Why Brent Venables believes Curtis Lofton is the perfect GM for OU football

Brent Venables didn’t know what a young Curtis Lofton was destined for 19 years ago.

The former All-American linebacker was a standout in Venables’ defense, going on to play eight NFL seasons. Many assumed Lofton was destined to be a coach, given his football acumen. Instead, he became a business owner and public speaker shortly after his football career. But in 2022, Venables brought him back to the Oklahoma football program as the director of the S.O.U.L. mission. And on July 11, Venables officially hired Lofton as the program’s first general manager, a significant role in the always-evolving college football world.

That — both Lofton’s new role and the seismic changes in college football that led to the need for that role — is certainly not something Venables would’ve predicted 19 years ago.

“Every couple of days you turn around and it changes again,” Venables said at SEC Media Days last week. “So setting up systematically, putting systems in place that have flexibility, the ability to be agile and pivot along the way as things continue to change. But also put us in a position of strength that allows us to be in a really good position of talent evaluation, talent acquisition and talent retention.”

Added Venables: “Curtis was a little bit hard-headed — which is a great quality — when he was a player. He was ferociously determined every day when he showed up, which is another great quality. But to say he was definitely going to be a coach, I don’t know. But to say he was going to be a leader of men, I never had a doubt.”

Other than Venables himself, Lofton might hold the most important title inside the OU football program. As the GM, he will help oversee player evaluation and roster management. And in today’s college football world of the transfer portal and Name, Image, Likeness, having someone with Lofton’s background — both on and off the field — makes sense for a blueblood program like Oklahoma.

“For a position like Curtis is now moving into, recognizing the dynamic world we’ve experienced, we know we will continue to evolve going forward in the area of talent identification, assessment, recruitment and retention,” OU athletics director Joe Castiglione said June 21 at the Board of Regents meeting. “Putting Curtis in the position of general manager to work side by side with Woody Glass and his administrative role — (the GM position) being very focused on all of the aspects of the talent and the roster build and how things are changing dynamically, and then along with (Venables’) assistant coaching staff to be in the best position to take on the world going forward.

“We just needed to create a much more targeted and focused approach to our whole roster and the way it’s built and retained.”

Finding the right person for this job — a job that didn’t even exist a few years ago in college football — is difficult. Some programs, like Michigan, have hired former NFL executives. Others, like Texas Tech, hired former college administrators.

OU, which did consider outside candidates, landed on Lofton. His upbringing in small-town Oklahoma, passion for the Crimson and Cream, NFL experience and connections and, most importantly, his ability to connect with players made him the perfect hire for Venables.

“The restructure of our front office with Curtis as a former NFL player, former collegiate All-American,” Venables said, “somebody that just has a real natural instinct in this space and certainly in the locker room in relating to players and mentoring and leading.”

‘Someone you want on your team’

It didn’t take Tony Gilbert long to realize Lofton had a future in football.

Gilbert played five seasons in the NFL and was in Atlanta when Lofton was drafted by the Falcons in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft. The two quickly became friends, with Lofton as the rookie and Gilbert as the vet, playing alongside each other at inside linebacker in 2008 and 2009. Off the field, the two often talked about what they wanted to do after football.

“We had conversations and he made it clear he didn’t want to coach at all,” Gilbert said. “But he did want to be involved in the game. He talked about scouting and getting on that track of being a GM someday. And I don’t want to say I knew he would actually do that someday because I didn’t know. But I did know he was smart enough, personable enough and worked hard enough to do it if he wanted.”

Lofton went on to have an eight-year NFL career before announcing his retirement in 2017. He spent four seasons with the Falcons, three with the Saints and one with the Raiders. He totaled 948 tackles, 42 tackles for loss, eight sacks and three interceptions.

His success in the NFL was largely a result of his football IQ. Coming out of college, some thought Lofton might lack the size and speed needed to play inside linebacker. But he was also considered one of the smartest players in his draft.

