Oklahoma Football: Why Dominique Whaley Will Be an Offensive Stud in 2012

The upcoming 2012 season holds much promise for the Oklahoma Sooners and senior running back Dominique Whaley. 

Whaley surprised everyone last year while ascending from a no-name walk-on to the team's starting running back. Alas, his story took a turn for the worse in Week 6 when his storybook season came to official close following a fractured ankle. 

Whaley produced 627 yards, nine touchdowns and a 5.5 yards-per-carry average prior to going down, and it's that impressive, yet small sample that has many excited for the prospects of the 2012 season. 

Running backs coach Cale Gundy recently commented on Whaley's long and arduous recovery process recently. Per the Oklahoman:

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“He looks good,” Gundy said. “I saw a little bit more stuff (Tuesday than I normally see) and he was running around a little bit faster. He's amazing. He did a tremendous job of motivating himself [during the rehab process]. He works just as hard on individual stuff that he has to do. Compared with what everybody else is doing with weights he's doing his own stuff just as hard.”

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Whaley is expected back for preseason camp as he continues to progress through his recovery timetable. This time around he's preparing for the season as a scholarship player, having earned his spot on the roster before the season has even begun. 

It's a long way for Whaley, now an offensive co-captain, to have gone. He used to make ends meet as a Subway sandwich shop employee following practice, but he can now fully dedicate himself to a much more heralded craft—shredding defenses instead of cheeses. 

This season will mark Whaley's last year of eligibility and thus, his last shot to prove his worth to the next level of talent evaluators. Whaley could not only be he key to getting the Sooners over the national championship hump, he could also prove to be worthy of a look from the NFL if he's able to cap off his breakout season with a bang. 

Oklahoma is known to be a pro factory as of late, and the recent success of Adrian Peterson and DeMarco Murray has the spotlight burning brightly on Whaley. Now it's his time to shine.