Oklahoma DB Lands National Award

By OU Media Relations

University of Oklahoma defensive back Billy Bowman was named the Jim Thorpe Award National Defensive Back of the Week after his game-changing performance in OU’s 31-24 win at BYU on Saturday, the Jim Thorpe Award announced Wednesday.

Bowman returned an interception 100 yards for a touchdown and registered nine tackles, including one for a loss. His interception came on a third-quarter first-and-goal play from the 2-yard line with the game tied at 17. It was the third 100-yard interception return in program history and OU's first since 2014. The interception was Bowman’s fifth of the season, tied for the most in the Big 12 and tied for second most nationally. It was his second interception returned for a TD this season (also had a 44-yarder vs. Iowa State), tied for the most in the country. His nine tackles against BYU marked his second-most of the year.

The junior safety from Denton, TX, leads the nation with his 193 interception return yards this season (the next most is 167 yards). Bowman’s interception yards are already the second most in OU single-season history. The record is 232 by College Football Hall of Famer Rickey Dixon in 1987 on nine picks.

Bowman ranks fourth on the team this season with 52 total tackles. His five interceptions and 3.0 tackles for loss are career highs, and he has been credited with four pass breakups.

This is Bowman’s first career national weekly award and Oklahoma’s first Thorpe Award National DB of the Week this season. He is the sixth different Sooner to win a national weekly award this season (totaling nine national weekly awards).

Redshirt senior quarterback Dillon Gabriel was named the Davey O’Brien National QB of the Week twice (Oct. 10 and Nov. 14), the Maxwell Award Player of the Week (Oct. 10) and the Walter Camp National Offensive Player of the Week (Oct. 10). Junior linebacker Danny Stutsman was named the Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week (Sept. 10), junior wide receiver Jalil Farooq was named the Paul Hornung Award Player of the Week (Oct. 10) and Walter Rouse was named the Outland Trophy Player of the Week (Oct. 10). Head coach Brent Venables was also named the Dodd Trophy Coach of the Week on Oct. 9.

No. 13-ranked Oklahoma (9-2, 6-2 Big 12) plays its final Big 12 regular season game on Friday when the Sooners host TCU (5-6, 3-5 Big 12). Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. and the game will be televised by FOX.

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