Oreo Pancakes? Gaining Weight Has Oklahoma OL Savion Byrd Finally Starting to Fit In

NORMAN — Savion Byrd is finally starting to feel like an offensive lineman at Oklahoma, even though he has played the guard position for parts of two seasons.

After gaining 30 pounds since starting a summer conditioning program, Byrd looks the part at 6-foot-5, 305 pounds.

"(I) eat anything I can put my hands on," told the media Tuesday after practice inside Everest Training Center. "I’ve been feeling bad because I feel like I’ve low-key been getting an eating disorder. I feel like I’m really one of the linemen now."

The transformation has been a group effort. Carol's Kitchen on Classen Bouleverd supplies the Oreo pancakes Byrd loves and he frequents a food truck on Lindsey Street for nacho fries and tacos.

"These Oreo pancakes — it’s like two pancakes with Oreo on the top," he said. "In the middle is cookie crumble, like, yeah, you got me sweating. I like breakfast food."

Byrd, a redshirt sophomore from Cedar Hill, TX, starts his day with a 530-calorie nutritional drink.

"I’m literally trying to eat a meal every hour," he said. "It does make me feel heavy at times. It takes what it takes. That’s just being consistent with it. My weight has been going up."

Offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh is among those who support the weight gain, according to Byrd.

"Coach B loves it," he said. "He joked around the other day, called me fat. I think that’s a good sign."

Food hasn't been Byrd's only focus since the beginning of fall camp, which is winding down ahead of the Sooners' Sept. 2 season opener against Arkansas State.

"Being present in the moment and taking it one day at a time," he said. "Getting the game plans down. Learning how to watch film properly. Learning how to really be consistent, day in and day out.

"Being physical is not going to be the problem, just making sure my hands are in the right place, feet, leverage. Just being consistent with my blocks and becoming the best offensive lineman I can be."

Center Andrew Raym called Byrd "a mauler" who is "going to give his all every play."

"If he gets his hands on you, you better start praying," Raym said Tuesday. "But shoot, Byrd, he gets them hips and hands in, he’s going to be a hell of a player. He’s going to move people off the line, make a lot of holes, make a lot of touchdown runs.

"Byrd’s grown up a lot. He’s doing great this year. It’s more so about when we get on those tempo situations. We’ve just got to continue to work on the stamina. Byrd, he understands the offense, understands how to play football. We’ve just got to keep working on on stamina. He’s going to be great.”

Offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby said Byrd is a "difference-maker" at left guard.

“Savion’s done a nice job," Lebby said. "He’s continuing to mature physically. He’s a difference-maker at that position inside. He’s gotta continue to mature and understand what we’re doing inside every game plan.

"But proud of how he’s worked himself into being a real guy at left guard. Just like everybody else, just like myself, we’ve gotta get a heck of a lot better before next Saturday.”

Lebby likes what he sees so far from the offensive line.

"We’ve got guys that have played a lot of football, so that’s been a huge part of it," he said. "There’s experience inside that group. There’s a couple guys that haven’t necessarily played a lot of football, (but) they’re incredibly capable. So we feel good about that group. We do. Now it’s time to continue to tune it up and be ready for showtime next Saturday.”

Lebby, a former offensive lineman, said the offense will "go as the big boys go."

"This game is won in the trenches and if you're on the wrong side of it, you know, there's probably some issues in the trenches," he said. "I'm fully aware that being dominant up front and leaning on people and doing what we need to do offensively, it's gonna start and stop with those guys."

Byrd said competing against each other every day in camp has brought out the best in the offensive line unit.

"It's just everybody wants to get better, everybody wants to stack days and everybody has something that they need to get better at," he said. "Like when we go to the film room and you hear Coach B constantly repeat something, that's what you should focus on that day. It's amazing to see the traits of everybody inside our offensive line room, like what they bring to the table."

Sign up for your premium membership to AllSooners.com today, and get access to the entire Fan Nation premium network!
Follow AllSooners on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest OU news!
Want even more Sooners news? Check out the SI.com OU team page here!
Listen and subscribe to the AllSooners Podcast!
Watch more Sooners videos and subscribe on YouTube!