Commitment Interview With Kenneth Murray
Posted on: August 10, 2016
Image via @EricNahlin
Our friend, Eric Nahlin from InsideTexas.com,was on hand at Kenneth Murray’s commitment ceremony Wednesday morning and had a chance to speak with Murray on his commitment to the Sooners. Here are some excerpts from the interview.
– On what led him to the decision to commit to the Sooners.
“My conversation with the Man upstairs…I asked God, ‘lead me in the right direction’…I just knew in my heart. I came to peace with my decision.”
– How he fit’s into Oklahoma’s defense as an outside linebacker.
“This summer I worked my butt off at outside backer just getting my technique right. I watched a ton of tape on (Eric) Striker. I watched a ton of tape on my idol, Von Miller. Those guys right there, I took a lot of stuff from their game and added it to mine. Just working on that stuff. And continuing to work on that stuff…I like the way Oklahoma uses their outside linebackers…”
– What he likes about Norman.
“Beautiful campus, small town…I like the people. Everybody was welcoming to me that I talked to. Just a great place.”
– His relationship with the #SoonerSquad17.
“I got a real good relationship with pretty much all of the commits…they welcomed me in.”
– What the current OU class solid him on with respect to committing.
“Just coming in trying to compete for a national championship. That’s out number one goal as a class. We want to go out there and win a national championship. That’s our main focus.”
– On whether he will consider any other schools down the road.
“I’ve given my word to coach Stoops, and I’m going to honor that word. I’m going to take my official to Oklahoma but other I won’t be doing other visits. I’ve given my word, and my pops taught me to be a man of my word. So that’s what I’m going to do.”
106 Comments
Sounds like a good kid…one word that sticks out for me in describing him is “honor”, in regards to commitment.
Agreed, love seeing that from the young man
I like it that he says he’s a man of his word and that he made a promise. Some others will commit and say they are still talking and taking visits to other schools. Lots of respect for that.
Yes. Says it all – “I’ve given my word, and my pops taught me to be a man of my word. So that’s what I’m going to do.”
If he can be an early enrollee like being reported, he can grab that head start. Also means he counts against 16 – though we all know that the only number is 85 by summer.
While I do respect this kid for committing and saying he is done talking to other schools, it is really hard for me to blame 17-year old kids for wanting to see schools all over the country. They probably do not have many opportunities (whether it be financial, scheduling, etc.) to see these schools. It is easy for fans to sit back and say “If you commit, you should not talk to anyone else!”. These kids are getting a once in a lifetime opportunity to see other schools. In a perfect world, they would commit and not talk to anyone else at all, but that just isn’t how it works. Coaches will still call committed kids and try to convince them they made the wrong choice.
I would l still take the trips. They’re fun and paid for…if you’re solid in your commitment taking the trips won’t change your mind.
I agree 100%. Hard to knock kids for taking all expense paid trips to see some schools all over the country…
Right, that’s why when I see people saying, “why’s he visiting other schools, he shouldn’t”….I sit back and think…wouldn’t you??? Coaches already know whether you’re REALLY interested in their school or not, they have to honor the official visit regardless. Plus you get to take your parents on a little trip for free if you want.
dude for sure, an all-expenses paid trip to a part of the country you’ve never seen? Heck yeah. No reason to get up in arms over that.
He’ll have school, his football games, some HS friend stuff, AND he wants to make it to Norman in January – not so much time as some kids. Sounds like he is in tune with his decision and the work he needs to do.
When I was 17, I would’ve taken any freebee, but he sounds more mature than I was.
Yeah with early enrollees its obviously a little different. Most likely no time, just focus on finishing the season and school.
Not sure I would take all the trips because of all the “sales” pressure you have to endure at the other schools. Plus it eats away at precious time for an early enrollee.
You do all those things before you commit.
In a perfect world, yes. You can still know you are going to OU and look at other schools.
Yes i agree.
Though if youre looking around are you committed is my point.
