CARD: Topps XFL 2020
ACQUIRED: TTM 2020, C/o Home
SENT: 7/21/20 RECEIVED: 8/14/20 (24 days)

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

• Bob Stoops played DB at Iowa from 1979-’82.
• Over his college career he intercepted 10 passes for 80 yards.
• Undrafted in 1983, he went into coaching.
• Worked his way up as a graduate assistant (Iowa) all the way to defensive coordinator (Florida 1996-’98).
• Took the reins as head coach at Oklahoma at 1999, and restored to the school as a national powerhouse.
• Won the National Championship in 2000.
• In all 17 seasons at the helm of Oklahoma, Bob took the Sooners to a bowl game.
• He finished with a 191-48 college coaching record.
• Retired from college coaching in 2017.
• Opted to return to football for the XFL in 2020 as one of their flagship coaches leading the Dallas Renegades.
• Returned in 2023, after the league reorganized due to COVID, coaching the now Arlington Renegades.
• After a difficult start, Bob pulled off a trade for Luis Perez, and led the 4-6 Renegades to upsets over the Roughnecks and Defenders to win the XFL Championship Game.
• Returned to the Renegades for the ’24 season, and while the team was competitive in every game, they ultimately finished with a disappointing 3-7 record.

ACCOLADES:

• College Football Hall of Fame
• AP Coach of the Year 2000
• Paul ‘Bear’ Bryant Award 2000
• Walter Camp Coach of the Year 2000, ’03

NOTES:

Stoops is technically a member of the Hayden Fry coaching tree. Stoops himself has a growing resume of young and upcoming coaches who served under him.

I think what sticks out to me the most, other than Bob’s excellent and well practiced autograph adorning this card, was his response to my request.

Recently I’ve been sending out note cards, to ask coaches to draw me up a play. I love collecting plays and getting an idea of their ‘coaching DNA’- y’know what’s on their mind.

I asked Bob to draw me up a play, and his response was simple and succinctly written on the note card:

“NO PLAYS.”