Brent Venables and every player suited up on Oklahoma’s roster locked arms and marched.
Literally, the members of the 128th team in OU history strode into the south end zone of Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium moments before Saturday’s spring game kicked off. Metaphorically, the program began its first public strides toward the Southeastern Conference, where Venables will lead a united new era of Sooners football.
From March 21, the day before spring practices began, all the way to the last practice on April 21, Venables emphasized the spring game and its importance to the foundation he’s building in his first season as head coach. Social promotions featuring “#PackThePalace” reinforced his statements that “everything matters” in the culture he’s cultivating.
When halftime rolled around Saturday, just ahead of the unveiling ceremony for former Sooners quarterback Baker Mayfield’s Heisman Trophy statue, Venables stared up at 75,360 fans, over 20,000 more than had ever attended an Oklahoma spring game.
His vision was coming to life right before his eyes.
“This is what family looks like and this is how we go from good to great,” he said. “This is taking everything that matters to a whole ‘nother level. To be great, every little inch takes excellence. This is what it’s supposed to look like in the palace.”
For one former Sooner, it was the manifestation of four words that embody the foundation being installed under Venables:
Love, trust, honor and respect.
Brent Venables recognizes alumni
OU football head coach Brent Venables huddles with former OU football players in attendance during the spring game on April 23.
Love
Just under three weeks ago, Dan Cody made his way back to Norman. The former Sooners defensive end was taking a break from training high schoolers in Ada to reunite with his former teammate, OU offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby.
During his April 4 visit, Cody wound up in Venables’ office, as he had when his football career ended and he grappled with what he called a psychological breakdown more than a decade ago. When Venables became a frontrunner to replace the departed Lincoln Riley in December, Cody noticed a picture in The Oklahoman of the Sooners’ then-defensive coordinator speaking to him on the sideline during his college days.
Now, sitting in his old coach’s office on a Monday morning, Cody couldn’t get a word in edgewise for 25 minutes as Venables outlined his vision. Venables wasn’t yammering about X’s and O’s, but a revamped way of doing things founded on love and family.
“Listening to him talk about his vision now and all these things, that's who he was (back) then and now he's really putting it together,” Cody said. “It was like God was speaking to me, man. I knew that when I would come and see him, something special was gonna happen.”
That evening, Lebby reached out and said Venables wanted him, alongside former teammates Teddy Lehman and Dusty Dvoracek, to address the team two days later. Cody’s subsequent speech centered on those four words, sentiments that permeated his conversation with Venables and that Sooner Nation saw on full display at large Saturday.
Thank you @CoachVenables for getting us together and giving us the opportunity to speak to the @OU_Football team this morning!! These are my guys!! Special Day with @TedLehman11 and DC!! #FAMILY pic.twitter.com/zYfb9rZgPF
— Dusty Dvoracek (@DustyDvoracek) April 7, 2022
With his current team still sitting in the locker room, Venables emerged from the southeast tunnel of Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium alone, holding a microphone and barking orders like regulars on campus have heard echoing off nearby buildings the past few weeks.
Venables called all former OU players present in the stadium — from stars like Adrian Peterson and Kyler Murray to those whose names never glimmered as brightly but whose contributions built today’s legacy — to a huddle at midfield.
It harkened to former Sooners coach Bob Stoops’ remarks in wake of Riley’s shocking exit that “Sooner football is not defined by one individual,” but rather by all who have played on Owen Field.
“I’m standing before you because of you,” Venables said to the assembled alumni, and the crowd at large. “And your work, your commitment, your dedication and your love for this great university. This is Oklahoma, the winningest team in the modern era. This place always has been, and always will be about the players.
“This is the home that y’all have built. I want to show them the love and the appreciation of these guys, their work, their belief, their commitment to making this the model program in all of college football.”
Jeremiah Hall won’t ever play for Venables, but the former OU H-back still took to heart the message while standing among the generations gathered at midfield.
𝘍𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺.#OUDNA pic.twitter.com/9BAxMpwXeV
— Oklahoma Football (@OU_Football) April 24, 2022
“He made a big point on bringing the family back,” Hall told The Daily. “Making sure that former players and former staff feel welcome here at OU, and (the spring game weekend) is part of a first step of many to come of former Sooners coming back, showing love to the team and helping guys out off the field as needed.”
Venables’ love shined throughout spring practice in various ways. Dinners at the Ranch Steakhouse for incoming players. Hyperice gear to care for sore arms and legs as well as dapper suits he purchased for the entire team. On the final day of practice, an ice cream truck rolled onto the field to treat the players.
But Venables has also sought to feed players’ souls. His first team meeting consisted of a message from the Bible about unity. From there, his S.O.U.L. Mission team has taken over, providing opportunities for holistic development.
That’ll continue this summer, Venables said Saturday, as S.O.U.L. director Caleb Kelly helped organize competitive internship interviews for the team.
