At the UNITED STATES NAVAL ACADEMY –  It was a Sooner who led the Navy Midshipmen to their 21-20 victory over the OU Sooners in the 2024 Armed Forces Bowl in only the second time Navy has faced the Oklahoma powerhouse.

But days before last week’s bowl game, Navy’s head coach was watching a 30-year-old video as he was being introduced at a high school football game.

“Number 15 quarterback Brian Newberry,” intones the announcer for the 1991 Westmoore High School football program in the video.

“Oh geez,” Newberry says laughing as he watches the video.

“I tell you what I wish I would have known then what I know now,” said Newberry, now head coach of the Naval Academy’s Midshipmen.

Sooner born and Sooner bred, Newberry made a name for himself leading the 1991 Westmoore team to a state championship.

And just like any other Oklahoman his love for the game came from a certain Crimson and Cream team.

“I can remember sitting outside of the car and hearing the crowd roar. Never heard anything like that,” said Newberry.

“You grow up in Oklahoma, there’s no professional sports team. So those coaches and those players are like movie stars,” he said.

But the former fan is now hoping for fewer Rufnek shots and wagon rides

“It’s gonna be kinda neat to see it. But I don’t want to see a bunch of it,” he said laughing.

His Oklahoma roots – and college career at Baylor University- all coming together for the Armed Forces Bowl – hosted in Fort Worth.

“My family in Oklahoma is obviously coming down – I got family spread throughout Texas.”

The game is sure to be a family affair – but with one Sooner missing.

“Yeah absolutely. I just wish she was here for it. She would be as excited as anybody,” he said

Newbery’s niece Hanna – graduated posthumously from OU just last year.

“She was the best of everything.”

The best of everything – No doubt with the best seat in the house.

“And she’ll be watching in some way. Yes one hundred percent no doubt about that,” the Midshipmen’s head coach said wistfully.

While just another game for some.  It is a serendipitous match-up for the Newberry family.

“I’m gonna have a moment for sure,” he said.

A moment, decades of family, hard work and red dirt in the making.

Gaylord News is a reporting project of the University of Oklahoma Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication.  For more stories by Gayord News go to GaylordNews.net.