Jamelle Holieway
Encyclopedia
Jamelle Holieway is a former quarterback
for the Oklahoma Sooners football
team from 1985 to 1988. He is considered one of the greatest option quarterbacks in NCAA Division I-A history. Highly recruited from Banning High School
under longtime head coach Chris Ferragamo, Holieway attracted interest from a swarm of schools. Oklahoma, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Colorado, and Oregon and USC came after Holieway. His decision to play for the Sooners came at the last minute, as he had a three-year old sister that he didn't want to leave behind. At a nearby mall in Carson, a recruiter from the University of Oregon was standing by hoping Holieway had decided not to go to Oklahoma. He had planned to join the Ducks, who got a commitment from his high school teammate Brett Young.
At Oklahoma, he took over for an injured Troy Aikman
in his freshman year and led the Sooners to a 11-1-0 record under Coach Barry Switzer
and the 1986 Orange Bowl against the Penn State Nittany Lions for the national championship. Holieway threw a 71-yard touchdown pass in that game to All-American tight end Keith Jackson. Holieway remains the only true freshman quarterback to lead his team to the national title.
Holieway tore the Anterior Cruciate Ligament
(ACL) in his left knee in a game versus the Oklahoma State Cowboys
on November 7, 1987. Holieway was running an option-play to the left and turned to cut up field. His left knee got caught in the Astroturf
on Owen Field. He underwent reconstructive knee surgery shortly after the injury, and rehabilitated in the offseason. Though he came back to play the following season, he saw limited action and reinjured the leg on October 8, 1988 versus the Texas Longhorns.
The injury plagued Holieway for the remainder of the '88 season, and he eventually lost his starting job to Charles Thompson. Thompson, however, broke his leg on the final play of the Nebraska game on November 19, 1988, so Holieway became the starter again for the Citrus Bowl vs. Clemson, in a 13-6 loss on January 2, 1989.
Holieway finished his Sooner career with 2,713 yards rushing on 539 attempts (an average of 5.0 yards per carry) and 32 touchdowns. Through the air, he threw 257 times, completing 117 passes for 2,430 yards with 22 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. His passing efficiency rating was 141.5 over 39 collegiate games.
Jamelle Holieway played professionally for the National Football League
's Los Angeles Raiders
(1989-1990) and the Canadian Football League
's British Columbia Lions
(1991-1992)
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
for the Oklahoma Sooners football
Oklahoma Sooners football
The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
team from 1985 to 1988. He is considered one of the greatest option quarterbacks in NCAA Division I-A history. Highly recruited from Banning High School
Banning High School
Phineas Banning High School is located in the Wilmington neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, United States, and is a part of the Los Angeles Unified School District.- History :...
under longtime head coach Chris Ferragamo, Holieway attracted interest from a swarm of schools. Oklahoma, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Colorado, and Oregon and USC came after Holieway. His decision to play for the Sooners came at the last minute, as he had a three-year old sister that he didn't want to leave behind. At a nearby mall in Carson, a recruiter from the University of Oregon was standing by hoping Holieway had decided not to go to Oklahoma. He had planned to join the Ducks, who got a commitment from his high school teammate Brett Young.
At Oklahoma, he took over for an injured Troy Aikman
Troy Aikman
Troy Kenneth Aikman is a former American football quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys in the National Football League. The number one overall draft pick in 1989, Aikman played twelve consecutive seasons as quarterback with the Cowboys...
in his freshman year and led the Sooners to a 11-1-0 record under Coach Barry Switzer
Barry Switzer
Barry Switzer is a former football coach, active in the college and professional ranks between 1962 and 1997. He has one of the highest winning percentages of any college football coach in history, and is one of only two head coaches to win both a college football national championship and a...
and the 1986 Orange Bowl against the Penn State Nittany Lions for the national championship. Holieway threw a 71-yard touchdown pass in that game to All-American tight end Keith Jackson. Holieway remains the only true freshman quarterback to lead his team to the national title.
Holieway tore the Anterior Cruciate Ligament
Anterior cruciate ligament
The anterior cruciate ligament is a cruciate ligament which is one of the four major ligaments of the human knee. In the quadruped stifle , based on its anatomical position, it is referred to as the cranial cruciate ligament.The ACL originates from deep within the notch of the distal femur...
(ACL) in his left knee in a game versus the Oklahoma State Cowboys
Oklahoma State Cowboys
Oklahoma State Cowboys are the athletic teams that represent Oklahoma State University. Their mascot is a cowboy named Pistol Pete. Oklahoma State participates in the NCAA's Division I-A and in the Big 12 Conference's South Division. The university's current athletic director is Mike Holder...
on November 7, 1987. Holieway was running an option-play to the left and turned to cut up field. His left knee got caught in the Astroturf
AstroTurf
AstroTurf is a brand of artificial turf. Although the term is a registered trademark, it is sometimes used as a generic description of any kind of artificial turf. The original AstroTurf product was a short pile synthetic turf while the current products incorporate modern features such as...
on Owen Field. He underwent reconstructive knee surgery shortly after the injury, and rehabilitated in the offseason. Though he came back to play the following season, he saw limited action and reinjured the leg on October 8, 1988 versus the Texas Longhorns.
The injury plagued Holieway for the remainder of the '88 season, and he eventually lost his starting job to Charles Thompson. Thompson, however, broke his leg on the final play of the Nebraska game on November 19, 1988, so Holieway became the starter again for the Citrus Bowl vs. Clemson, in a 13-6 loss on January 2, 1989.
Holieway finished his Sooner career with 2,713 yards rushing on 539 attempts (an average of 5.0 yards per carry) and 32 touchdowns. Through the air, he threw 257 times, completing 117 passes for 2,430 yards with 22 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. His passing efficiency rating was 141.5 over 39 collegiate games.
Jamelle Holieway played professionally for the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
's Los Angeles Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
(1989-1990) and the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
's British Columbia Lions
British Columbia Lions
The BC Lions are a professional Canadian football team competing in the West Division of Canadian Football League . Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, the Lions play their home games at BC Place Stadium in Downtown Vancouver, having previously played at Empire Stadium in East Vancouver from 1954...
(1991-1992)