By Chris Duncan
HUNTSVILLE — Rhett Bomar took the snap in an empty stadium and zipped a perfect strike to one of his new teammates at Sam Houston State.
The former Oklahoma quarterback threw two more tight spirals to another receiver late Tuesday afternoon, then trotted over to chat with Bearkats offensive coordinator Jim Ferguson.
Bomar is biding his time, trying to stay sharp, as he waits for the NCAA to restore his eligibility. A week before he was to be the starter on the national stage of the Texas-OU game in Dallas, Bomar can be nothing more than a spectator when Sam Houston State plays the No. 7 Longhorns in Austin.
Bomar and offensive lineman J.D. Quinn were kicked off the Sooners’ squad in August for accepting payment for more work than they performed at a car dealership, a violation of NCAA rules. An NCAA reinstatement committee is reviewing the case.
Sam Houston officials expect Bomar to be cleared within weeks but said they’ve received no indication when a ruling might be made.
NCAA spokeswoman Jennifer Kearns said the committee was waiting for additional information it requested from Oklahoma. She set no timeline for a resolution.
“We want to reach a decision as early as possible,” Kearns said. “We also want to be as thorough as possible.”
Bomar is declining all interview requests until his eligibility is restored. His father, Jerry Bomar, the coach at Callisburg High School in northern Texas, did not return a phone message.
Brett Hicks, the Bearkats’ current starting quarterback, said Bomar is “a little frustrated” waiting for the NCAA’s decision. Once it comes, Hicks senses that Bomar will play with a purpose.
“He knows he has a job to do, he knows he has to prove a lot of people wrong,” said Hicks, who has developed a fast friendship with Bomar. “But he’s one of the hardest workers I’ve ever seen. He’s a competitor. He wants to be on the field. He’s doing everything he can to get back there.”
Bomar and Quinn, who chose I-AA Montana, drew interest from several smaller schools after their OU dismissals. Both were interested in Texas State, one of Sam Houston’s rivals in the Southland Conference, but coach David Bailiff told a newspaper he was concerned they would upset team chemistry. Bailiff didn’t return a call seeking comment.
Sam Houston State coach Todd Whitten thought Bomar was worth the risk.
“He was the first one to tell me that he made a mistake, and whatever the penalty is, he’s willing to accept it and move forward,” Whitten said. “He’s a good young man. He works hard, he gets along with the other players. It’s been a positive situation for us all the way around.”
Bomar played for his father at Grand Prairie High School and was one of the nation’s top recruits entering college in 2004. He redshirted, then threw for 2,018 yards and 10 touchdowns last season, leading the Sooners over Oregon in the Holiday Bowl.
Bomar looked sharp at practice this week, hitting a receiver in stride on a deep route down the middle on one of his last throws. He took off his orange helmet and slurped some water as the practice ended.
Whitten said Bomar will be ready when the NCAA gives the go-ahead. Bomar will have two years of eligibility remaining after this season.
“He’s close,” Whitten said. “Once he gets into a full-speed game situation, I think it will all come back to him pretty quickly.”
Hicks compares Bomar to Dustin Long, another in a lengthy list of transfers who have starred at Sam Houston. Long left Texas A&M; after the 2003 season because he was frustrated over his lack of playing time. He led the Bearkats to the I-AA semifinals in 2004, throwing for 4,588 yards and 39 touchdowns, both Southland Conference records.
“He still has a bright future,” Hicks said of Bomar. “He’s got the higher pedigree, he’s played in the biggest games, but he’s pretty levelheaded. He doesn’t think of himself as better than anyone on this team.”
