Jamelle Holieway

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Jamelle Holieway is a former quarterback for the Oklahoma Sooners football team from 1985 to 1988. He is regarded by many to be one of the greatest option-running quarterbacks in NCAA Division I-A history. Taking the place of Troy Aikman in his freshman year, Holieway led the Sooners to a 11-1-0 record under Coach Barry Switzer, eventually winning the 1986 Orange Bowl to the Penn State Nittany Lions, which was the national championship game. Holieway threw a 71-yard touchdown pass in that game to All-American tight end Keith Jackson (football player). Holieway remains to be the first and only (to date) true freshman quarterback to lead his team to a national championship victory.

Jamelle Holieway would injure his leg in a game versus the Oklahoma State Cowboys on November 7, 1987. The injury was due to the hard surface of Astroturf on Owen Field. Though Holieway would come back to play the following season, he was limited to action and would reinjure the leg on September 24 versus the USC Trojans.

Jamelle Holieway would finish his career with 2,713 yards rushing on 539 attempts (an average of 5.0 yards per carry) with 32 touchdowns. Through the air, Holieway threw 257 times, completing 117 passes for 2,430 yards with 22 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. His passing efficiency rating was 141.5. These statistics were accomplished by Holieway in 39 games.^[1]