E ven though Julie Venables quit her occupation as a nurse almost three years ago after her first child Jake was born, she said she still gets phone calls from friends to consult her about their children's health.
"A lot of (coaches') wives call me for questions if their kids are sick," said Venables, wife of OU football linebackers and co-defensive coordinator coach, Brent Venables.
Robin Schmidt, wife of director of sports enhancement Jerry Schmidt, recently called Venables and wanted to know what to give her daughter Aubrey, who had cold-like symptoms, she said.
"She wanted to know what to give her, whether she needed to go into the doctor or get antibiotics," Venables said. "I told her to use a humidifier and an over-the-counter decongestant before trying antibiotics."
Angie Wilson, wife of running game coordinator and offensive line coach Kevin Wilson and mother of four, has also called Venables with health questions concerning her children.
"I've called her and asked her when my child has had something that they've never been exposed to before," Wilson said.
Venables worked as a registered nurse at Memorial Hospital in Manhattan, Kan., and at Presbyterian Hospital in Oklahoma City until she had her first child, Jake. Three months after he was born, she went back to the hospital, worked one shift, and decided to quit.
"There was one nurse for every 13 patients, and the nursing shortage kept growing and growing," Venables said. "To help Brent be successful with his job, we felt the best decision would be for me to stay at home with the family."
The Venables now have a second son, 8-month-old Tyler, a dark-haired chubby baby who is just learning how to eat Cheerios. Jake, 2, is beginning to potty train and loves to visit the Sam Noble Museum of Natural History to see the dinosaurs.
Venables said becoming a mother was a challenge.
"It was life-altering that I couldn't go anywhere by myself," she said. "I was sleep deprived for a good six or seven months, so it took a lot of adjustments. But it was a good change. By the time Tyler arrived, we were well-prepared."
Nicole Stoops, wife of co-defensive coordinator and associate head coach Mike Stoops, has known Venables for five years and lives two doors down from her.
"She's a great friend," Stoops said. "She's a very patient mother. She doesn't yell or scream a lot. She tries to redirect Jake if he gets ornery."
Venables said her husband usually leaves for work by 7:30 a.m. and returns by 9:30 or 10 p.m.
"I have to be very independent and understanding," Venables said. "It's challenging, but if you want it to work, you have to work at it and make sacrifices. As much as I can, I try to get Jake and Tyler involved. We make time for each other every day, and make time for the boys to see him."
Venables said she lets Jake stay up past bedtime about twice a week so he can see his daddy when he comes home, and some mornings Brent will take Jake to school. The Venables eat out as a family once a week at Mr. Goodson's, and she takes Jake and Tyler by their daddy's office or to football practice once a week.
"I love what I do with (the children), and I love what he does, and I try to tie the two together," Venables said.
Venables said she does not consider herself or her family celebrity.
"He just goes to work like everybody else," she said. "He just happens to be involved in football, America's favorite past-time. The pressure's always there every week to win."
Venables said the biggest advantage of being a coach's wife is getting to stay at home with her sons.
"There's something new these two bring every day," Venables said. "They're so much fun. There's so much to learn, and I feel fortunate I get to teach them."
Jake attends music school on Mondays and Fridays, and Mother's Day Out on Tuesdays and Thursdays. While Jake is at school, Venables takes Tyler with her to run errands, she said.
The only free day Venables has is Tuesday, when Tyler also goes to Mother's Day Out.
"That's my one day all to myself," Venables said. "I try to schedule haircuts and appointments then."
In between taking care of her family and running errands, Venables said she works out about four times a week, works on putting together her sons' memory books and volunteers.
Venables is a member of the Junior League of Norman, an organization of women volunteers 25 and older. The organization works on various projects around the community. Venables is currently working on the Abbot House Project, decorating and helping prepare for Christmas.
"To give a little back to people is important," Venables said. "There's so many people out there that need things."
Independently of JLN, the Venables donate a turkey at Thanksgiving and adopt a needy family at Christmas, she said.
Venables was born Julie Fisher on Sept. 14, 1973, in Hutchison, Kan., to Carl and Vicki Fisher. She said both her parents worked full-time while she was growing up, which has helped her to realize the value of staying at home with her children.
Venables attended Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kan., and Washburn University in Topeka, Kan., to get her bachelor's of science in nursing.
While at KSU, during her freshman year she met Brent Venables, a senior who had just ended his career as a football player.
"I was just a high-energized freshman experiencing college," Venables said. "Since he was older, he was ready for a relationship, and I was just on the opposite side of that."
They kept in touch during the next few years, but did not begin dating until four years later in January 1995 after she had transferred to Washburn University for nursing school, she said.
"He showed he was committed," Venables said. "He lived an hour away and was a graduate assistant at K State. He was always the one driving to Topeka."
She and Brent Venables were married in July 1997.
They bought a house in Manhattan and she worked as a registered nurse at Memorial Hospital while he coached football at KSU.
"(Nursing) was a lot of stress, but as a new graduate it was fun," Venables said. "It was an adrenaline rush, because you never knew what you were going to have that evening."
In February 1999, the Venables moved to Norman after Brent accepted a coaching job at OU. hello there & you too
