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I was leaving a world and a world view I had navigated for 18 years. I was familiar with it.
Now, barely an adult, I started college in search, not of fame or fortune, but of discovery.
I had no idea how the next four or five years of my life would play out.
I was in search of a future that unfolded differently than I ever imagined.
I grew up in a small town in Oklahoma in a black neighborhood on the east side of the railroad tracks.
Eufaula, at the time, had a population of around 2,000 people.
In towns that small, you were born with sports in your blood.
We played football, basketball, softball, and baseball in the summer. Everyone participated in whatever sport was in season.
I grew up in the same hometown as the Selmon brothers.
They had an unheard-of record during their time at OU and really opened my eyes to what was possible.
During my sophomore year in high school, there was a parade to celebrate Lucious Selmon. Lucious, who was a family friend, spotted me with my big afro and football jersey and turned to Coach Switzer and said:
“That’ll be your quarterback someday.”
Little did I know that Coach Switzer and other coaches from across the country would trek the same path to find me in Eufaula, Oklahoma, as well.
During my recruiting phase, I traveled to different schools, wide-eyed at the broader world around me.
I ate with potential teams at fancy restaurants and tried prime rib and blueberry muffins for the first time.
It was only a taste of the vast, vibrant life I was about to embark on.
I often think about how different my life would be if I had chosen a different path.
For instance, I quit football twice during my freshman year at OU.
If I hadn’t rejoined the team and worked my way up the depth chart, I probably wouldn’t have a career to reflect on today.
The choices we make in life can drastically change the people we become.
I think that’s why my time at OU is so special to me. It wasn’t just another stop on my journey.
The university helped shape me into who I am and the life I lead today.
Growing Up at OU
If Eufaula gave me my roots, OU gave me my wings.
I was a wide-eyed kid from a small town, and OU was my first real exposure to the larger world.
I grew out of my immaturity on that campus and left five years later as a man with my public relations degree.
And I learned some valuable life lessons.
When I was a senior in high school, I attended an OU game as a fan, one of the most memorable ones for me at Memorial Stadium.
Oklahoma lost to Kansas, snapping a 37-game winning streak.
I’ll never forget the dejection on quarterback Steve Davis’ face as he walked off the field, his helmet dangling between his legs.
In 1979, I was fortunate to be the starting quarterback for the Sooners, but I didn’t get off to a great start.
In the first two games of the season, I played pretty poorly and got booed. At Oklahoma there is an air of expectancy where we expect to win championships.
Oklahoma fans are passionate about the game of football, and their passion and the OU football tradition encourages us to play at our best, every game.
That passion can be a lot of pressure on a young player and after the game, I was talking to a reporter, and I let some of the criticism get to me. I was a young player trying to find a rhythm, and I didn’t handle the situation very well.
Coach told me that I was better than that.
He said, “You know how you hush the crowd? You produce.”
In other words, he wanted my playmaking to do the talking. He told me not to respond to the criticism and to keep a level head.
His advice resonated and from his advice and encouragement, I learned to not allow the applause to go to my head and the criticism to go to my heart.
I got mail when I was young and naive and thought I should open every letter I received, but some of the “fan” mail stung.
People took shots at my race and my afro.
Again, Coach Switzer had my back. He encouraged me to not subject myself to that cristism.
He asked his secretary, Kay, to open all my mail first. If it was positive, she gave me the letter. If it was ugly, she threw it in the trash.
Coach and experience taught me the only opinions that really matter in the game are those within your own locker room. These things have served me well in other endeavors in my life.
Reflecting on my complete experience, I was fortunate not to shed many tears at OU because we didn’t lose very often in the five years I was there.
We won three Orange Bowls and three Big Eight championships and tied for one.
Coach Switzer used to say we had a patent on winning.
We bore the responsibility of that patent, but we also got to soak in the pride of our team’s tradition.
Guidance from Coach Switzer and Coach Hall, my quarterback coach, helped me maintain a balanced perspective, and I’ve applied that approach to the rest of my life.
Rising in the Ranks
While growing up watching professional football, it probably at some time or another crossed my mind about playing professional football. However, my Eufaula roots and my OU wings gave me a foundation to be successful in whatever I would have chosen to do.
After I graduated from OU, I got drafted by the New York Jets.
I was slotted into a utility role but wanted an opportunity to play a different role, quarterback. I chose to go north to the CFL for that opportunity and spent five years in the Canadian Football League as a starter.
I led the Ottawa Rough Riders to the Grey Cup (CFL Superbowl) my rookie season, in 1981. We lost to Warren Moon and the Edmonton Eskimos, 26-23, and I was voted the game’s offensive MVP.
I was fortunate to have had a five year professional career.
But I was ready for a new rodeo.
I was prepared to enter a new arena with a strong faith, life experiences and a value system that pushed me to win.
It’s the optimistic spirit inside of me.
I’m the kind of guy who would go after Moby Dick in a row boat and take the tartar sauce with me.
Trusting God’s plan, I ended my football career and became a youth minister for a local church.
I served the church for eight years.
Six years into my time as a youth minister, I ran for state office in Oklahoma.
Some people questioned my decision to run for public office because I was a Republican who happened to be Black, and that was rare for either party at the time.
But I knew running for office was the right thing to do.
I ran for the Oklahoma Corporation Commission, which is the agency that regulates Oklahoma’s Oil and Gas, Public Utility and Transportation Industries.
Another new rodeo.
In the political realm, I had a springboard that launched me into Congress. I served in the House of Representatives for four terms, from 1995 to 2003.
I initially said I was going to serve three terms, but changing course seems to be a constant in my life.
In summary…
If my life’s trajectory seems unexpected, it’s because it is.
When I graduated college, I never saw myself holding a political office or serving as a youth minister or honestly any of my many roles.
I left college as I started it, in search.
The only difference was my experiences at OU directed my search inward.
Where I landed and what I could accomplish mattered less than my own disposition to lead and serve wherever I landed.
I’ve been incredibly blessed to only fill out two job applications in my life.
Well, one application twice, but that’s a story for another day.
In time, I trusted God would give me insight into the next opportunity for me.
My wife and I often say you can’t always see God’s hands in your circumstances but you can always trust his heart.
Since graduating, I’ve been blessed to meet, serve and learn from many people across many spheres.
I’ve asked for and heard a multiplicity of perspectives, and I’ve sometimes questioned and sharpened my own.
And it all started in my hometown of Eufaula, Oklahoma.
I’m proud to be a Sooner For Life, and I have always been proud to represent the university in all of my endeavors.
“Sooner born, Sooner bred. When I die, I’ll be sooner dead.”
