Article on OU recruit Brandon Crow

In the sleepy, southwestern town of Comanche, Brandon Crow might as well be Tom Cruise.When he walks down the street, people can’t help but stare. At 6-foot-2 and 210 pounds, Crow seems larger than life, literally and figuratively. It seems like every person in the town of 2,500 knows his name.

Crow is a celebrity. But according to his coach, Crow would be the last one to admit it.

“He doesn’t want people to feel awed by him,” Comanche football coach Brent Clark said. “But he is important to this community. To sum it all up, he’s the kind of kid that every parent wants their son to turn out like.”

Crow is one of 11 scholar-athletes who will be honored tonight during the Oklahoma Chapter National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame banquet at the Kerr-McGee Stadium Club in the Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.

The senior fullback/linebacker signed to play at Oklahoma in the fall, becoming only the second Comanche player ever to receive a football scholarship from the Sooners. Former All-American center Mickey Johnson was the first, playing for Oklahoma from 1956-58.

That’s an awfully big accomplishment for a kid from an awfully small hometown.

“I don’t want to let anybody down when I get (to Norman),” Crow said. “I’m ready to go up there and do something good. I want to keep up on the field and the classroom.”

Clark said: “For him to come from small-town Oklahoma and play for the Sooners when they have the pick of the litter nationwide, he had to be perfect. And he is.”

Crow led the Indians in tackles in each of his four years.

“I know people will question him being a 2A player at OU, but he’s going to surprise a lot of people,” Clark said.

During his career with Comanche, Crow not only led his team on the field, he provided leadership outside the lines as well. He will graduate No. 1 in his class with a 3.97 GPA and is vice president of the nationally ranked Comanche Future Farmers of America.

He also helped transition the Comanche football program last fall, when Clark was thrust into the head coaching job late in the offseason.

“(Crow) simplified things for me,” Clark said. “He gave me a comfort zone. As a first-year head coach, there were some things that I had to get through. Brandon allowed me to do that. He knew our defense better than I did. He could have called the plays for us.”

Clark said he hopes Crow will take his big game to the big time. But more than his successes on the field, Clark wants to hear about Crow’s growing celebrity as a leader at the next level. Even if Crow himself doesn’t solicit such.

“If you could draw a kid to play in your football program, or be at your school, Brandon Crow would be what you would create,” Clark said. “He’s the true definition of a leader. Even if he wasn’t going to Oklahoma, he’d be a hero.”

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