Following the 2001 OU-Texas game, then-Oklahoma defensive coordinator Mike Stoops had a meeting with Andre Woolfolk.
A junior at the time, Woolfolk was playing both wide receiver and cornerback for the Sooners. He was coming off his best defensive game of his career, totaling seven tackles, one pass breakup and an interception in a 14-3 win over the Longhorns.
After the game, Stoops had a heart-to-heart with Woolfolk.
"He asked if I would move full time to the defensive side of the ball," said Woolfolk, who ended up playing four years in the NFL. "He was just open and honest about it, and I think that's the best thing about it and something that this school has always done. It sounds like (head coach Lincoln) Riley is doing the same thing now, being open and blunt about everything."
Now, 18 years later, Oklahoma freshman Trejan Bridges is considering a similar move from wide receiver to safety — a decision he made on his own.
The former five-star wide receiver from Texas' Hebron High School was anticipated to be a standout in Riley's offense. But, according to defensive coordinator Alex Grinch, Bridges approached Riley about switching to defense last week and has been taking reps at safety since.
With an abundance of star wide receivers and a lack of depth at safety, Bridges' potential move makes sense. Woolfolk faced a similar situation his junior year.
"The kid taking my spot on offense at the time just so happened to be Mark Clayton," Woolfolk said with a laugh about Clayton, who went on to play seven years in the NFL. "So, yeah, it made sense."
But unlike Bridges, Woolfolk was primarily a defensive back at Thomas Jefferson High School in Denver. He redshirted his freshman season at OU as a corner under then-head coach John Blake, but the Sooners already had great defensive backs like Michael Thompson, J.T. Thatcher and Derrick Strait as starters. In 1999, Woolfolk told Bob Stoops he was a receiver.
At first, he spent most of his time on scout team as a receiver during the 1999 season. Partway through the year, after a couple defensive injuries and both Bob and Mike realized he played defensive back in high school, they asked him to play both ways. Still, he mostly played receiver in 1999 and 2000.
Woolfolk then became a key offensive contributor in the 2000 national championship. He caught 42 passes for 614 yards and five touchdowns, and he had maybe the catch of the year against then-No. 1 Nebraska. He was the team's second-leading wide receiver behind Antwone Savage.
HE CAUGHT IT!
— Oklahoma Football (@OU_Football) August 22, 2018
Andre Woolfolk with the incredible juggling act vs Nebraska.
⭕️🙌🏈🔙🔜 pic.twitter.com/aXGo5xCmVn
In 2001, he became more of a defensive contributor, having to start on both sides. He recalls playing close to 110 snaps in the season opener against North Carolina.
"It was literally going offense to defense every play," Woolfolk said. "It sounds great, going both ways, but you cheat yourself and the team a little bit because you're tired out there. You can't be the best you want to be on certain plays. You might be able to affect a play better if you have more energy.
"There were some days I didn't know what position I was playing until I saw the color of my jersey before practice."
Then, after the Texas game, he made the complete move to cornerback.
"It was kind of hard at first, going from catching the ball and all the 'divaness' that comes with playing wide receiver, and then going to defense," Woolfolk said. "You kind of have to remove yourself at first and be objective, and see how you can help the team the most. ... It hits you in the face at first because you feel like you're losing a part of your identity. But then eventually you realize, 'OK, wow. This is really going to benefit our team.'"
That's what Woolfolk likes most about Bridges' decision to try and play on the defensive side of the ball.
He respects Bridges' mentality to realize his talents can be used elsewhere, even if it isn't his first option or where he currently fits best.
"It shows great character," Woolfolk said. "You can have five-star kids all day long, but the main thing is if you're an awesome athlete and you have the ability to play anywhere, and right now you're not a main contributor for the team, I think it's awesome that someone can step out and say, 'I want to try doing something else.' I think it speaks volumes to the school and the program."
Woolfolk said he doesn't think Bridges will have a difficult time transitioning, noting that guys that play on the outside — whether they're wide receivers, corners or safeties — already have the mindset that every time the ball is in the air, they want to attack it. For him, going from wide receiver to corner was likely more difficult than it would have been going from receiver to safety.
"All it comes down to is technique, which really, really sucks because it does not transfer over at all. Whatever you were doing over at receiver, the only thing that transfers over when you go to corner is your ball-attacking ability and your hands," Woolfolk said. "But going from wide receiver to safety, that should be easier in the sense that some of the demands of safety are not exactly like a corner. A lot of times you do have help or are the help. It's a good thing he's not just going to corner, because that's a lonely place.
"There are definitely some nuances he's going to have to get used to, but watching him, I don't think he'll have any issues."
Everything worked out for Woolfolk in the end. He started at corner the rest of the season in 2001 and all of 2002 as a team captain. He was taken 28th overall by the Tennessee Titans in the 2003 NFL Draft and played four seasons in the league. He thinks Bridges can be just as successful at safety and a key component in Oklahoma's defense.
As for the biggest piece of advice Woolfolk can offer? Take it day-by-day.
"Each week I had to choose something I was going to get better at. There (were) a few games and practices that had some teachable moments. And you don't want to get baptized right there on the field, but sometimes that's the best way to learn," Woolfolk said. "So I would tell him that, each week, he should have a goal of something he wants to get better at that position. Trust the process."
