Of all the social media notifications D.J. Graham received on Saturday, one stood out.
The sophomore cornerback said his phone basically wouldn’t turn off after OU’s 23-16 win over Nebraska. Every few seconds, Graham’s Twitter flooded with likes, retweets and posts about his one-handed interception in the game’s fourth quarter.
The pick, just the second of Graham’s Sooner career, drew FOX color commentator Joel Klatt to question if it “could be the best interception ever” as the broadcast replayed the moment. Meanwhile, notable OU alumni — Adrian Peterson, CeeDee Lamb, Kenny Stills, Joe Mixon and Trae Young — took to Twitter, praising the Fort Worth native’s play.
.@TheTraeYoung's view of one of the best interceptions of the year 🥶 pic.twitter.com/I05ILgzIyo
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 18, 2021
But, while he considers it an honor to just be mentioned by those former Sooners, his favorite shoutout came from an athlete he used to have as the wallpaper on his iPhone — NFL receiver Odell Beckham Jr.
“It means the world to me,” Graham said of Beckham’s tweet during a press conference Wednesday. “I played receiver literally all the way up through high school, and I thought I was going to college to play receiver. … For him to say something, I was like, ‘Wow, I can’t believe it.’ Like I’ve said, he’s my idol. … I mean, I bought his cleats.”
can’t believe my idol said sum bruh …. 🤯🤯 https://t.co/xw4bt3J95R
— DJ Graham (@djgraham_) September 19, 2021
Graham said he started practicing one-handed catches after watching the then-New York Giants reciever’s famous 43-yard snag against Dallas in 2014. He also mentioned he’ll leave it up to everybody else to decide which catch was better. Nonetheless, as Beckham’s did, Graham’s play brought him national attention, and he’s fine with that.
On Monday, Graham unveiled t-shirts showcasing the interception, which fans can purchase for $30 online. Made possible by the NCAA’s new name, image and likeness policy, Graham said the item has sold well in the days following its launch.
“I tried to capitalize on that immediately,” Graham said. “(At first), I really wasn't even thinking about that, but my team was like, ‘Bro, you got to put on a shirt. When's the merchandise dropping?’ And I was like maybe I do need to kick this thing off.”
— DJ Graham (@djgraham_) September 21, 2021
Additionally, Graham was selected as the “Toughest Player on Planet Earth” by the Rich Eisen Show, a segment sponsored by the Gorilla Glue Company. As part of the selection, he was awarded a $1,000 check alongside a few Gorilla Glue products.
While on Eisen’s show, the emerging 6-foot defensive star happily accepted his winnings.
“I might just take something apart and just test the glue out,” Graham said Wednesday during his interview with Eisen. “Or I might just send it to my parents and tell them, ‘Hey mom, go ahead and break something, let’s see how good this glue is.’”
Similarly, defensive coordinator Alex Grinch was in a joking mood Tuesday when asked if Graham’s play was teachable. After initially saying the Sooners’ coaching staff teaches all its players to do that, he chuckled before retracting that statement to admit he’d never seen a catch like Graham’s before.
“That was a tremendous play,” Grinch said. “Ball (was) in the air, and he goes out and makes a play on it. I thought it was a tremendous play in every way. … We have to make sure consistency comes with that, but absolutely give him (credit). That’s one most humans don’t make.”
Graham didn’t fully understand how he made the catch until he watched the replay in the stadium. He said he felt the play went by in slow motion, and he had no clue what his body was doing as his hands went for the ball.
He then revealed he actually wasn’t looking at the ball. Instead, he was attempting to guess where it was headed — something he’s practiced plenty of times before.
“I think it’s a God-given talent,” Graham said. “But I also think it's a cognitive ability to track the rotation of the ball. I mean, that's the whole point of catching is really tracking how the ball is rotating and catching it with your fingertips. I think that's where a lot of people go wrong when they try to catch the ball. They try to catch a ball with their whole hands, it’s really your fingertips.
“You don't have to see the ball to catch the ball, in theory, because I've done it before. But it just takes a bunch of practice.”
Before Graham’s interception, he surrendered a 55-yard completion from Cornhuskers quarterback Adrian Martinez to receiver Zavier Betts on the drive’s first play. But, as his soaring grab proved, Graham didn’t allow that to get him down. He instead adopted the “short memory” mindset Grinch instructs his unit to have, and in turn made a play just like his idol did.
“I've never been so clear minded,” Graham said. “After I got beat, my head has never been so clear about my job and what I need to do. I just play football and commit to my technique. And Coach Grinch says once you commit to your technique, the ball is going to find you.
“And that’s exactly what happened.”
