Former Sooner, Cowboy players dot Oklahoma high school football landscape
Rufus Alexander, Northeast
The first thing Rufus Alexander had to learn when joining the Northeast coaching staff was how to talk with the kids.
Alexander says his football mentors were always yellers. Playing for guys like former OU defensive coordinator Brent Venables, you had to take the criticism and learn to get better.
Alexander thrived under that kind of coaching, earning Associated Press All-American honors as well as being named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year as a senior.
“The way I learned in college is different from the way kids learn these days,” Alexander said. “You tear a kid down and they might shut down on you. So you have to work harder at building them back up.”
Alexander said he was hesitant at first to join coach Anthony Fogle's staff. Fogle, another former OU player, needed a defensive coordinator and was willing to give Alexander free rein.
Once Alexander joined, his passion for helping the Class A Vikings only continued to grow.
“It’s an inner-city situation where it’s a team that’s been struggling and they needed a change on how to do things,” Alexander said. “You see kids battling and when they do what you tell them to do and it starts to click, that’s an amazing feeling.”
Alexander said he’s still the same fiery guy that Sooner fans use to cheer for, but now he yells with a purpose.
“I’m still that loud person,” Alexander said. “I’ll chew you out but then I’ll take you aside and make sure you understand this is what I’m trying to teach you.”
Jamie Thompson, Putnam City North
Just because his playing days were done at Oklahoma State didn't mean Jamie Thompson was going to take the easy way out.
Going the extra mile is what he prides himself on.
"I like to coach the way I played," said Thompson, who earned captain status for the Cowboys during his tenure in Stillwater in 2004 and 2005. "Gotta go 100 percent every single day."
Now at Putnam City North, Thompson is coaching defensive backs for head coach Ryan Laverty. Thompson said adjusting to life coaching high school football has been a challenge.
"A lot of individual kids don’t understand the extra mile," Thompson said. "You really have to take your mental capacity to the next level to get to that championship level.
"But we are making strides now." Thompson said he likes how many former college players have trickled down into high school coaching. He thinks it's important for high school athletes to have an example of how to accomplish their goals.
"We have that experience that the kids are trying to reach," Thompson said. "Everybody has the potential to be as good as they want to be but it takes the extra mile.
"You gotta go above and beyond."
Jimmy Wilkerson, Oklahoma Christian School
Jimmy Wilkerson had questions to answer.
What's it like to win a national championship? How many years did you play in the NFL? Can you show us your best moves?
The former OU defensive end, who helped the Sooners to a national championship in 2000 by harassing Florida State quarterback Chris Weinke, is now a coach at Class 3A Oklahoma Christian School.
Wilkerson, who won the Division II national championship as the defensive line coach at Texas A&M-Commerce last season, came to OCS after his kids enrolled at the school and was asked to help coach the defensive line by head coach Derek Turner.
"I love football and I love being around it so I rarely say no to that question," Wilkerson said. "I think the kids were in awe at first a little bit. Just as a former NFL guy and more importantly a guy that went to OU. They had all kinds of questions."
Wilkerson played eight seasons in the NFL, six of which he played with the Kansas City Chiefs before stints with the Buccaneers, Saints and Seahawks.
Providing his professional experience to high school kids can be a delicate balance.
"You have to be one of those guys that will connect with the kids," Wilkerson said. "Adding your voice and your opinion to game plans while also taking in the opinions of the other coaches is important."