Can you be committed to a girlfriend/wife and still look at other pretty girls?
Looking and seeing what they have to offer are 2 different things
How can you see what they have to offer if you don’t look…?
All I am saying is if you visit another school, it does not automatically mean you are reconsidering your commitment.
I just see it differently. Sure someone maybe just having fun. But seeing that other woman even if just to see its still checking to see if you want to decommit
I respect the way you see it, and truthfully wish recruits saw it the same way, I just don’t think they do.
The recruits may see it differently but it does not make it right. Graduating and going to college commences the transition for young adult to manhood and one of the first things one needs to learn is that a man is only as good as his word and a recruiting commitment is an ideal opportunity to start growing up. Unfortunately too many are still fickle kids.
I never said it was right. I prefer they committed and stayed committed. But I also think you are overlooking the fact that you are asking 17-18-year olds to make a huge decision and once it has been made, not second guess it at all.
That is not realistic whatsoever. I agree that this process should begin your transition from youth to adult; that doesn’t mean you are supposed to act completely adult-like from the moment recruiting starts.
No question not all 17-18 year old’s are going to make only adult decisions. But based on direction and expectations given by their parents it is not unrealistic to have expectations that they make mostly adult decision.
Unfortunately today’s culture expects kids to be only kids with little or no accountability. If you look a previous generations you see multitudes of 18 year old’s accepting the responsibility of being warriors in combat battle, raising families and being accountable.
If you expect kids to make bad decisions they mostly will. It you expect 18 year old’s to make mostly adult decisions and train them properly they mostly will. There will always be wayward youth but those are not the ones you want in your football program. The task at hand is to filter those out of your program. Their showing the maturity to make the right decision in the recruiting commitment process is merely one of the tools to be used when evaluating those prospects. Young men that can make better decisions will make better football players. It is a major part of the mental aspects of the game.
Do not mean to come off the wrong way (this is not a “gotcha” question), just curious. Do you think it is wrong for OU to flip or recruit guys that are committed to other programs?
Depends. If you are admiring or desiring.
I agree. If you are desiring another school, it would be ideal to decommit (similar to what Lamb did). If you are admiring, I see no issue with it.
I think girlfriend/wife is a bad analogy. Those are intimate relationships, and in the instance of the wife a lifetime commitment. We are talking about professional endeavors (whether the player goes to the League or gets a degree and enters the work force); the professional setting is a more apt analogy.
Honest question. If you accepted a job that started 1-3 years down the line, would you think it to be improper, unacceptable, disloyal or immoral to take other interviews just in case things do not work out? More food for thought. If you accept an offer for admission at K-State as a normal student and thereafter a recruiter at Harvard says, “I think you are Harvard material and I think I can get you admitted with financial aid,” are you saying that you do not at least take a campus visit? If your son or daughter were in that situation, would you honestly tell them they were not a person of character if they took a visit to Harvard?
To be clear, I want all of our commits to remain committed and do great things at OU, but sometimes the broad, categorical statements seem to ignore a lot of real life considerations.
I am confused by your statement, it seems like you agree with me…
Sorry, I was using the royal “you” in the second part above. Did not mean to disagree with your point, was only trying to point out that the student/school relationship is even less personal than your girlfriend/wife analogy.
I agree, was trying to come up with a situation similar. Workplace would have worked better, like you suggested.
Yep. Recruiting is a game, so I can’t really fault the kids for “playing it” if the coaches are too. Maybe some coaches play it less than others, but we hear annually that OU has offered kids but that the offer may not be “commitable” until something happens down the road. Or kids getting offered early, only to have that offer pulled when they don’t progress as expected.
And things change. That’s like saying once you get married there is nothing at all that could cause you to ever get divorced, b/c you made a commitment to God. Stuff changes. Coaches leave. Coaches get hired at new schools. Interests/personality changes.
