NORMAN, Okla. — Josh Heupel zigged and zagged, making his way through dozens of back pats and handshakes from Oklahoma and Tennessee players and coaches on the field, and after he leapt from his feet to complete a final high-five with a fan in the stands, he found refuge in the southwest tunnel at Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.
At the bottom of the ramp outside Tennessee’s locker room stood his proud father, Ken, waiting patiently for an opportunity to deliver a celebratory shove and a sweet embrace.
No. 6 Tennessee’s 25-15 victory at No. 15 Oklahoma was as dominant of a 10-point win you will see in college football. It was also the most emotional you will see the usually stoic Tennessee head coach in this setting. Back at his alma mater, where he led the Sooners to a national title as quarterback in 2000, he finally allowed the moment to wash over him, and as he wrapped up a press conference late Saturday night, he wanted to share a story.
His voice cracked.
“I’ve gotten a chance to meet a lot of people that had an impact on my mom while she was here, and there’s a bunch that I haven’t (thanked),” Heupel said. “But I just want to thank you for the relationships and what you meant for her.”
The Tennessee head coach spent the entire offseason — and more often this week — avoiding the storyline: prodigal son returns to Oklahoma, where he was fired in 2014 by his mentor, Bob Stoops, after a nine-year coaching career. Bad blood or not, the only thing that mattered was the win and Heupel’s fond memories of the place he called home. His mother, Cindy, moved back here in 2007 as an educator to teach and to watch her son coach football as a living legend in Norman, Oklahoma. She died May 14 at her home in nearby Edmond, Oklahoma at the age of…
Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/for-josh-heupel-and-tennessee-dominating-oklahoma-was-more-about-the-future-than-the-past/
Author : Brandon Marcello
Publish date : 2024-09-22 13:39:10
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