Former Sooner fullback J.D. Runnels was first exposed to a familiar OU chant from the first day he arrived to Norman in 2002.
A tradition still alive today, Oklahoma football can regularly be heard yelling the phrase "we too deep," echoed by "O-U" at each interval.
#TBT They Tried It! 🐸☕️ #OUDNA #BoomerSooner pic.twitter.com/RiRW9OD00f
— Chip Viney (@OU_CoachViney) December 17, 2015
No. 1 Clemson, OU's opponent in the College Football Playoff semifinal round, claims the chant as well. But the Tigers went as far as making a music video entitled "We Too Deep" in 2014, and much debate has been made as to who started the chant.
"It’s something that’s been around (OU)," Runnels said. "I know there’s a big debate going on about it. Unless they have video of them doing it in 2002, that was our chant.”
The same chant is still yelled in unison by the 2015 version of Oklahoma football and has happened every game since junior Zack Sanchez arrived to Oklahoma in 2012.
Sanchez recalled his first home game against Florida A&M when he first heard the chant. As pregame warm-ups concludes, the tradition commences as the punt returner catches the ball and the team converges to midfield.
That's where the chant starts and where a younger Sanchez was first fired up by those three words. And he doesn't believe it will be going away any time soon.
“It’s something that’s been around here for a while," he said. "You can say the same thing about the shark stuff and Ole Miss. We've been doing that. It’s fine. (Clemson) can claim it if they want. But it’s something that happens and will continue to happen here.”
Senior Charles Tapper also remembers his first encounter with the chant.
Overwhelmed by the 85,000 fans at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, the defensive end was nervous as he took in his first home game.
But as the team converged to midfield, Tapper was simply trying to follow what everyone else did. And as a result, he couldn't wait to be the leader of the same "we too deep" chant.
"That feeling right there is unexplainable," Tapper said. "I can’t even explain to have your helmet (high) and screaming 'we too deep' in front of 85,000 and your brothers right there screaming with you."
Oklahoma and Clemson meet Dec. 31 at 3 p.m. for the Capital One Orange Bowl and College Football Playoff semifinals where the similar chants will likely collide.
