Kyler Murray opens up on gesture by new Cardinals staff at Oklahoma statue unveiling
It is not easy to have statue of oneself put up next to Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla. There is only one prerequisite — but it is a tall task.
To earn a statue, one must win the Heisman Trophy for Oklahoma.
Seven players have done that with Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray becoming the latest one to do it in 2018 and latest one to get a statue.
He finally got his statue unveiled on campus earlier this year in April. In attendance that day were new Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon and general manager Monti Ossenfort.
Murray said on the latest episode of the organization’s series Cardinals Flight Plan that it was a big deal for the new faces to come out to Norma for the ceremony was a big deal.
“Just having them there, the support off rip, they’ve only been in the building for maybe a month or so,” Murray said, via ArizonaSports.com.
“For them to fly out to Norman in the middle of nowhere during the draft process to come see me and my statue get put up, that was a big deal.”
Kyler Murray has one of seven statues in Oklahoma’s Heisman Park
Heisman Park now has statues of all the program’s Heisman Trophy winners: 1952 winner Billy Vessels, 1969 winner Steve Owens, 1978 winner Billy Sims, 2003 winner Jason White, 2008 winner Sam Bradford, 2017 winner Baker Mayfield and Murray.
Mayfield’s statue was unveiled last year in 2022.
Murray totaled over 5,000 yards of offense during his senior season in 2018 to win the Heisman. He threw for 4,361 passing yards and rushed for another 1,001 yards. He tossed 42 touchdowns and ran in another 12.
He beat out Tua Tagovailoa and Dwayne Haskins for the trophy.
Murray is currently recovering from ACL tear as he enters a new, more uncharted territory of his career. He was under criticism both internally and externally for his play and leadership in 2022 prior to the injury.
Former general manager Steve Keim admitted in April that there is still growing that needs to be done by Murray.
“He still needs to grow,” Keim said on the Green Light with Chris Long. “(Beachum’s comments are) not slanted toward (Murray’s) character. He’s not a bad guy. He’s a good kid, has a good smile, has a nice way about him. I think it’s like anything: Guys have to continue to learn what it’s going to take to be great. Does he know what Tom Brady and Peyton Manning know of what it takes to be great? No.
“Does he work? He does work. I think it’s just that side of the game — the film study, the attention to detail part that he can continue to improve upon, and I think he will. Kyler’s a proud guy, man. He doesn’t want to lose and he doesn’t want to let people down.”