National | Native American tribes look up to pair of Sooners

By: Didier Morais

Posted: 11/13/08

Sports heroes have been difficult to come across in the Native American communities of Oklahoma. Rarely have children had the chance to watch someone of their ethnicity, let alone tribe, receive praise for excelling in a nationally recognized sport.

But now, two players from the Oklahoma football team have given these disadvantaged tribal communities a reason to cheer each Saturday. That's because quarterback Sam Bradford and long snapper Derek Shaw, both of American Indian descent, have developed into reliable contributors for the No. 5 Sooners.

Bradford is a descendant of the Cherokee tribe and Shaw is a member of the Osage and Ponca tribes. They have cheerfully embraced their roles as ambassadors of the underrepresented Native American community and wish to set a precedent for others counterparts

"Around here, Native American people don't have role models, per se, to look up to from their own race or their own tribe," Shaw said. "So at first, it was kind of overwhelming, but the older I got the more I accepted the role. As far as me and Sam go, I think we are trying to be a real inspiration to them and show them they can do whatever they want to do."

So far, they have both proved to be exemplary role models on the field.

After walking onto the team during his freshman year, Shaw immediately won the starting job as long snapper, received a full scholarship from head coach Bob Stoops, and was awarded with the Derrick Sheppard Most Inspirational Walk-on Award by the OU coaching staff.

As for Bradford, he has played exceptionally well in his sophomore campaign and has already drawn several comparisons to some of college football's finest quarterbacks. In seven games, he has passed for 3,406 yards and 38 touchdowns, and could be a candidate to win the Heisman Trophy at the end of the season.

His stellar playing has earned him a colossal following within the Native American population. Not an official member of the Cherokee Nation, Bradford's lineage derived from his great-great-grandmother Susie Walkingstick, who was a full-blooded Cherokee.

Despite his unique Native American background, Bradford recently revealed that it took him until college to fully grasp an appreciation for his family's heritage.

"It was never really a huge part of my life growing up," Bradford said in an interview with Rivals.com. "My parents didn't talk to me a lot about it when I was younger. When I got to OU, I heard it was inspirational. But I probably haven't embraced it as much as I'd like to."

Unlike Bradford, Shaw discovered his Osage and Ponca culture early on. By age three, Shaw was already involved with the Osages' traditional rituals. He learned the cultural dances and ultimately joined the Grayhorse In-Lon-Schka Dance Committee.

It has proven to be an enormous commitment for Shaw. Despite the Sooners' hectic off-season workouts, he makes it a point to attend the annual In-Lon-Schka dance. Each summer, he rejoins his dance troupe in June, performs in the three-weekend tribal ceremony and relishes the edifying atmosphere.

"I really like to stay in touch with the cultural aspect," Shaw said. "At the dances, you participate and get to see everyone again. Tribe is definitely a big deal. No matter where I am in the
country, I always try to make it back for those three weekends."

When they're not training with their team, Bradford and Shaw travel to local Native American communities and schools as guest speakers. There, they mentor the youth and advise them on their prospective college plans.

But that doesn't mean they don't have time to talk football. Both Sooners are constantly sought out by children asking for autographs and pictures.

For most children, the jubilation from meeting Bradford and Shaw is a temporary distraction from a life ravaged by turmoil. The Native American adolescent population has been one of the most afflicted groups in the United States.

Dr. Dolores Subia BigFoot, the director of Indian Country Child Trauma Center on Child Abuse and Neglect in Oklahoma City, has studied the youths' deficient upbringing for years and has worked with kids who have been decimated by social problems such as substance abuse, child abuse, learning disabilities, homelessness and, most prominently, suicide.

According to BigFoot, the suicide rate for children is three times greater than Caucasians of their age range. Those statistics alone have her acknowledging the desperate need for Native American role models.

So she looks to one specific Sooners player - Bradford - to give the community hope for a better life.

"What Sam Bradford has given me the opportunity to do is to bring awareness to the fact that our American Indian children can grow and prosper in an environment with families that support them," BigFoot said. "There's a lot of pride involved with Sam. He shows our Natives that if somebody works hard and gets support, many things are possible."

Still, Shaw doesn't mind being overlooked by Bradford because, in the end, they both share the same vision for the future Native American generation.

"We just really want (the kids) to do well, not only football, but school-wise and decision making," Shaw said. "We just want to let them know that they have something to shoot for, and don't have to settle for anything less."

Cornhuskers Back in Black

Since 1964, the Nebraska coaching staff has awarded select defensive players with black shirts to symbolize defensive excellence after a strong showing at practice. Now, 48 years later, the tradition is still alive and well.

Typically, coaches bestow the honor during Cornhuskers' training camp. But after holding off for the first 10 weeks of the season, first-year head coach Bo Pelini finally awarded his 11 defensive starters with the coveted black jerseys earlier this week.

The recipients included defensive ends Zach Potter, Pierre Allen and Clayton Sievers; tackles Ndamukong Suh and Ty Steinkuhler; linebackers Tyler Wortman and Phillip Dillard; cornerbacks Anthony West, Armando Murillo and Eric Hagg; and strong safety Larry Asante.

Game to Watch: No. 3 Texas at Kansas

Don't underestimate Kansas in this one. The team may have lost its ranking, but it still has Todd Reesing at the helm. But the pressure won't be on Reesing this weekend. Instead, it will shift to the Jayhawks' 18 seniors, who will be playing their final home game at Commonwealth Stadium.

In the past four years, the group has helped revitalize the Kansas football program, erasing the misnomer of it only being a basketball university. So what better way to end a storybook career than by defeating No. 3 Texas.

dsmorais@syr.edu