Thank you Oklahoma
My first year at OU, I used to sneak onto the field late at night when the stadium was completely empty.
As a transfer student I wasn’t eligible to play in any games that season, but I decided if I was only allowed to practice, I wanted to be the best damn practice player the program had ever seen. I wanted to prove myself with every single rep, because I understood just how valuable those reps were. I needed to be impressive on every single play. So early on, I’d sneak onto the field so that I could go through the next day’s practice script. The security guards at the stadium didn’t care for that, so I’d get the boot after awhile, but I’m a visual learner so just having that time on the field to picture myself leading the offense was invaluable.
Eventually I managed to get the security code for the indoor practice facility, so I started going there at night. I’d be out on the field by myself, calling out imaginary signals to my imaginary receivers so they could get open against the imaginary defense. I’m sure I probably looked ridiculous. I can only imagine what some people must have thought about this new walk-on screaming out formations by himself in the middle of a dark field.
The past four years have been filled with huge moments on the biggest of stages, but that’s where it all started for me.
