End of an era for Oklahoma football as Drake Stoops plays last game as a Sooner

The 2023 Valero Alamo Bowl will end an era for the Oklahoma Sooners football program: having a Stoops on the sideline.

However, like father like son, the love for Oklahoma football is a family affair. Drake Stoops, also known as 'Bob's Boy,' is the son of Bob Stoops, a coach who holds the record for the most wins in Oklahoma's history. Despite receiving scholarship offers from Air Force, Iowa, Memphis, Ohio, and Western Kentucky, Drake chose to begin his college football career as a walk-on for the Sooners in 2018.

Drake Stoops career at Oklahoma

Football is a staple and runs in the Stoops veins, and Drake didn't stay in his father's shadow for too long.

During the 2018 season opener against Florida Atlantic, Stoops caught two passes for 16 yards in his first game as a true freshman walk-on for the Sooners, making Stoops the first walk-on to record a catch in a season opener.

In 2019, Stoops played in all games as a reserve receiver and punt returner. He recorded eight receptions for 95 yards.

Stoops was celebrated and awarded an athletics scholarship on the field right after the Sooners 2021 spring game, making it clear that he earned his right to wear the Oklahoma uniform.

During the final season for Stoops in 2023, he started 12 games and finished the regular season with 78 receptions for 880 yards and 10 touchdowns. Stoops played a critical role in helping the Sooners find the end zone. Stoops was also one of the three finalists for the prestigious Burlsworth Trophy, which recognizes the most outstanding football player who began their career as a walk-on.

Now Drake Stoops will suit up in the Sooners’ Crimson and Cream for the final time in the 2023 Valero Alamo Bowl and then shift his focus to the NFL draft as his next endeavor.

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Bob Stoops’ legacy at Oklahoma

Bob Stoops arrived to help rebuild an Oklahoma program that had not had a winning record for five years before Stoops took over in 1999. In Stoops’ first year as head coach, the Sooners won seven games and made their first bowl appearance since the 1994 season. Stoops led the Oklahoma Sooners to a record of 191-48 over his 18-year tenure.

Stoops is the only coach in history to win a national championship, and all four BCS bowl games. His career at Oklahoma ended when Stoops retired in 2016. He is a two-time national coach of the year and six-time Big 12 Coach of the Year.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Drake Stoops' Alamo Bowl game ends Stoops era for Oklahoma Sooners