DeMarco Murray Oklahoma Sooners running back

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Slimmer Murray Sets Big Goals "If I'm healthy and I get the carries, I definitely feel I can get 2,000 yards," Murray said.

DeMarco Murray has played with tenacity since childhood

by: JOHN E. HOOVER World Sports Writer
Saturday, July 10, 2010
7/10/2010 5:17:57 AM

IF YOU THINK DeMarco Murray has shown toughness at Oklahoma, you should have seen him when he was younger.

"He was the smallest kid," said Murray's father, Kevin Murray. "He always played with his older brothers, and they made him tough."

Growing up in Las Vegas, Murray was the youngest of four football-playing brothers. Going into his senior year at OU, he has become the most decorated.

Murray ranks 13th on OU's career rushing yards list (2,471), third in career all-purpose yards (4,661) and fourth in career touchdowns (45). He is within reach (1,648 rushing, 1,221 all-purpose, 13 TDs) of owning all three marks.

"I think that played a very important role for him coming back this year," Kevin Murray said. "I still think DeMarco could have went in the second round of the NFL draft, but he said he had unfinished business to do at OU."

Unfinished business defines Murray's OU career so far. He redshirted four years ago because of a toe injury. He missed the last three games of his redshirt freshman season with a fractured kneecap. And he missed the last two games of his sophomore season with a torn hamstring tendon.

He was healthy for all but one game last season (an ankle sprain), and for the first time has had an entire offseason to work on his football skills instead of injury rehab. While Murray didn't participate in contact drills during spring practice, his offseason training regimen has been intense — and unique.

First, there's boxing. OK, not all-out sparring, but so far it's everything but contact.

"Some hand-eye coordination things and some footwork type of things," Murray said.

Then, there's pilates. Sure, it might sound feminine for a football player renowned for his toughness. But Lynn Swann did ballet. And it's physically demanding.

"It feels good," Murray said. "You've just got to concentrate on your flexibility, getting more flexible. That's something that'll help you on the field."

And there's mixed martial arts. Think boxing training is tough? Try getting in that cage.

"I'm just hitting bags, hitting pads and stuff," Murray said. "I haven't really sparred yet. I don't know if I want to. I may do that. I haven't really decided. But it's a lot of cardio. It gets you really tired and gets you in shape. You're using all kinds of muscles that you haven't ever done or worked on."

And there's swimming.

"It's also just a lot of core work," he said. "And it's helping me learn how to breathe and just getting me tired and getting me in shape, a lot of cardio as well."

And there's yoga.

"I start yoga in the fall," he said. "It's just different stuff. I'm trying to stay fresh and keep my mind right for the season. Sometimes when people train the same thing over and over, they get a little burned out or get a little tired of it.

"At this point, I'm ready to listen and try anything."

Kevin Murray, for one, is excited to see what a more flexible DeMarco can do in 2010.

"I think the reason DeMarco's injuries occurred was because of the stretching," he said. "I don't know if I should say this, but I think he hates stretching, and that's one of the most important things in any physical sport. You have to stretch. It's very important."

Sports always came easy to little DeMarco. He was an all-star basketball player at Bishop Gorman High School and became an All-American in football, though many projected him at cornerback. He ultimately chose playing running back at OU over cornerback at USC.

Kevin Murray said it was all those front-yard basketball games and football games that lit the competitive fire that burns in DeMarco today.

"I imagine this is what made DeMarco so tough," Kevin Murray said. "He would grind and fight with them as a football player. They'd play tackle football in the streets — and they never wanted him on their team because he was so small — but he would fight to get in there and he would do just what they would do.

"I had a basketball court in my front yard, and they never wanted him to play, and then when they finally started letting him play, he would dominate. He would go out there crying when he had to take a foul. They'd go head-up with pads on in football, and they'd knock him down, and he'd get up crying, and I'd make him get back in there and get at it again."

Said Murray, "They always used to tell me, 'Hey, you can't play.' They'd have friends over and I'd always try to jump in, and initially they wouldn't let me in. But I'd get in there and do pretty good, so they started letting me play eventually. I mean, there were times when I'd get knocked down, I'd cry, and my mom would tell me to get up and shake it off.

"I've always prided myself on being a tough player, never giving up and never quitting. It just kind of stayed with me throughout life."

DeMarco Murray looks to finish Oklahoma career on a high-note

FOXSportsSouthwest.com

He’s fought through injuries and split playing time for most of his career, but now DeMarco Murray says he’s ready to become the next great back in the long lineage of Oklahoma greats. The fifth-year senior from Las Vegas arrived in Norman with sky-high expectations, and he fulfilled them in 2008, rushing for over 1,000 yards as a vital cog in the Sooners’ record-breaking offensive attack. But a torn hamstring kept Murray out of Oklahoma’s BCS Championship Game loss to Florida, and injuries continued to plague him throughout last season.

Now Murray has fully recovered and wants to come back stronger than ever in 2010. Murray talked with FoxSportsSouthwest.com about becoming the number one back this season and more.

