Toomey no stranger to OU’s atmosphere

This time, Kansas University junior linebacker Gabe Toomey will have to get over his nerves in Norman, Okla.

Though he’s never played a down in front of the 80,000-plus fans in Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, Toomey is more than accustomed to the spectacular Saturday events that encompass Sooners football because he took a red-shirt season at OU in 2001.

“The first time I ran out there on game day was North Carolina my freshman year,” said the 6-foot-4, 235-pound West Des Moines, Iowa, native. “I was nervous as (heck). There were 85,000 (fans) screaming. It was pretty scary, and I knew I wasn’t going to play, that’s the funny thing.”

Saturday Toomey will play, and says he’s ready not only because it’ll be his first time back in Norman since he left the OU program, but also because an injured ankle that had been bothering him most of the season has had two weeks rest.

“That week off was huge for my ankle,” said Toomey, who didn’t start the last two games and whose average tackles a game nearly have dipped in half compared to the 9.3 mark he had last season when he was voted second-team All-Big 12 Conference and the Jayhawks’ defensive MVP because of his 121 total tackles.

“At practice, it felt the best it’s been all year. I think I can get in there a little more and start helping out.”

Helping out is something Toomey has done for the Jayhawks since transferring from Iowa Central Community College, where he was a NJCAA All-American in 2002.

Even Toomey’s one-time OU coach, Bob Stoops, has taken notice.

“He’s played well for them,” Stoops said, “and I’m sure he’s still progressing.”

<i>” border=”0″/> 6Sports video: Jayhawks will play to ‘full house’</a><a href=</i>” border=”0″/> 6Sports video: Stoops, Mangino close</a><a href=<i>” border=”0″/> Woodling: Big 12 North up for grabs</a><a href=</i>” border=”0″/> Vaughn thriving … again</a><a href=<i>” border=”0″/> Wanna Whack Woodling — Week 8</a><a href=text X-Factor Week 7: OU 78, KU 33</i>” border=”0″/> ‘Hawks Football Forecaster</a></td> </tr> </table> </div> </div> <p>Toomey — who said, “Norman and I didn’t blend together,” admitted he transferred because he was young and homesick and didn’t really apply himself in school — has nothing but positive memories from his time in Norman, and doesn’t ponder what could have been.</p> <p>“I can’t do that,” he said. “I don’t sit back and wonder all about what if this or that because I wouldn’t have left in the first place if I had those kind of doubts.”</p> <p>Toomey said he had nothing to prove to anyone in Oklahoma, but it would be nice to show friends who played for the Sooners how he had progressed.</p> <p>“The coaching staff there is wonderful,” Toomey said. “But I haven’t seen them since I’ve left, so it’ll be good to show them the way I’ve come around and see my friends down there. It’ll be a fun day.”</p> <p>Maybe even more monumental if the raucous Oklahoma crowd is a little more subdued than usual when sounding off to “Boomer Sooner.”</p> <p>“I guess it’s a thing where if you’re there, you like it,” Toomey said. “If not, you don’t care for it.</p> <p>“I hope we don’t hear it much.”</p> <script type=