Recruiting is not a game, it is a business and should be approached as such. The kids who get it are ahead of the ones who play it as a game.
mutually exclusive. If they desire to visit other schools, then great!
If they desire to commit and build a strong team to work with, then great!
Just don’t do the second until after the first. Understand your word should mean something
Again, I think in a perfect world, I agree with you. However, that is just not how it works. Guys like Murray are the exception, not the rule. You can be a die-hard OU guy, have known you wanted to go there since you were 10. But seeing Alabama, Michigan, UCLA, etc. would still be pretty cool. It won’t change your opinion on OU, but you get to see all these other schools.
I do not have a problem with a player committing and evaluating for a contingency plan in the event something unforeseen happens. Unfortunately, you have to deal with the real world. Baylor happens. Coordinators leave and replacement coaches/coordinators come in with schemes that do not fit your skill. It happens. As far as I know OU does not do it, but schools cool on kids (that is what happened to Orlando Brown and he was left scrambling at the last minute). It happens. A commitment is not a suicide pact. Just my opinion, but there is nothing mutually exclusive about selecting a No. 1 and evaluating a No. 2, a No. 3 etc. You can completely honor your word to your No. 1 school and determine which school is your second choice, your third choice, etc.
Your evaluation should be done before your commitment and you have until the first Wednesday in February after your senior season to make that evaluation. In fact many top national candidates never commit but instead sign the LOI on signing day waiting until the last minute to finalize their evaluation.
Perhaps once upon a time. Quite honestly, it is highly unlikely that Mr. Murray’s spot would have been open on signing day. Coaches have made that clear repeatedly; K. Cooks: “You better reserve your spot now, if you wait it will be gone!” In this class, I think only maybe Okudah, Hines and Marvin Wilson can do what you are suggesting . . . . maybe. Recruiting has evolved. Casey Thompson is Class 2018. Supposedly, he is evaluating (as you suggest). Does he have an acceptable offer? I dunno, but that does not appear to be the case.
Absolutely correct. A commitment is one of the first really exposures a recruit gets to experience the transition from being a young adult to a man. Great opportunity to learn the old axiom “a man is only as good as his word”. To commit too early and change your mind is the manifest fickleness of your youth.
So a 17-year old is expected to act completely like an adult and have no screw-ups when they commit? I mean, c’mon man. That is insane. It is a chance for them to learn and grow, no doubt. Hopefully even become more of a man like you say. But to expect them to not act completely grown-up at 17 or 18 is completely out of touch.
No doubt. Like I always tell the misses, it doesn’t matter where you get your appetite, what matters is that you come home to eat!
I don’t blame them at all. I also don’t blame them for flipping. OU has been the beneficiary of that as much as the victim.
When it gets down to the end, though, then I start to have a problem. If you’re flipping around up through December even, fine–it’s part of the game. But get into January? Games need to stop because it could leave a school short-handed, or keep a kid from getting an offer he really wants until it’s too late. And I really have a hard time with signing-day flips. I feel if you get to January and you really don’t know, the honorable thing to do is decommit and let everyone who’s in the running know where things stand.
This also ignores the other side of that–coaches like Harbaugh and Saban who rescind offers from committed players even near NSD. So it’s hard to put too much blame on the players when the coaches, who should have integrity and know better, are playing the game too (at least some of them).
Personally, I would never “blame” a prospect for taking other visits, I do believe that its part of the game. However, when one comes along with his stated attitude/position, well, I just think it’s refreshing and deserving of respect. BOOMER!
I 100% agree. It is very nice to hear a kid say he is committed and will not be looking around. Hopefully he can work on some of those other Houston kids for the class. SOONER!
Sounds like a really good kid, glad we got him.
??????? yes good pick up
A kid that understands commitment
Again, many thanks to Eric for this. Sooners got themselves a good one in Murray.
What’s up, Super K?
You don’t call. You don’t write. LOL!
haha I’ve been chiming in here and there 🙂
You take care. I hope things are going the way you planned.
