Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford gets a hero’s welcome anywhere he goes in Norman these days.

White has become more than just a runner

Oklahoma State linebacker finishing a difficult journey

Fiesta Bowl notebook: West Virginia in odd situation

His 34 touchdown passes this season are the most by a freshman in college football history, and he led the Sooners to a 38-17 win over then-No. 1 Missouri in the Big 12 championship game on Dec. 1 to earn a berth in Wednesday’s Fiesta Bowl.

But he didn’t have nearly that stature when he arrived on campus last year, when even his teammates were questioning how this kid could compete at the Division I level.

“When I first saw him, oh man, he was so skinny,” offensive lineman Duke Robinson said. “He was no bigger than a toothpick. I was like, ‘For real?’ But hey, looks can be deceiving. He redshirted, came back, and look what he’s doing now.”

Bradford has thrown for 2,879 yards this season with just seven interceptions. He has a completion percentage of better than 70 percent. He leads the nation in passing efficiency and completed a school-record 22 straight passes in the first two games of his career.

It’s safe to say those toothpick jokes are long gone.

“The guy’s played as well as anyone out there, any quarterback in the country,” Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops said. “You put his numbers against anybody’s and they compare favorably.”

West Virginia gets the unenviable task of slowing him down in the Fiesta Bowl. Interim coach Bill Stewart said the Mountaineers have done what they can to duplicate his game in practice.

“I don’t know how you can simulate that guy,” Stewart said. “He’s a tremendous quarterback.”

“He’s perfect,” defensive end Johnny Dingle said.

It has been such smooth sailing during the season that simply winning over his own team may have been Bradford’s biggest obstacle early on. He had to beat out Joey Halzle and Keith Nichol in fall camp for the starting job, then prove that he belonged there.

Oklahoma blew out North Texas in the season opener and Bradford played well, but it was the way he dissected traditional power Miami in the second week that really made his teammates believers.

In that game, Bradford completed 19 of 25 passes for 205 yards and five touchdowns in a 51-13 rout.

“He opened a lot of peoples’ eyes,” running back Allen Patrick said.

Early on, quarterback coach Josh Heupel’s main concern was getting Bradford to limit mistakes and let the other, more experienced Sooners, make the plays necessary to win games. Soon, though, he realized Bradford was past that point and ready to make worthwhile contributions.

“Early in the year, especially, you worry about the little things — clock management, you worry about fumbled exchanges between the center and the quarterback and the running back as well, throwing it to the other team,” Heupel said. “He hasn’t done that all year long. He’s played extremely smart. And with that being said, he hasn’t just been a manager of the game. He’s made plays when they’ve presented themselves. ... He’s played well beyond his years.”

Bradford’s value to Oklahoma was no more evident than the Nov. 17 game against Texas Tech. He was knocked from the contest early with a concussion and the Sooners lost, 34-27.

Bradford’s attempt to return to the game failed.

“I really don’t even remember it, to be honest with you,” Bradford said.

The loss knocked Oklahoma out of the national title chase, and what if’s have abounded from Sooner nation since.

Bradford returned the next week in a blowout win against Oklahoma State, and then threw for 209 yards and two touchdowns against No. 1 Missouri for the Big 12 title.

Bradford said he didn’t imagine being in this spot while battling to become the starter during the summer. But now that he’s here, he’s enjoying the ride.

“That’s one of the things my dad told me,” Bradford said. “If you can’t have fun, it’s really not worth it.”