NEW YORK — I told you.

Those were the first words Mayomi Olootu Jr. — Kyler Murray’s high school teammate and one of his closest friends — said over the phone Saturday night just moments after Murray won the Heisman Trophy. Olootu Jr. knew six years ago after just one workout Murray was bound for greatness. And now, Murray, who said all week he expected to be in New York at the beginning of the season, has cemented himself in Oklahoma and college football history.

He proved Olootu Jr. and himself right. And while it may have been a dream he expected, it was a moment he will never forget.

“This is crazy,” Murray in opening his speech after edging out Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa by 239 first-place vote. “This is something I’ve worked my whole life for — to fulfill my goals.”

Murray’s 2018 season has been nothing short of remarkable, totaling for 4,945 yards and 51 touchdowns. It was a season full of highlights and memorable plays, from his 15-yard scramble against Florida Atlantic to his game-sealing touchdown pass against Texas in the Big 12 Championship. As the season progressed, Oklahoma seemed to take on Murray’s will to win — something he’s had his entire career, from posting a 43-0 high school record to leading OU to a 12-1 record — following in his footsteps as he took the Sooners on a path to Miami for the College Football Playoff against Alabama Dec. 29.

And once again, he and Oklahoma were winners Saturday night.

Oklahoma and Murray made history, becoming just the second school to have different back-to-back winners — the first since Army in 1945-46 — and bringing home OU’s seventh Heisman Trophy, tying Notre Dame and Ohio State for the most by any program.

“It’s part of playing at Oklahoma. You’re in the spotlight. You’re going to play in big games. You’re going to have that pressure,” Jason White said, who won the 2003 Heisman while at OU. “It just comes with the terrioritory of being the quarterback at Oklahoma. Whether you’re up for the Heisman Trophy or just trying to make a bowl game, you’re the quarterback at the University of Oklahoma. That’s a pretty big deal.”

Murray has shown he knows how to handle that pressure. His quiet, yet confident demeanor was on display Friday and Saturday in the city that never sleeps. He fielded question after question about the future of his athletic career — will it be NFL or Major League Baseball? The No. 9 overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft answered each question the same, eventually giving a reporter a “no comment” and a “that was a good one” after he asked Murray if he would be the third major league player behind Vic Janowicz and Bo Jackson to win the Heisman.

But Saturday night wasn’t about baseball or Murray’s possible future in the NFL. It was about accomplishing something few have in a season that even fewer expected.

“I knew from day one,” Olootu Jr. said Saturday night of his former teammate at Allen (Texas) High School. “I told everyone my quarterback was better than theirs. I can’t wait to see him and hug him and give him trash.”

Friday night, Murray sat in his room at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square with his former offensive coordinator at Allen, Jeff Fleener. The two talked about the weekend and how special, and exhausting, it was. They reflected on the three years they had together, remembering not just the plays but the moments that sparked his incredible career.

Fleener, like many others at Allen, saw Murray’s potential from the start. He even placed a bet on his former quarterback to win the Heisman in September. That’s where Murray gets his confidence and swagger: Those around him believing in him to be the best.

“This didn’t just happen,” Murray said at the press conference. “I’ve put so much time and effort into this game. This is a great accomplishment obviously, but like I said, I wouldn’t be here if weren’t for many people in my life.”

It hasn’t always been easy for Murray.

Transferring from Texas A&M after one season, fans and media were skeptical of the former five-star quarterback as he arrived in Norman. Saturday night, for the first time Murray opened up about his time at A&M. He recalled being frustrated in his dorm room at College Station. Calling his parents, saying he didn’t want to be there anymore. That he didn’t want to play in a bowl game.

He wanted to start over. He wanted to start over at Oklahoma.

“The competitor in me was just frustrated because I wasn’t able to contribute the way I wanted to,” Murray said. “Once the process started over again, coach (Lincoln) Riley made me feel like I was going to Oklahoma before I even sent the papers in.”

Dressed in his all-black suit and silver tie, Murray spoke for just a few moments backstage to a select group of media following his formal press conference. He was polite and humble, shaking all six media members hands before and after talking. He checked his phone mid-interview, scrolling through the hundreds of texts lighting up his phone much like he’s lit up college football this season.

It was a night he dreamed of, a night he wanted.

“It’s been a good year,” Murray said with a smile, “hasn’t it?”

And it’s not over yet.