NORMAN — The joy is evident in Merv Johnson’s voice.
In a radio booth in Miami on Jan. 3, 2001, the OU radio analyst was far from an uninterested observer.
“Ah, ha, MAN,” Johnson said, starting with a bit of a laugh before closing with celebratory emphasis, in the moments after OU beat Florida State to win the 2000 national championship. “Unbelievable. Unbelievable.”
Johnson quickly got back to the task at hand, though the enjoyment of the moment was impossible to hide.”
Johnson has been a part of Sooners football for more than 40 years, becoming the constant in the program from Barry Switzer, through some lean years, to Bob Stoops and now to Lincoln Riley.