Sooners Honoring Linebacker By Wearing #12

The Oklahoma Sooners will be honoring the late linebacker Austin Box this season by allowing a different defensive player to wear his #12 jersey for each game. Defensive coordinator Brent Venables, Box's former position coach, said...

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"I think it's a neat way to help (parents) Craig and Gail and their family. I think when you lose somebody tragically ... or a family member, I think one of the things we fear the most is people forgetting and just kind of sweeping it under the rug," "It happens. That's just the way it is. It kind of stinks."..."But I think that particularly being on the stage that Austin was, I'm sure it's incredibly difficult for them, particularly when the season's now back upon us,"

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Starting QB Landry Jones currently wears #12 and asked Boxes parents for permission to keep it.

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"Talking with the Boxes, they gave me the blessing of wearing it, and it's just an honor to be in Austin's company and know he's looking down on me,"... "Whenever I'm feeling weak or tired, I kind of call on him and remember the way he played the game."

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Coach Bob Stoops said the team will announce each Friday who will wear Box's jersey for the upcoming game.