Oklahoma football: Ranking the top seven linebackers in school history

NORMAN, OK - NOVEMBER 20: The Oklahoma Sooners flag is waved from the field after a touchdown against the Iowa State Cyclones in the first quarter at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on November 20, 2021 in Norman, Oklahoma. The Sooners won 28-21. (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images)
NORMAN, OK - NOVEMBER 20: The Oklahoma Sooners flag is waved from the field after a touchdown against the Iowa State Cyclones in the first quarter at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on November 20, 2021 in Norman, Oklahoma. The Sooners won 28-21. (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images)
3 of 8
COLLEGE STATION, TX – NOVEMBER 9: Wide receiver Terrence Murphy #5 of the Texas A&M University Aggies is tackled by linebacker Teddy Lehman #11 of the University of Oklahoma Sooners during the game at Kyle Field on November 9, 2002 in College Station, Texas. Texas Tech won 49-24. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
COLLEGE STATION, TX – NOVEMBER 9: Wide receiver Terrence Murphy #5 of the Texas A&M University Aggies is tackled by linebacker Teddy Lehman #11 of the University of Oklahoma Sooners during the game at Kyle Field on November 9, 2002 in College Station, Texas. Texas Tech won 49-24. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

No. 6 — Teddy Lehman

Teddy Lehman was just a freshman during the 2000 national championship run, but he made his mark at Oklahoma in the years to come. In 2001, he was one-half of the famous “Superman” play against Texas, scoring the touchdown that put the Longhorns away that day in Dallas. No matter what had happened the rest of his career, he would have always had a place in Sooner lore. However, he ended up being a dominant force in his final two seasons in Norman.

The next year, he was named a consensus All-American as a junior, and he was even better as a senior in 2003. That year, he won the Butkus Award, the Bednarik Award and was again named a consensus All-American, this time unanimously.

Lehman was known for being able to patrol the entire field, and it was impossible to get around him wide. He led the team in tackles in ’03 and used his sideline-to-sideline skills to haunt opposing offensive coordinators and quarterbacks.