NFL great Jason Witten is officially the Oklahoma Sooners' new tight ends coach, but as many wonder how that even came about, OU head coach Brent Venables explained why Witten was the right man for the job.
After news broke last week of Witten replacing Joe Jon Finley as the Sooners' tight ends coach, OU released the official announcement of the hiring on Thursday, which included the first statements from Venables and Witten.
Sooners make Jason Witten hire as tight ends coach official
Witten played 17 years as a tight end in the NFL between the Dallas Cowboys and one final return season with the Las Vegas Raiders. He was an 11-time Pro Bowler and named First-Team All-Pro twice. He was just named a finalist to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
After retiring, Witten became the head coach at Liberty Christian School in Argyle, Texas, where he led the program to two state championships. That being his only coaching experience led many to question if Witten was actually ready for a college gig at a program like OU. However, although Venables could have mentioned Witten's lengthy list of accolades as a player to counter that argument, he instead mentioned things that have little to do with football for why he believes Witten will succeed in his new role.
"When you talk about Jason Witten you start with the impeccable human being he is," Venables said in a statement. "That's as a competitor, a leader, a coach, a dad, a husband. He's one of those rare people who represents incredibly high character, integrity and excellence. He's a tremendous communicator blessed with unbelievable interpersonal skills.
"That's who he was as a leader in the locker room as a player, and you can see the impact and influence he had as a head coach at the high school level at Liberty Christian. He's really special in that regard."
Off the field, Witten was named Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year in 2012. Today, college football has The Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Award, which is presented annually to the FBS player who has demonstrated a record of leadership by exhibiting exceptional courage, integrity and sportsmanship both on and off the field, according to the award's website.
"Some of the other things that resonate with me are his humility and the type of teammate I know he's going to be, both on our staff and with our players," Venables continued. "He'll be a sponge when it comes to learning what we do and how we do it. He brings so much to the table in terms of coaching, mentoring and leading, and he's had opportunities to coach in the NFL. But we're aligned in that our hearts are with the 18- to 23-year-olds who need you now more than ever. He's always been about that. Through casual conversation and getting to know him over the years, that's something that really jumped out to me and stuck with me.
"Jason has been a giant in the game of football for a long time with what he's accomplished and represented on the field. He's one of the best to ever do it. I'm excited about the positive impact he'll have on our football program and all of our players."