He tweets Texsa OP’s all the time! We need more OP’s for the good guys! 🙂
He has gone full Shorthorn!
<<b:i. ★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★:::::::!!bu30a:….,….
“I’ve given my word to coach Stoops, and I’m going to honor that word. I’m going to take my official to Oklahoma but other I won’t be doing other visits. I’ve given my word, and my pops taught me to be a man of my word. So that’s what I’m going to do.”
In other words, he knows the meaning of commitment. I like this kid.
Bingo.
Sounds like a great character guy. I hope he comes in ready to work and leaves Norman a Sooner legend.
Sounds like the young kid that knows what he wants and when he found it he knew where he wanted to be. A whole lot different than me when I was his age. Huge respect.
I like how he values the honor of his word. Definitely refreshing to hear that.
Based on Oklahoma247Sports Recruit offers, I’ve made a list of what appear to be our best chance for closing the #SoonerSquad17 recruiting. I think I had read that there might be 26 in this class. If that’s true, with 18 already committed, there’s only room for 8 more. Whom do you guys think are the most likely to be the final 8:
WR: Manning, Lewis
OT: Ealy, Filiaga
DE: Chaisson, Gumbs
DT: Wilson, Rogers, Watts, Cunliffe
ILB: Hines, Phillips
CB: Okudah
I think from this list I could realistically see us getting Manning, Chaisson, Watts, and Hines. I feel like Okudah will come down to the Ohio State game. I would also love to add Rogers but we’ll see.
Manning-although lots of Texas talk right now
Ealy
Chaisson
Rogers(50/50 with USC), Watts
Hines
Okudah 50/50 with ohio state
And probably 1 3 star we haven’t offered yet and a surprise-a la Mikel Jones last year
K reported that OU might have bascked off of Watts.
From everything I am hearing, Tramonda will be in this Class too, and and early enrollee. I would take him at tackle over Ealy or Filiaga and close out the line commits. That said, I have seen reports that we might take 1 or 2 more on the O line so one of those two and Tramonda could happen.
Didn’t somebody post a tweet about Tramonda passing some class that he needed and alluded to joining the Sooners? Or am I dreaming?
Had a good conversation with poster Bob Edwards yesterday, who ran Tramonda down at Independence Community College.
http://www.indycc.edu/football
As you can see, Tramonda is featured everywhere. I am still not 100% clear on Tramonda situation, but Bob pointed out that IF all Tramonda needed to qualify was some class work he could get that completed this semester and transfer after the end of the semester and be an early enrollee for 2017. If he doesn’t meet the NCAA qualifier standards then he has to finish his associates at the JUCO in order to be eligible for D1.
Ah, ok. Yeah, I’m confused by whole situation. Hope he can work it out and join up in the next semester.
I am too. In fact, Bob shared with me what he knew because I was looking for some clarity on Tramonda’s situation. He did start off by admitting, though, that the matter was a complicated one.
Lewis , Chaisson , Rodgers and Cunliffe , Hines , Phillips , Okudah and Graham.
Hard not to be impressed with the kid. As others have pointed out below, seeing him talk about honoring the commitment is fantastic.
Love seeing more stuff on SS17. They know what they want and they know to get more recruits with them to get it
Who would not want to be a part of this!!? Look at the happiness and bond they already are feeling.
Love this
This is nice to see: Murray, on his commitment:
“I’ve given my word to coach Stoops, and I’m going to honor that word. I’m going to take my official to Oklahoma but other I won’t be doing other visits. I’ve given my word, and my pops taught me to be a man of my word. So that’s what I’m going to do.”
evidence of a good family with good values. Always a great key to what can be expected.
I thought the same thing. Would not knock him if he wanted to take (or even took) other visits, but this shows a level of focus and maturity that is rare.
He took unofficials to aTm, Texas and OU. Attended Ole Miss camp.
http://247sports.com/Player/Kenneth-Murray-81149
Wow. Impressed by this young man’s attitude and confidence in his decision. Sounds like he’s been raised right and has good character. Excited to get him on board OUr squad.
