Oklahoma football: Rhamondre Stevenson hits ground running in NFL debut

Former Oklahoma football running back Rhamondre Stevenson is bowling over tacklers at the next level much like he did as a Sooner.

In his NFL debut over the weekend, Stevenson rambled for 127 yards, including a 91-yard touchdown run, helping lead the New England Patriots to a 22-13 victory in Week 1 of the NFL preseason.

Stevenson, who rushed for 186 yards in his final collegiate game for Oklahoma, a 55-20 win over Florida in the Cotton Bowl last December, picked up right where he left off in college, gaining 127 yards on 10 carries in his first NFL game, an average of almost 13 yards per carry.

Stevenson scored a both of New England’s touchdowns in the win over Washington, both coming in the fourth quarter. He scored on a one-yard run early in the final period, and capped off the scoring for the night with a 91-yard touchdown run with under two minutes to go.

In two seasons at Oklahoma, the 6-foot, 2-inch, 247-pound running back produced 1,180 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns in 19 games. He missed the first five games of the 2020 season due to suspension for failing a drug test. He averaged 7.2 yards every time he toted the ball in his Sooner career.

Stevenson was selected by the Patriots in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft in April. He has been very impressive in preseason training camp, running over tacklers much like he did during his two seasons at Oklahoma.

The former OU running back looks like a keeper in New England.