Rhett Bomar did not win the Heisman Trophy for his slinging and record-setting at Sam Houston State. That award went to Sam Bradford of Oklahoma. But could it have been Bomar if things had been different?
That’s not such a ridiculous notion for the Giants’ fifth-round draft pick to consider. There was no definitive plan to select a quarterback, but when Bomar was there at pick No. 151, the Giants felt he represented too much talent to pass up. So they took him, and this weekend at the rookie mini-camp, Bomar — small in stature but possessing a big arm — went to work, battling Andre Woodson for the No. 3 quarterback job.
Bomar came out of high school in Texas and fulfilled a dream by accepting a scholarship at Oklahoma. After a redshirt year, Bomar started 11 games as a freshman and threw for a school-record 2,018 yards. He was the MVP of the Holiday Bowl. If the promise he showed back then continued, perhaps there would have been no Bradford to take over at Oklahoma and eventually capture the Heisman.
“I know things would have been different if I’d have been there, but it worked out,” Bomar said. “You couldn’t do that, you’d probably drive yourself crazy if you think about the what-ifs.”
The storybook tale went awry in a hurry. In May 2006, Bomar pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of being a minor in possession of alcohol. Three months later, he was kicked off the Sooners team after he broke NCAA rules by accepting money for a no-show job at a car dealership.
He transferred to Sam Houston State and hoped to be able to play right away, but the NCAA ruled he was ineligible. In two years playing for the Bearkats, he became the school’s all-time passing leader with 5,564 yards in 19 games.
In his first action with the Giants, Bomar was a bit too pumped up and his first few passes sailed high. He settled down to display a strikingly quick release that at times comes from a three-quarters delivery, which could lead to trouble for a quarterback who is only 6-foot-2.
Tom Coughlin described Bomar’s throwing motion as “flicking the ball” and acknowledged there’s plenty to smooth out.
“It’s real quick, it’s all arm kind of thing,” Coughlin said. “I can see we’re going to have to really work hard to get his momentum going into his throws, especially off to the left.”
Woodson last year was a sixth-round pick out of Kentucky, but he was not impressive. The Giants decided to roll the dice with only two quarterbacks and Woodson spent the season on the practice squad. He’s back for another try — trimmed down 22 pounds to 220. But there’s no doubt if Bomar can make an impression, he could find a spot on the roster.
It won’t be easy, and Bomar believes the difficulty he experienced at Oklahoma will help in the journey.
“I think it will, there’s no doubt in my mind,” Bomar said. “I think I’ve grown up a lot since then. That’s a tough thing to go through, that’s something that not a lot people go through in a college career. I think that will help me with adversity and dealing with things in the future because nothing’s going to be perfect. At this level, too, you’re going to face adversity, and I think I’ve experienced that.”
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The Giants signed six players who attended the rookie mini-camp on a tryout basis. Two are rookies — C Alex Derenthal (Temple) and DE Tommie Hill (Colorado State) — and four are veterans — WR Shaun Bodiford (Portland State), RB Allen Patrick (Oklahoma), LB Kelvin Smith (Syracuse) and TE George Wrighster (Oregon), who played 67 games for the Jaguars over the past six seasons.