I am hollering all my friends names and all like that, it was the ultimate.. In practice that week, when he first sauntered into the huddle with the starters to call a play, senior offensive lineman Eric Pope stared at him intently and said, Lets roll, freshman. She let us go in there to talk, but instead of sitting on the couch, Coach Switzer laid down on the floor. She showed me how to transfer to different buses and I learned how to get around on my own, said Holieway. She hated to chase me around the house, because Id be giving her stutter-steps and jump backs. Holieways mother, Charlie Mae Evans, worked three jobs to support him when he was growing up in South Central Los Angeles. I wrote about Holieways quest in the Sunday Oklahoman. Within 11 months of our dinner, he had quarterbacked OU to the national title and himself into Sooner lore. Holieway lost for just the second time as a starter, 23-7, that day and started two more games while alternating playing time with Thompson before his limitations health-wise made it clear that Thompson was the faster, more effective option going forward. Despite never being teammates, a player from the 1990s reaching out to an icon of the 1980s served as a fitting testament to the sort of brotherhood that comes with being an Oklahoma Sooner. Ive known Holieway since February 1985, when he was a senior at Banning High School in the Los Angeles suburb of Wilmington. There was something about playing Miami, because I knew that we had to give our best, Holieway said. Hurts has only spoken to reporters once so far this season and isn't expected to be available until next week before the Peach Bowl. Wish Jamelle the best - what's the latest on E Mitchell? One night in LA, I went to dinner with Holieway, OU recruiter Scott Hill and booster Jay Thomas, back when recruiting dinners were allowed and media illumination was encouraged. Thats probably where all my moves first came from. Holieway has raised his family in Oklahoma and is a long-time resident of McAlister. They wanted him to play in the defensive secondary or as a wide receiver. ''I think of how hard it is for any quarterback to do it (win a national title),'' Holieway said. Amid that backdrop, Charlie Mae tried her best to provide Jamelle with a moral compass and elevated sense of self-esteem that would negate the allure of the gangs. We have estimated Jamelle Holieway's net worth , money, salary, income, and assets. #Gatewood @GotBoz44 #EddieWally #1987OUNeb @Barry_Switzer @SpenceTillman @EarlJoh26055677 pic.twitter.com/hTzhvYx5id, Wallis Marsh (@WallisMarsh) August 30, 2022. With 1:22 to go, Switzer elected to kick the tying extra point that would secure Oklahoma the Big 8 championship and the Orange Bowl bid, while the Nebraska crowd was seemingly left with the consolation tie. So, how much is Jamelle Holieway worth at the age of 55 years old? Holieway was running an option-play to the left and turned to cut upfield. My team was so good, we were better than the JV team at my school, said Holieway. , At the end of this clip, Jerome Brown helped to break Aikman's ankle, which led to his transfer to UCLA. The injury plagued Holieway for the remainder of the 1988 season, and he eventually lost his starting job to Charles Thompson. And when I tell you I loved it, I wanted to be a coach right then and there if this is all it takes to coach, all the press conferences and seeing all these different sites because he was Coach Switzer and I am the quarterback. I didnt want the fast pace, Holieway said. That humbles me and makes me appreciate what I did back then, and they still remember that. I saw that little safety, I saw (Penn State safety Ray) Isom, No. Him just talking and getting people together was really amazing., September 6, 1986; Norman, OK, USA; FILE PHOTO; Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Jamelle Holieway (4) in action against the UCLA Bruins. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Seeing how hard his mother worked, he also engaged in Bottle Hustling, along with helping people clean their rides at the local car wash to earn a few dollars. The first time he ever had a phone in his residence was in college. With Jackson streaking down the near sideline, Holieway fired the ball over Thomas at the Nebraska 35, Jackson tipped the ball to himself, corralled it and raced to the 14-yard line with nine seconds left. Aikman and the OU passing attack was hotter than fish grease early on, with the sophomore stud having completed six of his eight passes for 131 yards in a little more than a quarter of play. That tide would soon shift, as Miami was on its way to becoming one of the most iconic, menacing and controversial programs in college football history. In order for that bowl matchup to have national championship implications, the Sooners would have to defeat both Oklahoma State on the road and SMU in the home finale. 