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As Oklahoma QB John Mateer Settles In, He's Learning About Brent Venables' Famous Intensity

Although Mateer hasn't been introduced to Jimmy Greenbeans yet, the Sooners' new defensive coordinator does make his presence felt every day at practice.

John E. Hoover

Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer
Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer / John E. Hoover / Sooners On SI
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NORMAN — Coming from Washington State, new Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer has noticed a difference when he goes up against the Sooner defense.

OU ranked 19th in the country last year in total defense playing in the SEC. Mateer’s competition was Washington, Oregon State, Texas Tech and the former Mountain West.

“Now, there was some intensity at Washington State. I’ll give them that,” Mateer said. “But yeah, it’s intense.”

Mateer has also noticed a similar step up in the intensity of the guy coaching the Sooner defense every day in practice. Sometimes, there’s only one word to define Brent Venables.

“Intensity,” Mateer said  Tuesday night after practice. “He’s very smart. He knows exactly how it needs to be against every look, against every motion. He’s very smart.” 

Venables’ decision to take over as defensive coordinator this season following Zac Alley’s surprising departure for West Virginia has resonated with everyone on the defense.

But as spring practice hits the midway point this week, Venables’ daily presence on the OU defense has also left an early impression on the Oklahoma offense.

“Sometimes he’ll stand, like, right next to me and I’m like, ‘Dude, I need some room,’ ” Mateer said “ … He just doesn’t even realize. He’s like, looking at the defense and I’m like, ‘It’s right there. Dude, come on.’ But it’s fun. I talk a little smack to him and he doesn’t even say it back. It’s fun.”

Venables’ daily presence as defensive coordinator means Oklahoma will have one of the nation’s most feared DCs breaking down film and identifying schemes and designing blitzes and programming coverages and calling signals to attack opposing offenses.

For OU’s defensive players, that sounds amazing.

“I was hyped,” said safety Robert Spears-Jennings. “I know what he's about. Look at his resume, man. You can't knock him. He's one of the best defensive coordinators and head coaches in the country now.” 

“If you want to win,” said linebacker Kobie McKinzie, “why not play for the guy who’s won the national championships coaching the defense?”

When spring practice opened back on March 5, Venables explained his thought process — and it was painfully simple.

“Why am I going to call the defense? Because I'm good at it,” Venables said. “And I'm confident in it. And we've got a great staff. And if I'm going to be successful, if the players are going to be successful, if the product is going to be what we want it to be, it's going to be because of all of us. And somebody's got to lead it.”

For Mateer and the Oklahoma offense, that has meant a slight adjustment in live team sessions in practice.

“We’ve got some freak athletes on this defense, from the interior to the DBs,” Mateer said. “Everybody on the field is very good, very talented. So we can’t make mistakes. And I can’t miss. If I miss a throw, it’s going the other way. 

“Which is good, and fun. It builds confidence in me knowing that this is a good defense and a very smart head coach, nice DC calling good plays and doing a lot of good stuff. It’s a lot of fun.

“Like I said earlier, can’t make mistakes because this defense is going to bite you in the butt,” Mateer said. “They move and they’re blitzing and they’re doing stuff. It’s fun, but like, intense is a good word. … Coach Venables is screaming behind my ear all the time, getting everybody right. So they’re like, ‘Dang, dude, let ‘em play ball,’ you know? But it’s good. It’s fun.”

Oklahoma Sooners Brent Venables
Oklahoma coach Brent Venables / John E. Hoover / Sooners On SI

Mateer said he’s learned a lot already in just six practices with Venables standing next to him screaming at the defense.

“A lot of very good stuff that’s challenging me,” Mateer said. “Makes me and the O-line and the center communicate a lot. But it’s a lot of fun. Playing against good football is fun football. If you’re just beating somebody every day, it’s no fun. But it gets a little tiring. We’re doing good. But they’re also doing good. So it’s back and forth and it’s been fun and competitive. I enjoy it.”

Somehow, Oklahoma’s newest QB hasn’t gotten to meet the Sooners’ oldest QB yet. 

Venables’ alter ego, “Jimmy Greenbeans” — who sometimes steps in as the scout team quarterback when Venables gets especially frustrated by his defense — hasn’t introduced himself to Mateer yet.

“Who are you talking about?” Mateer asked.

Maybe Venables doesn’t want to overwhelm Mateer with too much, too soon. Just standing behind him at practice and screaming as the head coach/defensive coordinator is enough for now.

“Why did he pick that name?” Mateer asked, perhaps a little incredulous, but with a bit of a nervous smile. “I have not met him. No. I don’t want to meet him.”

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John E. Hoover
JOHN E. HOOVER

John is an award-winning journalist whose work spans five decades in Oklahoma, with multiple state, regional and national awards as a sportswriter at various newspapers. During his newspaper career, John covered the Dallas Cowboys, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma State Cowboys, the Arkansas Razorbacks and much more. In 2016, John changed careers, migrating into radio and launching a YouTube channel, and has built a successful independent media company, DanCam Media. From there, John has written under the banners of Sporting News, Sports Illustrated, Fan Nation and a handful of local and national magazines while hosting daily sports talk radio shows in Oklahoma City, Tulsa and statewide. John has also spoken on Capitol Hill in Oklahoma City in a successful effort to put more certified athletic trainers in Oklahoma public high schools. Among the dozens of awards he has won, John most cherishes his national "Beat Writer of the Year" from the Associated Press Sports Editors, Oklahoma's "Best Sports Column" from the Society of Professional Journalists, and Two "Excellence in Sports Medicine Reporting" Awards from the National Athletic Trainers Association. John holds a bachelor's degree in Mass Communications from East Central University in Ada, OK. Born and raised in North Pole, Alaska, John played football and wrote for the school paper at Ada High School in Ada, OK. He enjoys books, movies and travel, and lives in Broken Arrow, OK, with his wife and two kids.

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