David Smith got into the endzone and his teammates went crazy.
That's what happens when you score your first touchdown and your nickname is "Sooner Dave."
And it was pretty obvious two days later, while talking to the media Monday afternoon, Smith was appreciative.
Three seasons at OU, no carries until Saturday. But it's not like Smith hasn't faced adversity before. He said he overcame a speech impediment when he was younger.
"When I was young, I didn't even want to talk sometimes," he said.
Smith said he never went to a speech therapist and never got any professional help, instead Smith got advice from his high school coach in Midlothian, Ill., who helped him by telling Smith to take his time answering questions.
It's obvious Smith struggles with some words and takes extra effort on others, but he wasn't shy about discussing it.
"That's just me," he said. And that's probably what makes him one of the most-popular players on the team.
Did you see how his teammates mobbed him after that score in the fourth quarter?
Smith had never gotten a carry in his career until Saturday, when he went for 10 carries and 76 yards. Smith admitted to standing extra close to running backs coach Cale Gundy just so Gundy wouldn't forget about him.
"I actually do that," he said with a smile. "There's guys that are just as good as you, and when you get your chance … It took long enough. Lemme put it like that."
As for the nickname? Well, Smith assigned it to himself after he arrived at OU, choosing it for his Twitter handle. He didn't realize his friends and teammates would make fun of him for it.
"I guess it just stuck," Smith said.
Follow Andrew Gilman on Twitter: @andrewgilmanOK
