By Mike Moguin
When you see Ryder Murphy on the football field this fall, the senior wide receiver will be playing for a different team in Class 6AI. He’ll be wearing the red, black, and white at Mustang after previously donning the black and orange at Norman, where he transferred from.
When he was at Norman last year in his junior campaign, Murphy produced 1,150 yards on 63 receptions and set two school records. Murphy is a Christian and uses the Bible verse, Romans 8:31, where it says, “What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” for inspiration. He considers that passage to be the best advice he has ever received.
Sometimes, outside of your schoolwork, you want to keep your focus on one thing. For Murphy, it’s football. He is not involved in any sports or any non-athletic activities.
The accomplishment he is most proud of is “Getting my first (NCAA) D1 offer,” Murphy said. That first offer came from the Air Force Academy. Murphy said he has also received offers from the Army and Henderson State.
Playing the gridiron, Murphy said, has taught him to “Forget about the bad and move on to the next good thing.”
His favorite teacher is “Mr. Morrow from my junior year in chemistry,” Murphy said.
The person who inspires him the most is “George Pickens. I like his play style and the way he carries himself,” Murphy said.
Pickens is an NFL wide receiver who is now with the Dallas Cowboys after playing the past three seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played collegiately at Georgia and was a member of the Bulldogs’ 2021 national championship team.
He looks to his older brother, Phoenix Murphy, as the teammate who has left the biggest impression on him. “He was a great leader,” the younger Murphy said.
HIs favorite part about representing his new high school as an athlete is “I get to represent the bonding and leadership the school has, and how hard working we are,” Murphy said.
The new Mustang Bronco wants to give a shoutout to his mom.
“She’s been there through it all and has been my biggest supporter no matter what,” he said.