3 Oklahoma against top-ranked and unbeaten Penn State. I knew we couldnt make a mistake. 12 Oklahoma State in Norman. I figured, Hey, Im coming out for the varsity next year, so I might as well show them what I can do, said Holieway. Holieway still regularly attends Oklahoma games in Norman he will be at the Texas El-Paso game on Saturday and continues to be amazed at the number of fans who approach him with words of appreciation and youthful tales of how he was admired and emulated. When you see him start scooting over, you better change the play to Y Go. (Jamelle, with his eyes on the defense, executingthe Ride-and-Decide, Photo Credit: newsok.com). We publish narratives intentionally and specifically to enlighten and transform the world. Holieway tore the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee in a game versus the Oklahoma State Cowboys on November 7, 1987. OU National Championship quarterback 1985Check out the trailer Wishbone 101- Jamelle's Documentary coming 2015 Football Season. homes for rent in leland for $600; randy deshaney; do numbers come before letters in alphabetical order Ou Sooners Spring Football Game. Not an upstanding person any longer. The 5-foot-11 field general stepped in after Troy Aikman went down with a broken leg during a loss to Miami early in the season, and the Sooners didn't miss a beat after that game. And given the opportunity, I did pretty well.''. Sign up to receive The Shadow League Newsletter in your inbox. In 1972, his father was murdered. Aikman was an Oklahoma native with a strong arm and pro potential, so chances were good that Holieway would have to wait a while to play. Coach Ferragamo would set up the projector for us and we would watch a ton of film, said Holieway. He used his flash-and-dash moves to become the leader of Oklahoma's vaunted rushing attack after someone else's injury put him in charge . If I had thought about it, I wouldve kept that bag and told Magic to come to my house, he says playfully. Holieway began playing organized sports when he was around seven years old. That opened up a lot of doors for me and I got to travel to places in Los Angeles and California that I normally wouldnt have seen. I rushed for over 1,200 yards and passed for over 1,200 yards as a senior and got what we called the Baby Heisman, the city Player of the Year trophy. I was paying attention to what was going on in the game, but I didnt know that Troy got hurt. Jamie was the Best. Learn how your comment data is processed. That is how you are supposed to move the team down the field. And when my coach told me that, I knew then, OK, it is not all about what the crowd is saying. Through the air, he threw 257 times, completing 117 passes for 2,430 yards with 22 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. Judging by the practice routine in the week leading up to the game, one had to wonder if an appearance from Holieway was the plan all along. Mandatory Credit: Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports, Well then, going in to the watch the film, my coach (Switzer) reassured me of one thing: You cant play that sandlot football against Texas, Nebraska, against Miami. Beginning at their own six-yard-line, the Sooners marched 94 yards, including a 4th-and-1 attempt at their own 15 where a Holieway fumble was negated by a Nebraska face mask penalty. 'Ms. To give people awe like that is a great feeling. And then he goes and breaks his leg and I get to go in. From 1985-87, the Sooners finished 33-3 with three conference championships and one national title. My best preparation prior to that game was playing against our first-team defense in practice, said Holieway. I met Mr Holieway at a little league baseball game he was very open to speaking and mentoring the kids on the team, which a lot of professional athletes wouldn't take a minute of their time to do! Holieway said gaining the team's confidence wasn't all that difficult, so long as he did his job. I loved it because when they talked about Michael Vick, Jamelle Holieways name got brought up, Holieway said. So as the diminutive, speedyoption-savant stepped into the huddle with a beaming smile in the second quarter of the game against the Hurricanes, with his Los Angeles swag and confidence emboldened in front of 75,000 screaming people, many of whom were deflated Sooner fans who thought their National Championship dreams were fractured right along with Aikmans ankle, the first thing Holieway calmly uttered, before calling the first play of his Oklahoma career was, Alright then. Contribute to The Shadow League today and help us share our narratives. If you are looking for former OU football greats, go to our website for our new one of a kind magazine, "Former Sooner Greats - Where Are They Now? Holieway still credits Oklahoma coach Barry Switzer for showing confidence in him. He picked up his mothers limp body, cradled her in his arms and carried her inside, overwhelmed with shock and grief. Good luck to Jamelle Holieway. And of course it's Keith Jackson again. While not technically wrong, the first sentence in the above paragraph is awkward, to say the least. 