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Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
FSU football's Kevin Sperry shows he's a 'football guy.' Here's why he adjusted quickly
Since becoming an early enrollee, Florida State quarterback Kevin Sperry has been quick on his feet, literally and figuratively. What has stood out for the former three-star prospect who was once an Oklahoma commit? Advertisement Some will say it's his running ability. Mike Norvell pointed out how electric Sperry can be when the ball is in his hands, which he knew when he recruited him. "I knew he could run," Norvell said. "You feel the athleticism, the twitch and the explosiveness. That is exciting." FSU football players walk into the first spring practice of the spring season on Wednesday, March 19, 2025 As a passer, his accuracy cannot be ignored. Linebacker Elijah Herring has been impressed by how accurately he throws the ball, along with his athletic gifted traits from a defensive standpoint. 'That boy, he can fly, and he can put the ball in the breadbasket for sure,' Herring said. Offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn has also been impressed by Sperry catching on to his offense. He acknowledged it is starting to become second nature. Advertisement "He's a football guy," Malzahn said. "He's a natural guy and just being on the field and just getting the information as far as the signal, the protection, the direction, then you got to carry it over to the coverage and the defense and the read like, he has a bunch of natural stuff to him." Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle. Kevin Sperry has been an impactful quarterback on every high school team he played on Carl Albert's Kevin Sperry throws a pass during the high school football game between Shawnee and Carl Albert at Crain Family Stadium on the Oklahoma Baptist University campus in Shawnee, Okla., Thursday, Sept. 28, 2023. The freshman quarterback has adjusted well and turned heads in his first spring ball. It might seem surprising to the team that he is holding his own, but not so much to the Texas native. Advertisement "I think it's kind of been because I went to like three different high schools, too," Sperry said. "I think every team I've been on was a little surprised and I'm just excited to showcase that on the college." While Sperry has been a journeyman quarterback throughout his high school career, he has made an impact everywhere he has gone. In his first two years, he played at Rock Hills High School in Frisco, Texas, where he broke out as a sophomore after throwing 1,527 yards and nine touchdowns with 657 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on the ground. He was named District 5A-6A Newcomer of the Year. Carl Albert's Kevin Sperry rushes during the high school football game between Carl Albert Coweta at Carl Albert High School in Midwest City, Okla., Friday, Aug., 25, 2023. SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK He then moved to Oklahoma as a junior and played for Carl Albert High School, where he led the Titans to a 14-0 record and a state title. He recorded 42 touchdowns in one season before returning to Texas, where he played senior year at Guyton High School in Denton. Advertisement Already a highly touted prospect who was being recruited by teams like Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Baylor, and a few others, Sperry stepped in right away as a leader for Guyer even though his school coach, Reed Heim, didn't attend to that when he enrolled late in the spring. Heim believed his work ethic spoke louder than his production and was not surprised by how Sperry adjusted to FSU's offense quickly than usual. "One of the things that I was really impressed with was that I didn't really want to put him in a leadership role at the beginning because most of the time, you have somebody that moved as a senior," Heim told the Tallahassee Democrat. "I think sometimes that's a hard space to be in to try to be a leader, and the only way that you can do that is if you're the type of quality character, person, and guy who works at the level that he works." Advertisement At first, Sperry was an OU commit, but consistent offensive coordinator changes led him to look at other options. When FSU came into the picture, he took it as an opportunity to play an offense that fit his skillset while hoping to be the next QB to bring the Seminoles back to playoff contention, like the 2023 season. Guyer quarterback Kevin Sperry (9) leaps over Southlake Carroll defensive back William Chen (9) during their game at DATCU Stadium on a rainy Saturday, December 7, 2024, in Denton, Texas. Al Key Photo "He saw how important the quarterback position was to Mike Norvell, and he was like, 'hey, if you get the right guy in there, that the team has shown that in his style and his program, when those pieces are in place, can be very, very good,'" Heim said. "I think he looked at himself like, 'hey, they took a big hit when they lost a great quarterback, and I can go, I can go in and be that guy, and I can get him back to, you know, where they're at top three in the country. '" Advertisement More: FSU football's Mike Norvell wanted more intensity from his team: They delivered Kevin Sperry's approach is what was promised to Mike Norvell FSU football's Kevin Sperry talks spring practice development What Sperry has been doing on the field is not unusual. Even as a freshman playing behind two veteran QBs, Tommy Castellanos and Brock Glenn, the freshman was expected to make his mark immediately, hoping that FSU would see a future in the Texas native. It was a promise he made to Norvell before signing with FSU. "I really just approached it with just getting better each day and competing against myself," Sperry said. "I promise Coach (Mike) Norvell my best every day and just being myself so that's what I bring every day, but I feel like the whole offense has gotten better each day. I feel like we're all improving each week and each practice." Advertisement Outside of adjusting to the speed of the game and making presnap reads against Tony White's 3-3-5 defense, nothing came as a surprise for Sperry. "The speed of the games obviously a little faster and then the defense is just disguising coverages a little bit better and blitzes is a little bit better," Sperry said. "So just getting with coach Tony Tokarz and Coach Malzahn and seeing those things on film has really helped me a lot." Sperry's mobility to extend plays with his legs and his willingness to make deep-ball throws downfield make the 6-foot-1, 212-pound freshman a fit in Malzahn's offense. Advertisement Sperry credited Malzahn with simplifying the offense so he could understand it and execute. But, of course, it's still easier said than done. "It's not a super simple offense," Malzahn said. "I don't think any college offense is super simple, but the coaches make it a lot simpler for us by explaining everything and showing stuff on film." 