Trojan Lineman Taking His Talents to Fayetteville
By MIKE MOGUIN
GTR Sports Writer
WOO PIG SOOIE: Brady Latham, center, wearing tie and ball cap, celebrates with football teammates after signing a letter of intent with Arkansas on Dec. 19.
Courtesy photo
Brady Latham and his Jenks Trojans’ teammates were having a grand ole’ time chanting “Woo Pig Sooie,” the popular chant for the University of Arkansas.
That was the scene on Dec. 19 at the Sharp Center when Latham, an offensive tackle, signed a national letter of intent to play football for the Razorbacks, before family, friends, coaches and administrators.
“I loved it,” Latham said. “Those are all my best friends over there. They’re all excited for me and I’m excited. So, it was cool.”
“It’s crazy,” Latham added. “It is something I always dreamed of. It’s really cool. I loved today. I soaked it in. I’m excited to be a Hog.”
Latham knows he’ll be hearing more of it on college football Saturdays from the Razorback faithful.
You can bet he has his “Pig Sooie” down.
“Yes sir. A lot of people asked me to do it on my first game visit,” he said. “It’s fun.”
Latham anchored a line that helped the Trojans go 11-2 and a state runner-up finish in Class 6AI this past season. The season did not end the way he and other Jenks players would have liked as they lost the championship game to Broken Arrow on Nov. 30, but it doesn’t take away special memories made with the program.
“The bonds I made with my teammates is what I’ll remember the most,” Latham said. “The whole team, especially the senior class, is really close. We do stuff together on and off the field. These are friendships I have for life and I’ve loved every minute of it.”
Interestingly, Latham will be joining Ricky Stromberg, who had a stellar career as a center at arch-rival Union. Stromberg is also headed to Arkansas, whom he flipped to, after verbally committing to the University of Tulsa last summer.
“We’re going to room together,” Latham said. “It’s going to be awesome. We’ve been friends for a long time. We worked out together and we were super excited when we realized we had the opportunity to play together.
“That’s really cool. I’m just excited for it and I know he is too, and I’m ready to get down there,” Latham added.
One challenge Latham will have as an Arkansas offensive lineman is going up against stout defenses, which the Southeastern Conference, where the Hogs play, is known for.
“It’s going to be hard. It’s going to be a huge step from the high school level,” Latham said. “These are all amazing athletes and competitors. That just means I have to get into the offseason, workout and get better and get ready to compete.”
But, he has a plus in his corner. His father, Bob Latham, was an All-Big 8 center for the University of Oklahoma in the late 1980s, and he has him around for advice.
“Throughout the whole season, he’s really helped me watch game film and break down my technique. He’s always been there for me on and off the field,” Latham said of his dad.
Arkansas is coming off a two-win season, but it is also transitioning under Head Coach Chad Morris, who just completed his first season with the Razorbacks. Morris has a history of success. He previously made a bowl team in his third season at the helm before departing for Fayetteville. As an assistant/offensive coordinator, he helped Clemson transition to the power it has become and was in the same role for Tulsa in 2010. Before entering college level, Morris had success at the high school level in Texas.
But there is more.
“He’s an amazing guy,” Latham said. “Every time I talked to him, every time I’ve met him, he’s been super open. He makes me feel part of the Arkansas family. I really believe in what he and his staff are doing.”
The campus is also known for being entrenched in natural scenery.
“It’s beautiful,” Latham said. “I love the hills. It is really close to home, which is great too. There is just nothing bad about it.”
Updated 01-18-2019
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