Hard work pays off, and it certainly has paid off for Oklahoma Sooners center Erick Wren, a walk-on who has just received an athletic scholarship from head coach Bob Stoops.
Extremely proud of how hard @ErickWren has worked for himself and his teammates. He has truly earned this scholarship! pic.twitter.com/OOivtCufaz
— Bob Stoops (@CoachBobStoops) September 26, 2016
Wren’s journey has been a long one. After playing two years of football at Arizona Western Community College, he turned down multiple offers to play division II football in hopes of being able to walk on to his favorite team growing up, the Oklahoma Sooners. Through a series of injuries along the offensive line, Wren was forced into action last season, playing in three games. He heard his number called in the opening minutes of the Ohio State game when guard Cody Ford broke his leg.
Earlier this preseason, Sooner offensive line coach Bill Bedengaugh had this to say about the 6’2″ 310-pounder:
“He has long arms, he’s got a lot of power in his lower body, he’s got good balance. He’s got all the traits you need…He’s playing at a pretty high level right now.”
Told at an early age that he had a learning disorder and would struggle to keep up with his contemporaries, Wren has made overcoming obstacles his M.O.
Stoops announced the scholarship in front of the entire team, at which point his teammates exploded in jubilation and began to pound Wren in congratulations. Unfortunately, this resulted in several injuries making Wren ineligible to play and the scholarship to be withdrawn. Just kidding.
Congratulations Erick Wren, hard work pays off.
Can’t get enough of Campus Sports? Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to stay updated with the latest news and exclusive giveaways!