'I think he brings a lot of maturity, a lot of leadership obviously, to the quarterback room, but the whole offense," Sperry said. Sperry is also embracing the mental reps while learning behind Castellanos. He has been observing how the Boston College transfer has handled himself as a team leader and hopes he will do the same when he earns that right. Advertisement "So just listening to him, how he talks to the receivers, how he talks to the O-line, and how he communicates plays has been great for me," Sperry said. "Just learning that I'm able to do that when I go on the field.' More: FSU football's Deante McCray: New school, new number, same old goal - domination on D-line Peter Holland Jr. covers Florida State athletics for Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at PHolland@ or on X @_Da_pistol. This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FSU football's Kevin Sperry has been impressive throughout spring. Here's why
Yahoo
19-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Prom 2025: All the glamorous photos from around Oklahoma City, OK County
Prom season 2025 is here! Oklahoma loves to celebrate its high school students at prom, and this year's season is going to be huge. The Oklahoman's photojournalists travel across the metro to document the special nights for teens and their loved ones. Stay tuned throughout the weeks as we add more galleries. Here's a look at the prom nights that have happened so far. Want to share your prom snapshots? Submit your photos here to be included in our gallery. Carl Albert's prom was held at the Oklahoma History Center. Epic Charter School's Oklahoma City-area prom was held at the Sam Noble Museum in Norman, Oklahoma. John Marshall's prom was held at the Central Oklahoma Homebuilders Association. Putnam City's prom was held at the OKC Farmer's Market in Oklahoma City. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Prom 2025 photos: OKC schools celebrate in style
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
COLUMN: The art of giving political speeches
I was talking to a friend not long ago who was pretty down on politics in all its forms. 'I actually find real enjoyment in politics,' I told him. He asked if I was nuts. No, I said, there's a lot of pleasure – even joy – to be found in participating. Case in point: getting the chance to listen to gifted speakers. For many years, I was fortunate to have a seat on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives, which gave me a chance to observe some of the best orators in the nation. For instance, there was Hale Boggs from Louisiana, the outstanding Democratic leader who tragically disappeared on a plane flight in Alaska in 1972. He was, in many ways, like an actor – he spoke with complete confidence, enjoyed commanding a crowd, and reveled in the performance; you could listen and relax in the knowledge that you were in the hands of a master. I also remember Carl Albert, from Oklahoma, who was House Speaker in the 1970s. He never referred to notes; he always appeared to be speaking extemporaneously – though I sometimes thought he must have practiced a great deal. One of his great gifts was that he had an impressive grasp of many different pieces of legislation, and so could speak knowledgeably and cogently on any of them. John Lewis, the Georgia congressman and civil rights icon, had a marvelous, booming voice. People couldn't help themselves: when he took the floor, they stopped whatever they were doing to listen. He had a gift for elevating any particular issue to a higher plane that called on people to remember the best in their nation and in themselves, which may be why, whenever he came into the House well to speak, young staff members would gather in the back of the chamber to listen to him. Republican John Anderson of Illinois took a different approach. He wasn't so much an orator as a debater, a politician of high intelligence who enjoyed the intellectual challenge of politics. As a result, he was a superb debater, with a great fondness for the verbal give and take as he faced off against an ideological opponent. He mastered every subject he took on and defended his positions with wit and verve. So did John McCormack from Massachusetts, who was House Speaker during the 1960s. Very quick on the draw, he would turn to his adversary in debate and say something like, 'I hold the gentleman in minimum high regard,' to the amusement of everyone around. He, too, loved being in the fray: he would readily relinquish the Speaker's chair so he could go down to the floor and throw himself into verbal combat. Edith Green, from Oregon, had been a schoolteacher and then a lobbyist for the state education association before coming to Congress, and she carried those skills with her to the House. In a sense, she made the House her classroom, and when she had the mic, she was engaging but firm as she battled to advance women's issues and social reform. Mo Udall of Arizona took a different approach: He always spoke with humor and tried to make his listeners see the lighter side of things. He believed you should have a good time while you participated in serious subjects; he had a memorable ability to come up with just the right anecdote to illustrate the points he wanted to make. He made you want to listen because it was so enjoyable to do so. Despite their different approaches, these people – and other great speakers – were articulate, spoke fluidly and clearly, and showed great confidence and ease. They obviously enjoyed it. They were people who strove to make themselves understood, without showing the effort involved. So, while oratory may come in different packages, the chance to watch great communicators at work gives you a better sense of who they are, why they have succeeded, and why our multi-faceted political system is so interesting, engaging and important.