In the next two weeks, 30 players will be awarded 10-day micro internships of post-football business interests with their travel and lodging paid by OU. Just under 40 additional players will participate in a service trip during that time. The opportunities Venables has put before his players in such a short time hasn't gone unnoticed by Hall.
“That just goes to show that he cares about you not only as a football player,” Hall said, “But as a person, and when you get better as a person, you can actually get better as a football player and in all areas of life.”
OU football head coach shakes hands with former OU football player Brian Bosworth in attendance during the spring game on April 23.
Trust
Before shaking Venables’ hand Saturday, Brian Bosworth hadn’t reconnected with the Sooners’ coach beyond a few text messages.
Bosworth has mostly been out of Oklahoma recently given his acting career. Still, the legendary former Sooners linebacker can see the trust OU’s new leader is building with players past and present.
“I’m glad that we brought back somebody that has his tenacity,” Bosworth told The Daily. “I’m more encouraged that we’re bringing back a coach that has a strong sense of faith, because I think with faith you’re gonna have a different kind of commitment to family.
“That kind of mentality is probably what’s been missing for some time. Not to take anything away from the previous teams and the previous coaches, I just believe that it was the right time and I think we got the better end of the deal given the circumstances of where we’re headed in the next years.”
Word on the street there is a battle brewing..OUr leadership is strong now..The Sooner Nation has your back @CoachVenables prOUd of OUr direction of this historic program @OU_Football pic.twitter.com/5BEGg2xwU1
— Brian Bosworth (@GotBoz44) April 24, 2022
Earning player buy-in has been a focus for Venables and the trust he’s forging shined on Saturday.
On their own, the players led a morning walkthrough to prepare for the red-white contest. Come game time, quarterback Dillon Gabriel, playing for both sides, ran Lebby’s tempo offense with the speed that has been fawned about all spring.
In the end, Venables saw his Red team beat his White team 21-17, an effort that demonstrated a work in progress worthy of excitement.
“Mission accomplished,” Venables said afterward as the trust he put in his players, his players put in themselves and the fans put into the program bore fruit. “And the No. 1 reason why is when we showed up today, the mindset was right. Our attitude was right. Our focus and intensity was right. That’s what has me fired up and excited, knowing we’re going in the right direction.”
It was a striking pivot from four and a half months ago, when the Sooners’ fan base was demoralized after Riley — who’d led OU to five Big 12 Championships and three College Football Playoff berths — bailed seemingly overnight for Southern California.
Saturday was an opportunity to rebuild the trust Riley squandered, and Sooner Nation responded.
OU radio host Toby Rowland said Friday that 60,000 tickets had been sold and the athletic department expected numerous walk-up purchases on Saturday. Fans did exactly that, filing in even after kickoff, forcing the opening of the upper decks on the east and west sides.
Meanwhile, USC played its spring game at the same time, in a contest aired on ESPN. Entry at what Riley has called “the mecca of college football” was free, and the Trojans set a record with 33,427 in attendance — 41,933 fewer than packed the Palace on the Prairie.
Pretty impressive turnout pic.twitter.com/QsoXMuNkuq
— Eddie Radosevich (@Eddie_Rado) April 23, 2022
An updated look at USC’s spring game attendance for those of you who think I have bad intentions pic.twitter.com/Jel2Evqx04
— Ryan Kartje (@Ryan_Kartje) April 23, 2022
Venables, whose game drew no national broadcast, nonetheless noted the Sooner faithful were “on fire,” creating a passionate atmosphere reminiscent of a big regular season game, including a new tradition of the full team standing at midfield to sing the OU anthem postgame.
Speaking directly to the fans, Venables thanked the crowd for the trust it put in the program, and doubled down on what he expects as the SEC jump looms.
“We only get six opportunities in the palace a year,” Venables said. “We need to make The Palace an absolute nightmare for opponents. This place has gotta be demoralizing, deafening.”
For Bosworth, a mainstay of some of the greatest teams in OU history, the message resonated.
“I’m looking forward to his first-year campaign, and if he struggles the first year it wouldn’t surprise me, but I know what his long-term goal and vision is and that’s what’s most important,” Bosworth said.
“I think what he’s really trying to impart to the Sooner faithful is if you wanna be part of something great, you gotta get in at the beginning and really believe that the work that goes in will pay off eventually. So, you gotta bring that brand along with the loyalty and get that loyalty to trust the message and I think that’s really what he’s trying to do, by being consistent with both his words and his actions.”
Former OU football players, all Heisman trophy winners, (from left to right) Steve Owens, Jason White, Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray during the spring game on April 23.
Honor
Much of the spring game weekend was dedicated to honoring Mayfield, whose Heisman recognition was thwarted by COVID-19 in 2020.
From the private celebration at the Everest Training Center that revealed his stiff-arming silhouette to the halftime ceremony that saw the installed statue uncloaked in Jenkins Avenue’s Heisman Park, Mayfield received all the respect OU fans had to give.
“It’s pretty special to have a place packed like this for a moment like this,” Mayfield said, choking up as he spoke at midfield minutes before his statue was revealed to the masses. “I know it’s very rare. Thank you guys so much for coming out and letting me live out my dream. …This place is special.”
