What Dillon Gabriel's Return from Concussion Meant to Oklahoma

NORMAN — Dillon Gabriel said he “had a clue” last Wednesday that he’d play Saturday against Kansas. Offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby said he knew before that.

NORMAN — Dillon Gabriel said he “had a clue” last Wednesday that he’d play Saturday against Kansas.

Offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby said he knew before that.

“We knew he’d be back all week,” Lebby said after Gabriel passed for 403 yards and two touchdowns in Oklahoma’s 52-42 victory over the Jayhawks.

Gabriel suffered a concussion on Oct. 1 in a 55-21 defeat at TCU. The following week he flirted with the possibility of returning against Texas, and even went through pregame warmups. Ultimately, he sat out that game as the Sooners were crumpled 49-0.

Gabriel said last Monday he was still in OU’s concussion protocol, but he passed his final examinations — then posted his fifth career 400-yard game. It was his first since 2020, when he still quarterbacked UCF. He also ran the football 10 times for 37 yards, scored a touchdown and took a number of hard hits.

Clearly, he was medically ready to go.

“I just really trusted the docs and trusted the trainers,” Gabriel said after the game. “They were trying to get me back as fast as possible but also to protect me at the same time. So I just trusted them. Throughout the week, just a bunch of conversations with a bunch of concussion tests and then meeting with the doc two or three times a week. Thankfully, I got a full clearance this week. Always good to be back out there.”

The current poster child in the concussion discussion is a compatriot of Gabriel’s — Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Tagovailoa is older, but they actually played against each other in high school in Hawaii when Gabriel was a sophomore. Gabriel went on to break Tagovailoa’s state record for passing yards.

Their concussions happened a week apart — “crazy timing,” Gabriel called it — but Gabriel said he hasn’t been able to reach out to Tagovailoa yet to compare notes.

“I think it led to a lot of people just being a lot more cautious with certain hits,” Gabriel said. “ … I think a lot of people are a lot more cautious and there's a lot more eyes on it because of the severity of Tua’s, and how scary it can get if you’re not protected or fully healed. Haven't been able to reach out to him, but he’s representing Hawaii in a hell of a way.”

Gabriel lost almost all of the 2021 season to a broken collarbone. This was obviously different. He said he own concussion experience “was a lot to comprehend at the time” but he felt whole again Saturday.

“Most importantly, I just took the two days, the first 48 hours, being super cautious,” he said. “Not being on my phone. Not being on any TV or watching anything. I think I was maybe awake for eight hours a day. Sleeping most of the day. So just made that a point of emphasis.

“The trainers, they just put me in a good spot. And I'm lucky to even get cleared this week because, you know a lot of people — the severity of it is different for everyone. But, you know, I took the healing process very seriously so that I could put myself in this spot.”

He said he wasn’t thinking about any lingering concussion symptoms as the game against Kansas unfolded. That was obvious on the handful of times he took off with the football and even lowered his shoulder a time or two to initiate contact and gain extra yards.

“To be quite honest, I didn't really think about it,” Gabriel said. “Not ’til after the game when people are like, ‘Oh, I was watching and worried about you.’ It's football. It’s an aggressive game. You know what you're getting into every time you step on that field. I'm grateful for every opportunity to step out there because I know this game is aggressive. Things are gonna happen. I know there wasn't any malicious intent in any of it. It's football, people. I’m gonna get hit. So, just being smart. Trying to protecting myself and also not taking any unnecessary hits.”

His teammates certainly appreciated having him back. Gabriel’s innate grasp of Lebby’s offense meant the Sooners were moving the football consistently and producing touchdowns for the first time in almost a month.

“All week, having him back from a personality standpoint, a leadership standpoint, obviously the offense,” said wide receiver Marvin Mims, “the first half we exploded out of the gates and it was great to have him back.”

Gabriel gave Mims a career-high 16 targets, and he finished with nine receptions for 106 yards. There was uncertainty last week, Mims said, about whether Gabriel could play and who would be taking snaps.

“Especially with the head, you just never know,” Mims said. “Earlier in the week, quarterbacks are non-contact all week so as far as that goes, we really didn’t know if he was going to play or not. From my standpoint, I’m not going to go up to a coach and ask. It is what it is. Whoever’s playing is playing. But just to have him back, just to have him around, is a huge boost.”

Like Mims, having Gabriel back made Lebby’s job a lot easier, too.

“It’s quite a difference,” Lebby said. “(No.) 8 being back and doing what he did, his leadership, toughness and experience is special and it’s unique and it’s matched by production.”