 winner of the Heisman Trophy.                  T-shirt that some Red Raid-
            year. “It’s motivating for me                                                                (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)  ers fans wore when he first
            to be the best in the coun-  attached to Mayfield often,  kid  who  grew  up  in  Aus-  Mayfield  said.  “Just  true  returned  to  Lubbock  with
            try,” he said.               but at times poor judgment  tin, Texas, rooting for Okla-  belief.  My  journey,  like  I  Oklahoma.
            Mayfield  entered  this  sea-  has  gotten  him  in  trouble  homa, but did not receive  said earlier is not over, but  Later  in  the  year,  it  was
            son as one of the Heisman  on and off the field.          a  scholarship  offer  out  of  it’s about facing adversity.  Kansas  —  of  all  teams  —
            favorites  and  jumped  to-  Those  were  really  the  only  high school from either the  If  there’s  mistakes,  being  that tried to get the volatile
            ward the front of the pack  marks  on  Mayfield’s  Heis-  hometown Longhorns or his  up front about it and then  Mayfield off his game.
            when  he  led  the  Sooners  man  resume  because  his  beloved Sooners.               moving forward and being  Jayhawks captains refused
            to an early victory at Ohio  play  has  been  consistently  At Lake Travis High School,  better in the future.”     to  shake  his  hand  during
            State  that  he  celebrated  stellar.  He  has  thrown  for  Mayfield   won   a   state  He walked-on at Texas Tech  the pregame coin flip.
            by  planting  the  OU  flag  in  4,340  yards  and  41  touch-  championship  at  a  school  and started eight games as  They  trash-talked  Mayfield
            the Horseshoe turf.          downs  this  season  for  the  that  regularly  pumps  out  a freshman in 2013.        and  even  took  a  late  hit
            He  later  apologized  for  Big  12  champion  Sooners  Division  I  quarterbacks.  He  With a glut of quarterbacks  at  him.  He  responded  by
            that,  but  that  has  been  (12-1). For his career, May-  received  one  offer  from  in  Lubbock,  Mayfield  left  screaming  profanities  and
            Mayfield’s  career.  Spec-   field is eighth in FBS history in  a  Power  Five  program  —  and had only one school in  making a lewd gesture that
            tacular  play  fueled  by  yards passing (14,320) and  Washington State.               mind. He walked-on again  television cameras caught.
            grudges,  slights  and  trying  sixth  in  touchdown  passes  “There’s  something  to  be  at Oklahoma.             That  led  to  a  public  apol-
            to  prove  doubters  wrong.  (129).                       said  for  having  just  good  Mayfield  thanked  former  ogy from Mayfield, his third
            Moxie is the word that gets  Pretty  good  for  a  scrawny  ol’ confidence in yourself,”  Sooners coach Bob Stoops,  this year.q

             Lomachenko stops Rigondeaux to win match of Olympic greats


            By BRIAN MAHONEY             “I guess I should change my  his left hand.               Rigondeaux first felt pain in  hospital for X-rays.
            AP Sports Writer             name now to NoMaschen-       Lomachenko      was   eas-   the second round and hurt  Duva said the injury came
            NEW  YORK  (AP)  —  Vasyl  ko,” Lomachenko said.          ily winning boxing’s first pro  it  more  significantly  in  the  from  a  punch  —  though
            Lomachenko  doesn’t  just  Lomachenko        won   their  match  between  two-time  third.                          Rigondeaux        certainly
            beat  fighters.  He  makes  bout  Saturday  night  when  Olympic  gold  medalists  Duva said doctors believed  didn’t hit Lomachenko with
            them quit.                   Rigondeaux’s        corner  when  Rigondeaux  and  his  the hand could be broken  many of them.
            Even    Guillermo    Rigon-  stopped  the  fight  after  six  trainers jointly called for the  and were sending the 2000  “Where did he hurt his hand,
            deaux,  who  had  never  rounds  because  the  boxer  match to be stopped.             and  2004  Olympic  gold  in the dressing room?” pro-
            even lost a fight as a pro.  was complaining of pain in  Promoter  Dino  Duva  said  medalist from Cuba to the  moter Bob Arum said. q
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