Later, Mayfield briefly complimented Riley, whose tutelage helped him win the Heisman and become the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. Yet, the player known for harnessing his emotion to dig deep and reach new heights was candid about his admiration for the equally animated Venables.
“I would’ve loved to have played for him,” said Mayfield, who indicated he was ready to run through a wall for OU’s new leader after meeting with him Friday. “Not that I had bad coaches by any means. He just gets you fired up. We talked for 30 minutes and we didn’t even talk about football once.
“He talks about building character, building the foundation for what he’s trying to build at this place. In this transition period to when the conference change does happen, being strong, all in together, and just developing young men and caring about them off the field, because they’ll fight for him on the field when that happens.”
Venables made a point of noting during his halftime speech his first team is the 128th in OU’s storied history. However, for it to produce the honors bestowed on Heisman winners like Mayfield, Murray, Steve Owens and Jason White or national champions like Jamelle Holieway and Bosworth — all present Saturday — there’s still much to be unlocked.
“Team 128, you get to write your own story,” Venables said. “But y'all ain't done nothing yet. Four and a half months, we got spring ball done, but we got a lot of work to do, and you're gonna get exactly what you earn. Nothing more, nothing less.”
The Sooners during the spring game on April 23, 2022.
Respect
Venables has said before he's looking to nurture "the uncommon man," so it's fitting that the back wall of OU's team meeting room boasts a picture of Mayfield featuring that phrase. And when anyone speaks to current Sooners from the podium in that venue, they stand next to additional messages Venables has plastered on the walls that uphold expectations within the program.
“Best is the standard.”
“Wrong is wrong even if everyone is doing it.”
“Right is right even when nobody’s doing it.”
On Saturday, as their teammates headed out for the second half, Gabriel and junior Marvin Mims saw an opportunity to do right and uphold the standard. They stayed in the locker room gathering trash before returning to the game, heeding Venables’ admonitions that no one else should pick up after the Sooners.
The quarterback-wide receiver duo was also rooting out what the team has come to define as “insidious” behavior within its ranks. Back in February, Venables had entered a meeting with that word scribbled on a notecard and asked players to define it. Freshman wide receiver Jayden Gibson asked if it was comparable to cancer.
“It's like cancer,” Venables said Saturday. “What does cancer do? If you don't get it out, it multiplies. And so for us, just guarding against the cancers (is important), and it's the little things, being desperate and fundamental to doing the little things right. Character matters. What you do in the dark is gonna come to light. Who you are when nobody's watching, that matters.”
In particular, sophomore defensive end Ethan Downs was drawn to Venables’ message.
“It’s common to have insidious behavior in a locker room,” Downs said. “Normal teams will let insidious behavior happen in the background and not expect it to come out in front, but in a game it always shows up. So, we are a team that completely eliminates insidious behavior.”
That tracks with his coach’s belief that everything matters, even things that would seem small, or unnoticeable to others.
In the case of the trash, most players didn't notice it was around their locker room, much less that two of their best teammates and leaders were not on the field with them as the start of the second half neared.
“Young people, that's just what they do, they lose their way, they lose their focus,” Venables said. “And our job is to guide them and nurture them and take them where they can't go on their own. But hopefully, you're planting the right seeds and then next thing you know, you’ve got guys that are late coming out of halftime because they're in there cleaning the locker room.
“That’s what it looks like. That’s a good problem to have, right? If we’re going to be a championship program, that matters, to keep the insidious behavior out of our locker room and out of this program.”
Unified vision
The Sooners during the spring game on April 23.
Unified vision
Cody’s recent talk with his former coach turned into a walk through the Barry Switzer Center and a glimpse into the future.
Along for the walk was Venables’ chief of staff, Thad Turnipseed, the infrastructure guru credited as a key contributor to the elite programs Nick Saban and Dabo Swinney built at Alabama and Clemson, respectively.
Venables and Turnipseed spelled out their broader vision: Redesigning the football facility to improve functionality, creating a dedicated recruiting team that monitors prospects’ social media activity, acquiring a 100-yard practice field for better preparation, and creating a game day atmosphere that mirrors a village, the first fruits of which assembled at the spring game.
For Cody, it all reflected what he shared with the Sooners during his speech, that progressing as a football player is like checking boxes. You don’t beat Texas, he told today’s team, just on the second Saturday of next October.
Winning then starts today.
“As a former player, as a fan, as a citizen of Oklahoma, this is a vision beyond anything I would have ever thought that was out there,” Cody said. “This has been an amazing hire. I was inspired by this guy, his words alone, let alone what he's gonna do when they bring this thing to the next level, because of the future with what they're going to do with recruiting and building these relationships with the families and all these things.
“He wants to help players, he wants to help kids, he wants to see them succeed. I'm like, ‘I want to be here, I want to be a part of this.’ You don't think I left there wanting to be a part of that? I’ve been walking on air since.”
