SoonerScoop video: OU players post-practice (Sept. 12)
OU is 2-0 and headed toward its first road game at Tulsa this weekend. The SoonerScoop crew was out in full force following Tuesday’s practice as Brent Venables’ group hits the turnpike.
Here’s the best of the best from the players following OU practice.
RB Jovantae Barnes
The lasting mark of former OU RB Eric Gray?
“I feel like Eric left his mark here for sure. As soon as I came in, I wanted to follow his lead and his footsteps and that’s what DeMarco told me exactly to do. Anything I see him doing, I do it too. So if that was in one-on-one meetings with Eric or just calling him to make sure this is the signal, this is the play call, this is what we have and just seeing everything he was doing. He was like a receiver in the backfield. So he did a great job when he was here and he’s definitely left his mark.”
OT Walter Rouse
Silver lining to have fixable mistakes early in the season?
“I think with the type of two games we’ve had and the one coming up, like Arkansas State—the effort was there, technique. Same thing—I think we got a little bit better, but same story with SMU. I guess having those couple games, because we haven’t had any conference games yet, it was nice to have but regardless, we should’ve had that technique from the start. I guess you could say it’s good that we have the ramp-up, if you want to say, but it’s no excuse to say, ‘It’s Arkansas State, so we don’t need to play with technique because we’re so much better.’ You need to be consistently consistent, if that makes sense to you guys.”
DE Ethan Downs
Being named captain this week?
“It’s a big responsibility to be a captain, to be claimed a captain of the week. It’s not — when we’re captains, we have our stretch lines right before practice. And our captains step forward and be recognized in between all the stretch lines as a prime example to look up to, you know, to be the most accountable, the most disciplined, to be the leaders of the day. So when I feel that the tempo is not, you know, we’re not going hard enough, we’re hitting hard enough. I’ve gotta be able to call it out, got to recognize it. I’ve got to identify it in myself and be a leader. So Captain is just highlighting it and saying ‘it’s your shot now’ to use your voice, to use your example.”
S Robert Spears-Jennings
Playing back in Tulsa?
“It feels good. I know a couple guys over there. It’s my hometown. I have a couple of family members over there. It’s going to be turnt. I have about 15 people coming for me. Gentry and J.J. Hester, J.K., a lot of guys from Tulsa.”
Fun watching Gentry?
“I’m proud of him. All summer, me and him were working by ourselves in the indoor. We’ve talked about this. Seeing him, he’s a captain this week. It’s made me 10 times happier for him.”
