Norman, Okla. ? Derrick Strait grimaced, then shook his head and started laughing.

The Oklahoma cornerback hasn’t provided bulletin board material in four years and wasn’t about to start now.

“Man,” he said, furiously rubbing his hand across his brow. “I don’t know why he would say that. I’d rather go out on the field instead of talking.”

Strait was referring to comments made by Texas receiver Roy Williams, who said this summer that Oklahoma’s secondary was “the weakness of their whole defense.”

The answer will come Saturday at the Cotton Bowl, when No. 11 Texas (4-1, 1-0 Big 12 Conference) plays No. 1 Oklahoma (5-0, 1-0) in their annual grudge match.

Strait, from Austin, Texas, doesn’t really need to say anything. He hasn’t lost to the Longhorns since starting as a freshman. He has a national-championship ring; Williams doesn’t.

And Williams has been virtually shut down by the Sooners in the previous three games — 11 catches, 148 yards and no touchdowns — with Strait shadowing him much of the time.

Still, “we don’t have too much to say to each other,” Strait said, still shaking his head at Williams’ comments.

Strait spurned hometown Texas, even though his high school was just eight miles from the campus.

“It wasn’t tough to get away at all,” Strait said. “I just felt comfortable at OU. I knew I could play for four years here.”

He did, taking a red-shirt season his first year and eventually becoming a freshman starter on Oklahoma’s national title team in 2000.

Since then, the 5-foot-11, 195-pounder has established himself as one of the nation’s top cornerbacks. He was an All-Big 12 pick and Thorpe Award semifinalist last season after intercepting six passes and making 68 tackles.

He’s started 44 games at Oklahoma, just four starts shy of breaking the school record for all-time starts set by offensive lineman Anthony Phillips from 1985-88.

One NFL draft analyst lists Strait as the top senior cornerback prospect in next year’s draft.

Even on a team full of standouts, Strait stands out without talking much. He’s been invited to the team’s media luncheon every week and hasn’t shown up for one. Despite his reluctance to be a vocal leader, Strait commands plenty of respect among his teammates.

“He’s been our backbone for four straight years,” co-defensive coordinator and secondary coach Mike Stoops said. “He’s a great player every time he steps on the field. The thing you love about him is that you know he’s going to be there in the big games.”

Though he says it’s no bigger than any other game, Strait has always been at his best against the Longhorns.

He had 10 tackles against Texas as a freshman; eight tackles the next year; and five tackles and an interception in last year’s 35-24 win.