• last year
Oklahoma Sooners RB Chapman McKown interview
Transcript
00:00 >> So what was that moment like for you as you dive into the end zone?
00:05 >> It was definitely a special moment, seeing all my teammates celebrate me and
00:10 just it's just been quite the process coming off the injury from last season.
00:16 Having the red shirt and everything and just trusting in the Lord's plans for me
00:19 and really having a great opportunity there at the end.
00:22 Coach Jones came up to me, said, we're gonna give you the ball here,
00:25 we want you to go in the game.
00:26 And I was just like, you can trust me.
00:30 I saw the outside, I saw the VN get kinda pinched in.
00:33 I figured I could bounce it outside and beat him with my speed and
00:36 that's what I did.
00:37 And man, just God is so good, I'm so thankful.
00:40 And what a great team to be surrounded by that wants to celebrate me like that.
00:44 >> Just to see the team react that way,
00:46 what was that like when you saw the ball kinda rushing towards you?
00:50 >> It was definitely special.
00:52 Like, I've been on a lot of teams in my life.
00:55 Never any teams that are this close.
00:57 Every single one of them, very special to me.
00:59 I love those guys.
01:00 Very, just an incredible moment to be able to celebrate with them.
01:05 It wasn't really about me, just celebrating as a team.
01:08 Really about a successful spring and just taking it all in at once was amazing.
01:14 >> When did you tear the ACL or wreck the knee?
01:18 >> So I tweaked my NPFL.
01:22 I had NPFL reconstruction, same thing DeMarco Murray had, my coach.
01:27 So he kinda talked me into getting the surgery.
01:28 I did it last day of fall camp and I also did spring ball.
01:32 So they decided to do the surgery on me the day before the Arkansas State game.
01:37 And so the rehab for that was pretty difficult.
01:41 A big grind for sure.
01:43 Like I said, just trusting in the Lord.
01:45 And I put in so much work in the rehab to where I was really able to just have
01:50 the utmost amount of confidence going into this spring.
01:52 Like I had, not once did I think that I had a surgery or was injured.
01:57 I was just able to play free because I put in the work.
02:00 >> When did you get fully cleared to do whatever?
02:03 >> I got fully cleared mid-February.
02:05 Really right on time.
02:08 Maybe a little ahead of schedule, I'm not really sure.
02:11 But I definitely worked my tail off to get there.
02:13 So being back for the coaching stations was when I came back with Coach Schmidty.
02:18 And it was a blessing because that's where everybody gets gritty, gets tough.
02:22 And I wanna be there with my teammates and kinda go through that with them.
02:25 I don't wanna miss out on that and then just be here for spring ball.
02:28 So being back for that was big for me.
02:30 And it was kinda my goal since I got hurt in fall camp was to be back for
02:34 the coaching station.
02:35 So I'm glad I could.
02:36 >> Being from Norman, was that kind of a surreal moment,
02:39 getting into the end zone here at the stadium?
02:42 >> It definitely was.
02:43 The whole game, I'm just thinking, I knew I was gonna get my time.
02:48 And I knew coach was gonna put the ball in my hands eventually.
02:51 And I really just wanted to prove a lot of people right.
02:54 A lot of people believed in me from this town and told me that I could do it.
02:58 And they were all coming to support me.
02:59 And the whole game, I'm gonna make y'all proud whenever I get the ball in my hands.
03:03 And as soon as I saw the edge get sealed, I'm like, all right, let's do it.
03:07 And just as soon as I scored, just flooded with emotion,
03:11 just flooded with excitement.
03:12 And really, once again, just blessed that the Lord gave me that opportunity,
03:16 gave me a team that wanted to support me like that.
03:19 And allowed the whole line to pick up an amazing block for me.
03:22 >> Who all was here to watch you today?
03:24 >> Do what? >> Who all was here to watch you today?
03:25 >> Today I had grandparents, cousins, friends from my high school.
03:32 Really just the whole community, they had all texted me that they were gonna come.
03:39 Family from Ada, from McAllister,
03:45 all across Oklahoma really just wanted to come support me.
03:48 And the whole game, I just wanted to make them proud.
03:50 And I was just grateful that I finally had the opportunity to do so.
03:54 >> And being underneath the crowd, you mentioned the family and everything,
03:57 and kind of being around it.
03:59 Did it live up to the hype that maybe you envisioned at all?
04:01 Or was it kind of different?
04:03 >> It's crazy.
04:05 I've been on a lot of big stages in my life because of wrestling.
04:08 I've competed on stages in front of people, in front of massive amounts of crowds.
04:13 But that was something special, being out on that field today.
04:17 I haven't seen, and of course, it's gonna be way more packed game one.
04:21 It's gonna be 80,000, 85,000 strong.
04:24 But having all those people there, a bunch of people that believe in the brand,
04:31 believe in the Sooners, it's so special.
04:34 Every time you step on that field, it's just, I just took it all in when I ran out
04:38 there, I'm so grateful that I'm just healthy, that I was able to play.
04:42 Once again, I'm thankful that God put me in that position.
04:46 Really, really a surreal moment.
04:47 But like I said, I've been in the situations before, and
04:50 I know when the lights come on that I can perform.
04:52 And that's something that God blessed me with.
04:54 I'm thankful for Him for doing that.
04:56 And so I felt pretty good about the end when they wanted to put the ball in my
05:00 hands.
05:01 [BLANK_AUDIO]