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Oklahoma QB Dillon Gabriel's 'DimeTime Retreat' Was About 'Doing it Together'

Whether it's a weekend with the offensive playmakers, taking the o-line out for a good time or just getting to know the defense over a meal, Gabriel is "a galvanizer of people."

John E. Hoover

Oklahoma QB Dillon Gabriel's 'DimeTime Retreat' Was About 'Doing it Together'
Oklahoma QB Dillon Gabriel's 'DimeTime Retreat' Was About 'Doing it Together' /

ARLINGTON, TX — Whether it’s hosting his first “DimeTime Retreat” with fellow offensive playmakers at an Airbnb in Lawton, bringing his offensive linemen to Lake Thunderbird for a weekend, or just taking his defensive teammates out to dinner in small groups, Oklahoma quarterback Dillon Gabriel has personally invested in his teammates.

And they’ve taken notice. All of them.

“Just the other day, he took me, Keshawn Lawrence and Justin Broiles out for dinner just to do something with the defense,” OU cornerback Woodi Washington said last week at Big 12 Media Days. “Instead of having the entire defense, he told just a few guys — and then he's going to choose a few the next time he goes.”

Washington said it was the first time in his four years on campus that an OU quarterback arranged such an outing with members of the Sooner defense.

Wideout Marvin Mims said it was “definitely a Dillon thing,” rather than just a quarterback thing.

Gabriel’s first retreat, June 17-19, was well publicized on social media and went over so well with the running backs, receivers, tight ends and other quarterbacks that he hosted another getaway, July 16-17, for just the offensive linemen.

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Gabriel found a nine-acre ranch online for the first getaway. It was the perfect setting for team bonding.

“We just hung out at the lake, swim a little bit, eat together, all together just like a big family — huge table, no one else is left out,” Mims said.

Activities at the 5,000-square foot rental property — suited for 18 guests, just outside of Lawton (about 80 miles southwest of Norman) — included lots of throwing in the back yard, a little golf at Fort Sill Golf Course, some lake time, plenty of fun and games, but mostly just fellowship. And eating. Lots of eating.

“Made sure to eat every meal together,” Gabriel said. “Breakfast, lunch, and dinner, you know? That was a big point for me just to connect with one another.”

“We had to eat together,” Mims said. “That was the one rule.”

That kind of interpersonal interaction, Gabriel said, comes from NFL quarterback Russell Wilson and his methods of building relationships with teammates. He said he hadn’t done anything like it when he was at UCF, but it was always in the back of his mind. For Gabriel and his Hawaiian roots, meal time and family time are virtually the same thing.

“You know, always loved that idea,” Gabriel said, “and I think just when I got here, my mindset was go for broke, go all in. And like I said, I made it a point to do it, and love the concept of it: two nights in a house stuck together, you know? I mean, like, guys sleeping on the ground because we had not enough beds, whatever it was, you know? It was just the idea of it, of us all being under one roof, just being all in, being with the guys.

“No phones,” he continued. “Just enjoying each other's time whether it's playing pool, out in the back, playing corn hole, it's just a good time. And I think that's just had a big impact on us connecting.”

Teammates say the left-handed Gabriel has a snap release, a zip on his throw, can really spin it, has a high football IQ, reads defense, makes good decisions — all the usual superlatives. But his greatest attributes as a quarterback are his poised demeanor and his leadership.

Those are the qualities he really wants his teammates and coaches to notice.

“I feel great I can lay my head down at night knowing not just what he has done on the football field, but the quality of the person he is,” head coach Brent Venables said. “He's about all the right stuff. He's dependable. He's reliable. He's accountable. He's humble.

“He's one of the hardest workers. Shows up early, he’s last one to leave. Always working to improve. And he leads by example, and guys follow him.

“He's a galvanizer of people.”

In the NIL era, quarterbacks inherently get more opportunities. No surprise there. In Gabriel’s case, he’s used his (NIL) powers for good, whether it’s taking teammates on weekend retreats or buying them dinner around Norman.

“D.G.’s definitely been great for us,” Washington said. “Came in and everybody opened our arms. He came in, he’s leading great.”

The second retreat went off last weekend at Lake Thunderbird, about 15 miles east of Norman, and was just for “the big boys,” as Gabriel put it. There was more swimming, boating, fishing — and eating, of course.

The first one came at a time when the Sooners had just welcomed a bunch of summer freshmen and transfers.

“It really brought everyone closer together, especially with the new transfers we had in,” Mims said. “This was probably a week-and-a-half after they got there, so having them there was pretty special and important for all of us.

“It was special.”

He’s been in Norman for almost seven months now, but Gabriel is still new at OU football. He said after a summer spent in throwing sessions with Mims, Drake Stoops, Jalil Farooq and other receivers, the retreat helped him get outside his comfort zone and build something meaningful with other players.

“I think it really made me branch out and continue to grow with different relationships,” he said. “And it's done the same for others. So just being able to connect with everyone, it was really fun. And like I said, we had a blast.”

Preseason training camp starts Aug. 4, so Gabriel still has two weeks to continue galvanizing his relationship with defensive teammates before the hard stuff starts.

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From the sounds of it, that should be plenty of time.

“I’ve just learned to invest in the people you care and love for,” Gabriel said. “Whether it's taking the time to just have a conversation or asking the necessary questions to learn more about someone. And that (retreat) experience, you know, truly made me do that. We took away the phones and — you know, you had to put the phone down and talk to people. So just playing a game, playing Madden with people, getting competitive, playing pool, playing a little pickup basketball, it was just a great time.”

A passage in The Athletic about the DimeTime retreat offered a little more insight on Gabriel and what he’s about. The Airbnb hosts said the property was spotless when the players left. Remember, it was Gabriel who was late for the second half of the spring game because he and Mims stayed in the locker room a bit too long picking up trash.

Some quarterbacks have to really work at projecting certain qualities and leading by example. For Gabriel, apparently, it’s second nature because he values people and relationships.

“I’ve always been a people person,” Gabriel said. “And I really, truly care about relationships. I think those are the most important thing in life. Because if you really care about someone, you go above and beyond for whatever they’re asking for. That, for me, means a lot.

“I love my teammates. I love everyone in this building. It goes farther than just that team. The people that help us in the equipment room. Training staff. The nutrition staff. The strength staff. Everyone has a hand in this, and I think relationships are everything. And the position I’m in, I have to be that. It’s been so normal for me because I’ve been doing it from a young age.

“Just the way I was raised,” he said. “Family is everything and I love my family to death. It’s always been a family thing. If we’re going to the grocery store, everyone’s going. Whatever it is. So with this team, I try to model the same thing. I’m the type of guy, man, if I’m going out to eat, I’m not going it alone. I’m bringing somebody. I just think life is about doing it together.”

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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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