So how do you feel? Are you healthy now? One hundred-percent?

DeMarco Murray: Yeah, you know I’m feeling good. Just my ankle still bothering me a little bit from last year, but it’s getting better and better everyday, gradually.

You don’t expect it to be a factor by fall, do you?

No, I hope not, ya know? I’m continuing to get better a little here and there, continuing to rest it. I think before the end of the summer, it’ll be ready and one-hundred percent.

Tell me about the running game. Chris Brown has been there a long time and he’s not going to be back this year. What does that mean for the offense? Is it your show now?

He was a great player and he’s a tremendous guy and we’re going to miss him, but I’m definitely looking forward to being the guy and not having to share playing time 50/50 this year, and getting a lot of opportunities this year to get the ball in my hands and things like that. So, it’s definitely going to be new for me, but I’m looking forward to the challenge.

Traditionally OU is a running school, always has been. Your numbers were good but maybe not great. Was that a motivating tactic for you guys?

Oh, definitely it was one of our downfalls, but this year I think the offensive line is improving everyday and working hard everyday getting the calls and getting their blocks. So, I think this year is going to be a better year than last year, as long as we stay the course and prepare mentally and physically.

You mentioned the O-line, last year it couldn’t have gone worse for them with injuries and all the other different combinations and that effects you. So, it has to be going better this year, so tell me about the O-line…

It’s going good, we got Donald Stephenson back, he’s one of the guys stepping up that I’ve seen and some of the other young guys are gelling together. So, I think that’s one of the biggest factors. Everybody is healthy, and ya know with practicing everyday allows us to get of camaraderie between the guys upfront. So, guys like Donald Stephenson, Cory Brandon, as well as Stephen Good are doing great and they are playing to their fullest ability.

When you change combinations with the O-line so much in terms of running game, does timing become an issue? Is that what you are concentrated on now?

You can say that. Just timing for those guys and I think there was at least one or two guys, new offensive linemen, every game last year. So, just having the same group out there day and day out, ya know, will help the continue to work hard and help each other out and know what to fix and things like that. But to not know whose going to play next to you is kind of disturbing for them I guess, but ya know everything this year is looking good right now.

I’m going to ask you about a couple of your teammates. You played behind Sam Bradford and Landry as well who is the guy this year. Tell me about his strengths and what he can bring to the table as a quarterback.

He brings a lot of poise. He’s not one of those guys that will yell at you and get you all pumped up like Sam would but he brings a lot of poise and he demands a lot out of Ryan Broyles and the group of receivers. So when they’re taking plays out, I’ve seen him the past few practices say, “Hey come in and do this play for me real quick.” So, he’s becoming a leader, not as much vocally as Sam was, but it’s still early in his career but I think throughout this year, he’ll become more and more vocal for us. But he’s a great player and he’s stepped up for us and I think he had a pretty good season last year playing, even though he wasn’t expecting to play.

Let me ask you about Ryan Broyles as well. This is a guy that sticks around for four years could just about break every receiving record at OU. Talk about him as a receiver and what do you see from him?

He’s just someone who loves to get the ball. He loves having the ball in his hands and can make something happen. You never know what he’s going to do whether it’s a punt return or just a little eight yard hitch route. So, I mean he’s a very special player for us and he’s one of our go to guys that we look forward to giving the ball to him. But he’s a good player.

In terms of your career as you look back on your game… Has it been frustrating, or do you think of it positively, or do you think of it positively, or has it been kind of frustrating with the starts and stops with the injury? Are you very motivated right now to just get through the season healthy to show people what you can do for an entire year?

Hey, I can get frustrated here and there, but it’s just part of God’s plan. I never question His sayings or things like that. I just try to go with the flow and get better everyday. Since the injury and surgery, I just pray the best thing happens in the outcome but I’ll always keep my head up during the process. But I’m not worried about injuries or anything like that. I’m just going out there having fun and playing hard and trying to do the best I can.

I’m going to ask you a couple of questions about Oklahoma/Texas. When you were growing up in Vegas, you may have not known much about the rivalry. So, when did you first start paying attention to that rivalry?

Probably the week of my freshman year when I was getting ready to play. I didn’t realize how important it was. You’re always talking about Texas, Oklahoma State, and things like that but coming from Vegas, even when I was going through the recruiting process, I was really looking at… Is this team good? Can I begin my future there? But I just really didn’t know how important it was until I got on campus and the first experience of it all. My first experience, I was a redshirt freshman. But I realized going into that atmosphere, it was a great atmosphere, one of the loudest atmospheres I’ve ever been apart of and one of the most physical games I’ve ever been apart of. It’s a pretty special game.

You know, your freshman year, you walked off the field a winner against Texas. Describe that feeling.

Well, you just feel on top of the world, you know? It’s a great feeling. I wouldn’t say it’s one of our biggest games or our most important game, but it is up there for us and for the fans and for the community of Norman, Oklahoma. So, everybody looks at it as one of the biggest games of the year. So, it’s a great feeling to win. We haven’t had the opportunity to win the past couple of years, but hopefully we’ll get a chance to get back up there this year.

