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NORMAN — Brent Venables, then a young defensive coordinator, recruited Curtis Lofton from Kingfisher High School to OU. Venables helped Lofton develop into an All-American linebacker, a Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and a second-round pick in the 2008 NFL Draft.
Lofton was a standout on Venables’ defense, but the two didn’t always get along.
“Coach Venables wasn’t my favorite person when I was in school,” Lofton told The Oklahoman on Saturday. “And the reason why was I didn’t understand at 18, 19, 20 years of age that he had a standard of perfection for me.”
It wasn’t until Lofton’s third year in the NFL that he understood Venables’ way.
“I called him and thanked him for having an unwavering standard for me,” Lofton said.
Sixteen years later, with a title that defines the changing times of college football, Lofton was hired last week as OU football’s first general manager. He’ll work alongside Venables, now entering his third season as Sooner head coach, to build a roster in ways that didn’t exist back when Lofton was playing.
“We’re in uncharted waters,” Lofton said. “Each day it seems like something new comes out.”
More: 1Oklahoma announced as OU’s new official NIL collective
Curtis Lofton, Oklahoma football general manager, speaks during a press conference for a celebrity shootout charity event at the Compliance Solutions Championship golf tournament in Norman, Okla., Saturday, June 22, 2024.
New name, image and likeness (NIL) rules. New transfer portal regulations. New ways to acquire and retain players.
College football as we once knew it is dead. Some of the changes, like compensating players and giving them the same freedom as coaches, are good. Others, like Stanford being a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference, are not.
College football has long been a business…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/mussatto-why-curtis-lofton-embracing-113039099.html
Author : The Oklahoman
Publish date : 2024-06-25 11:30:39
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