Former Edison star heads to Utah

Former Edison High football standout Tommy Grady has transferred from

the University of Oklahoma and enrolled at the University of Utah,

said Liz Abel, associate athletics director of sports information at

Utah.

Grady has joined the Utes football squad and can join in on

practices immediately, but has to sit out the 2005 season due to his

transfer.

He’ll be eligible to play for the Utes in the 2006 and 2007

seasons, Abel said. Classes got underway Wednesday.

Grady joins former Edison teammate Daryl Poston (Class of 2000)

and Steve Fifita of Fountain Valley High (Class of 2000) at Utah.

Poston, a running back who transferred to Utah from USC, and

Fifita, a defensive lineman, are entering their senior year.

The Utes finished 12-0 and with a top five ranking in 2004.

Grady was on Oklahoma squads that played in the BCS national

championship game the past two years. He could not be reached for

comment.

Grady had not practiced with the Sooners during preseason drills

this year due to his completing an intercession course at the school,

Kenny Mossman, associate athletics director for communications,

confirmed Tuesday.

“In missing so much practice Tommy feels that it would be

difficult to catch up now and would prefer to pursue other options,”

Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops said in an official statement.

“Unfortunately, the time he needed to spend in class worked against

him on the football field. We wish that wasn’t the case, but we

understand the importance of academics.

“We’re disappointed, but we’re all for Tommy and are confident

that he’ll be a fine college quarterback.”

When he graduated in 2003 from Edison, Grady left as the school’s

all-time passing leader.

A sophomore in 2004, the 6-foot-7, 221-pound Grady played in five

games last season for the Sooners, completing 12-of-14 passes for 63 yards and one touchdown as the team’s backup to 2003 Heisman Trophy

winner Jason White.

He figured to be in the hunt, along with junior Paul Thompson and

redshirt freshman Rhett Bomar, as heir apparent to the graduated

White.

“We were very excited for Tommy to compete for the starting

quarterback position and he was most definitely in the thick of that

competition,” said Chuck Long, the offensive coordinator and

quarterbacks coach at Oklahoma. “Tommy has a lot of ability. We are

sorry that he won’t be here with us, but we support what he’s doing

and wish him a lot of success.”