The first part of the decade, OU won five straight, but has won four of the last five. Is it possible they have a mental edge over Oklahoma?

No, I wouldn’t say that. It’s just they were the better team that day. But ya know, we’re working hard right now and I’m sure they are too, to get that golden hat. But, it’s all part of who wants it more on that day and who’s going to prepare the best that week and who’s going to get after each other.

OU's Murray will remain, source says
Oklahoma junior running back DeMarco Murray told his coaches Thursday that he plans to stay in school and delay entry into the NFL draft, a source told ESPN's Joe Schad on Friday.

"We're trying to get him the ball in space, with him and Chris (Brown) on the field, where he is a slot receiver, too," Wilson said Tuesday. "It's a combination of him getting a few more tailback touches and also trying him a few plays out at the receiver just because of the numbers there. I think he's feeling better.

"He's been increasingly competitive the last couple weeks. I think we're trying to force the ball in his direction whether by run plays or pass plays where he has a chance to be a primary target in the pass game, where the ball has a chance to get into his hands. He's more healthy, and we're trying to get him more touches."

Murray had 17 carries for 82 yards Saturday against Baylor. He gained 80 yards on 23 carries at Miami on Oct. 3

"I don't listen to the media," running back DeMarco Murray said. "SportsCenter will come on and talk about college and I'll change the channel. I just try to tune it out."

All is well with OU RB DeMarco Murray "I’m feeling 100 percent. I finally feel like my old self, like when I first came in. So I’m feeling good.” Click Here To Read More

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — Oklahoma running back DeMarco Murray will have surgery to repair a hamstring injury and miss the BCS national championship game against Florida. Murray will undergo surgery on Dec. 22 to repair the tendon in his left leg, Sooners' coach Bob Stoops said Tuesday. The championship game is Jan. 8. "Obviously, we're very disappointed for DeMarco," Stoops said in a statement. "He has been an important part of our success this year and we will miss his contributions." Murray was Oklahoma's leading rusher before he was injured in the Big 12 championship game against Missouri on Dec. 6. The injury was first diagnosed as a bruise but an MRI exam revealed the damage.

Murray, now the team's second-leading rusher with 1,002 yards, will be replaced by Mossis Madu. Chris Brown leads the Sooners with 1,010 yards.

Murray will be out of action for about five months, meaning he likely won't play much in spring practice. That might open a place for heralded freshmen like Jermie Calhoun and Justin Johnson to receive a long look in spring workouts.

To Get You Ready For Tech

The Dallas Morning News has a article on DeMarco Murray, "Oklahoma's DeMarco Murray has the power to AMAZE"

Here are some tidbits he could not fit in the article, comments from his father, Kevin

On the injury ...

"I think he'll be fine by the end of the year," Kevin Murray said. "Any time you have a knee surgery, you're always worried about it. You don't want it to reoccur again. He's a very competitive kid. He's going to play under injuries and nobody knows it."

On Murray's athleticism ...

"DeMarco is just a complete athlete. He had never played baseball before and the first year he played baseball (in junior high) he did really, really well. He sometimes tells me that if he tried out for the Oklahoma basketball team that he would make it with no problem. He's just one of those type of guys."

On Murray's 65-yard touchdown run last year against Texas ...

"I've watched that a thousand times. When he jumped up and jumped over that guy (Joe Jon Finley), I knew the lights were out. I knew we had it then. I tell everybody the things that DeMarco did last year is nothing compared to what he can do. I've seen DeMarco do some amazing things. What he did last year was nothing. He hasn't got his full potential out there yet."

DeMarco Murray carried the ball 26 times for 96 yards and two touchdowns for the day vs Baylor

The story of DeMarco Murray's dunk, that Stoops saw while in Vegas recruiting Reynolds.

OU could not run the ball vs TCU, TCU stacked the box, and blitz a lot. DeMarco Murray carried the ball 13 times for 23 yards, had 4 receptions for 48 yards, and 2 kick off returns for 40 yards total.

Murray just needs to do it, coach Says

DeMarco Murray had 16 carries for 100 yards and no touchdowns vs. Washington. He had one catch for 5 yards

OU vs Cincinnati Highlights

DeMarco Murray carried the ball 15 times, for 88 yards and 1 rushing touchdown.
He had 2 receptions for 13 yards. OU destroyed the Bearcats, I don't know the final score cuz ABC were idiots
and put on the Wake Forest Ole Miss game, which was already playing on ESPN 2, thanks, I really needed that game on 3 channels.
Actually the final score after the Bearcats called timeout with 2 seconds left to score a touchdown and miss the 2 point conversion was 52 to 26.

Highlight Video of the OU - Chattanooga game

DeMarco Murray had 15 carries for 124 yards, he avged 8.32 per carry, his longest run 49 yards
OU wins easily 57-2

DeMarco Murray touchdown

demarco murray touchdown

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