Foolish Choices and Tragedies Endanger OU's chances to become National Champions

The one thing that helped make the OU football team, National Champions in the year 2000 besides their great play, was the football team were blessed with zero major injuries that year. Here the 2011 Sooners favored for the National Championship again, and we have lost two major players. Austin Box, tragically was found dead recently. He was the starting middle linebacker at Oklahoma. He was living his dream. He was said to overdose on the presciption pain killers he was taking for the constant back pain that he endured for most of his football career at OU. His loss as a person was tragic beyond measure, the loss to the Oklahoma defense is major and OU will need several players working together to shut down offenses as well as the late great Austin Box.
One of the main reasons we lost to Missouri and Texas A&M last year was the inablitiy of the defensive tackles to stop the run and rush the passers. This was because Daniel Noble a freshman defensive tackle who had starred in the Texas game, had suffered a concussion during the Iowa State game and his ablities were sorely missed by the Sooners for the rest of the seaon. He reported to spring ball and was expected to be in the starting rotation. He was still suffering affects of the concussion during spring ball so the doctors have advised him to not play football again. Torrea Peterson the impressive red shirt freshman is expected to take Daniel Noble place in the starting rotation.
.
On a sad note Brandon Everage who was the starting safety for the 2000 OU National Championship drowned at the age of 30 in a Texas river. He was a fierce hitter on the defense who managed to separate the ball from many a wide receiver. My prayers go out to the families of the deceased and injured players.