Love this kid already. Seems to have his head on straight, loyal and a hard worker. Wouldn’t be surprised to see him develop into a solid Sooner. Im rooting for him
Draper to Murray:
https://twitter.com/Ldraper_10/status/763410117643481088
It is so great to have these good, quality, families join our Sooner family.
That is particularly good to have a recruit classmate at the same position congratulate another – LB to LB. Compete, but be teammates – BEST outcome.
Seems like a stand up young man. Happy he’s a sooner.
Through and through. Love it.
Sounds like he has a real role model for a father. Someone you can throw your chest out and say “that’s my dad”!!!
Yeah it does. I assume Mom too.
“My conversation with the Man upstairs…I asked God, ‘lead me in the right direction’…I just knew in my heart. I came to peace with my decision.”
Proves it:
Queue the easily offended.
This kid get’s it.
Yes, very simply put.
BOOM! I think Mr. Murray’s star ranking is low and more importantly he appears to be a high character kid. With good parental units who taught him the value of being a man of his word. Coach Kish should be fired immediately!!! /s
Yes,Fire Kish!
Sounds like a good kid with his head on straight. Cant have too many of those kinds of players.
Refreshing…Welcome to BOOM town youngin’!!!
Nice job Pops – you’ve done well!
Has followed OU since he was a youngster and describes it as literally a dream come true to play for OU but a ‘dream’ he has fulfilled thrOUgh a lot of hard work and dedication. You never know, like I really thought Bandy would stay solid to OU and Daniels Bday commit last season. Long way ’till signing day but I think Murray is one kid that stays solid even if he did take a couple of officials. Unlike Daniels, Murray had that ugly orange hat on the table in front of him if he really wanted to put it on his head this morning.
“A man of my word”, what a refreshing comment by a young man these days. Your Pops taught you well Mr. Murray, I’d love to meet and shake your fathers hand. With so many distractions in our world for young men like yourself, you set yourself apart from them with this wonderful attitude. Coach Stoops is going to love you for it. BOOMER SOONER!
“The “reward” for hard work preformed well in the past, is more hard work in the future”.
“A man of my word”, what a refreshing comment by a young man these days. Your Pops taught you well Mr. Murray, I’d love to meet and shake your fathers hand. With so many distractions in our world for young men like yourself, you set yourself apart from them with this wonderful attitude. Coach Stoops is going to love you for it. BOOMER SOONER!
“The “reward” for hard work preformed well in the past, is more hard work in the future”.
The same people praising his commitment and sticking to his word would also be perfectly OK with a kid flipping his commitment to OU. Don’t praise him sticking to his word, when if r committed elsewhere, you’d be OK with him flipping to us.
Well, I’ve already admitted to that double standard previously. I’m thrilled when some guy we want flips to OUr side (Creed), but I still admire OUr commits who stick with us through signing day. Sorry, it’s a just a character flaw of mine. Boomer!
I’m right there with you Slim.
I do not think it is a double standard to want to keep our recruits and get others’. It is a competitive process. I want our offense to score, but not theirs’. That is not a double standard. That is competition. Ha! There does seem to be an inconsistency, however, when we praise flips to the good guys, but think it is a MORAL or CHARACTER issue if one of our commits takes a visit, let alone flips.
The recruits only have so much time and have never really had to make such important decisions in their lives at such a young age. To have a recruit make a decision and proclaim that he is sticking with it is certainly noteworthy since it isn’t the norm nowadays. And you criticize this? He can do whatever he wants and I will accept it. But you? You degrade the whole process. Loser.
Yup. I admire kids who recognize the error of their ways and change their minds and commit to the good guys.
Charlie be saying
I like this kid. Regardless of football skills. Good to know his skills are top notch too.
Training day, IFC on now
Waiting to hear a live Boom!
I may be addicted to Booms…
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