Shootin' it about the Shootout

The 'Boz' is 15 years removed from his role as OU's 'bulletin board,' but he still has strong feelings about Texas

The Boz enjoyed spitting "loogies" in the face of a tackled oppponent.

As a linebacker at Oklahoma, two-time Butkus Award-winning linebacker Brian Bosworth had this to say about Texas: "I don't like Texas. I don't like Fred Akers. I don't like the city of Austin. And I don't like the color orange. It reminds me of puke."

CNNSI.com's Luke Winn tracked down Bosworth, who now resides in California, to talk about the OU-Texas rivalry. For the record, he won't be in Dallas on Saturday -- the dutiful father will be watching his daughter's soccer games.

CNNSI: It's been more than 15 years, but does Texas orange still evoke memories of vomit?

Brian Bosworth: I haven't puked in a long time, so I haven't been reminded of that color. If you get drunk enough one time in college, and you puke that bad, and it comes up that color … well, you do everything in your power not to do it again.

CNNSI: Seeing that the OU-Texas rivalry is as strong as ever, do you think you're still a despised character around Austin?

Bosworth: To this day, I'd be anxious to get off a plane and go through Austin. I'm sure if it were late enough and the wrong neck of woods, someone would think it would be funny to see how far Bevo's horn could go up my butt. But I think there are laws against those sorts of things.

CNNSI: So what made you hate Texas in the first place?

Bosworth: As an Oklahoma redneck living in Dallas, come time for every OU-Texas game while I was in high school, I was ostracized, made fun of, picked on, until I was old enough to decide 'They ain't pickin' on me no more.' So there was some ill will.

[Texas] amplified it by shunning me as a recruit, and that got my dander up -- so I had to say no to them on the football field. Once I felt comfortable enough with my playing ability to back up what I said, I did it.

There's an arrogance about Texas that people don't appreciate. They have no right to be arrogant.

CNNSI: You were notorious for trash talking back then, even spitting in opposing player's faces after you tackled them. What would happen to [Texas QB] Chris Simms if you played against him?

Bosworth: If he played against our defense, he'd be soiling his britches, yellin' and screamin' for his daddy. When I see Chris, I don't see that "tough guy" image that Texas should have.

You know, you would think Texas could land any man in the land, and then they go and land these boys at quarterback. And you wonder why they can't win the big one.

CNNSI: So who wins the "big one" on Saturday?

Bosworth: Texas is due -- they haven't kicked our butt in a while. I think right now, Texas is playing a bit more consistent. [Sooner QB] Nate [Hybl] hasn't shown me enough in terms of consistency. These are bad times for our defense.

But when you play OU-Texas, you throw everything else out. I'm pickin' my boys -- they found a way to win vs. Missouri, and they didn't deserve to win.

 

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