2 Miami on its home field. Went to Banning Senior High. Highly recruited from Banning High School in Wilmington, Los Angeles, California, under longtime head coach Chris Ferragamo, Holieway attracted interest from a swarm of schools. Holieway starred at Banning, helped a Pilots team with 13 future major-college players win a Los Angeles City football title as a junior, then was named the LA. The game resonated locally because of the mushrooming animosity between Miamis head coach, Jimmy Johnson, and Oklahomas head man, Barry Switzer. That was a face mask that gave us a first down.. He didnt have electricity in his home until high school. And that is what I did. Regardless of how his life has gone in the days since his Sooner glory, Jamelle Holieway should always be remembered as one of the greatest college quarterbacks of all time. But he says no. In our practice film, I was taught if I saw their free safety start cheating over coming to the tight end, if that safety starts moving from the middle of the field down to the box, he is going to come on the blitz, Holieway said. Because this was my first go around, so this is normal for me. In California, I had to grow up fast, Holieway said. The Sooners thumped Iowa State 59-14 in his first start to set the tone. He freely admitted to making lots of bad decisions, and asked the young people to not make the mistakes he had made. OU legend Jamelle Holieway understands Caleb Williams' early success, Spencer Rattler's fall from QB1. "Holieway obviously was a liver in the fast lane, even back then. Holieway played professionally for the National Football League's Los Angeles Raiders (19891990) and the Canadian Football League's BC Lions (19911992). Colorado won the game 10-9. When we would scrimmage, Eric would make some big ol play and these runs and the crowd would go wild and be cheering, Holieway remembered. While a win would deliver an outright Big 8 title for the third year in a row, the third-ranked Sooners found themselves trailing after three quarters, 17-7. Five plays later, following an Oklahoma time out, Holieway threw to the goal line to tight end Keith Jackson for a 17-yard touchdown. You're awesome Jamelle. Ferragamo gave Holieway and his best friend, Leroy Holt, Bannings fullback, the keys to the team film room during the season. The Holieway-led Sooners would go on an epic run through the 1985 season, winning their next seven games after the Miami loss. Lashar calmly drilled the game-winning field goal from 31 yards away. ''Winning, just like Dak Prescott in Dallas,'' Holieway said. A week ago I was playing out in the park, and here I am doing my thing against the varsity team thats getting ready to play for the city title! My mother was working so many jobs, but she would come to my games and holler my name, he said. His biggest concern was for his 14 year old autistic son who lives in California. She couldnt stay, but for her to come all the way across town to see me play for five minutes, that meant the world to me. We went 11-0 the next year and I ran for 325 yards in the city championship, but we wound up losing. Oklahoma, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Colorado, Oregon and USC came after Holieway. After Jerome Brown, who was a beast by the way, sacked Troy, I heard Coach Switzer yell out, Jamelle Holieway! We have to think that we are going to figure out that jump ball.'. Now Im grown up., Holieways lifelong friend, former Southern Cal fullback Leroy Holt, said hes glad Holieway never returned to California. On the ensuing play, a 35-yard Holieway completion to receiver Derrick Shepard (decd. If anyone seemed made for the Los Angeles lifestyle, it was Jamelle Holieway, with a diamond stud in his ear and a fur coat on his shoulders. When the starter returned from his injury the next week, he was moved to wide receiver. Holieway was named the backup quarterback during the preseason, which began on August 15 and consisted of an incredible month and a half of two-a-day practices four or five days a week.Once the season-opening home game against SMU was moved to December 7 to accommodate a national television broadcast by ABC, it meant the 1985 season would not begin until September 28 at Minnesota and, amazingly, the home-opener would not be until October 19, a week after the annual clash with Texas in Dallas. 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