Those who played with him said he knew the game as well as anyone.

“He was smart. He knew how to play the game,” said Gilbert, who has been a coach since 2011, including with the Jaguars from 2020-2023. “I think for him, he had some good natural traits in terms of watching film, learning the game and just understanding how defenses and offenses work and how each player works into a scheme. He knew what weaknesses he had and watched a lot of film to overcome that, but to also understand what weaknesses his opponent had so he could exploit them. He was able to eliminate his weaknesses.”

In Lofton’s new role, understanding a player’s strengths and weaknesses will be critical. Managing a college football roster, which will likely soon be limited to 105 players, isn’t easy. Evaluating players — from scholarship players to walk-ons — and how they fit into Venables’ program will be one of Lofton’s top priorities as GM.

And with that, comes evaluating people, too. Not just football players. Ask anyone who has played with Lofton, both in the NFL and college, and the first thing they’ll talk about is how great of a teammate he was. His ability to understand and relate to people is maybe his best attribute.

And there is no greater strength he needs in his new role.

“From just watching him on film, you could tell he was an attention-to-detail type guy, super hard worker and someone that you would want on your team,” said Lance Moore , who played 10 seasons in the NFL, including two with Lofton in New Orleans in 2012 and 2013. “So when we got him on our team, we saw not only was he a great player, he was also a great teammate. He cared about his teammates. Was definitely somebody who led by example and would be vocal. He’s got both of those leadership abilities.

“I think the biggest thing I would say about Curtis is that he cares about his teammates. And that in turn, to me, would say that he cares about the young men in the program there at OU and will want to see them do well not just on the field, but off the field.”

‘Confidence yet humility’

From Kingfisher, Oklahoma, Lofton’s upbringing and how it shaped him is a big reason why many believe he’s the right man for the job.

Not only is he an Oklahoman, which has become a recruiting emphasis for Venables’ staff, but he also didn’t have the easiest childhood. Most know his story . His grandmother raised him, while his dad was absent most his life and his mom was in and out of prison. To this day, he credits his grandmother for a large part of his success on and off the field, as she guided him through life.

And if it weren’t for the tough childhood he had, molding him into a man at a young age, he wouldn’t be in the position he is today.

“He’s been through it. He’s been through some challenges in life,” Gilbert said. “So he understands what it means to go to college and have success. I think he will know when guys are struggling and will be able to pull them to the side and talk to them on a very personal level. His personal experiences, I think, will help him relate to guys not just as a football player, but as a person.”

Lofton had to overcome adversity to earn a chance to play at OU. Venables and former coach Bob Stoops valued that, offering him a scholarship out of Kingfisher High School. He was also considered one of the best players in the state in 2003 and 2004, ranking as the No. 8 inside linebacker in the country by ESPN.

But Lofton and Venables didn’t always see eye-to-eye early in his career. Lofton didn’t see the field much until his third season in Norman. And Venables pushed him hard, demanding excellence. He finished his OU career with one of the most productive seasons in school history in 2007, totaling one sack, three interceptions, 10.5 tackles for loss and 157 total tackles, the most since Jackie Shipp had a school record 189 in 1981.

Today, Lofton credits Venables with turning him into not only one of the best linebackers in the history of OU football, but a great man. That’s why Lofton was one of Venables’ first hires as head coach at Oklahoma. Lofton is a real-life example of someone who overcame tremendous adversity and used his opportunity at OU to better his life and the lives around him.

“He’s always had this quiet presence to him that exudes today,” Venables said. “He’s got a great testimony and he’s got confidence yet humility. And he’s a tremendous vessel for our players in just mentoring as a player, as a teammate, as a husband, as a leader, and I think he’s a great example to our players, too. Like if I have that same opportunity as a guy like Curtis Lofton through my platform, through my play, through my competitiveness, through my commitment to put things on display, it’s an interview process and you develop that trust and those relationships every day as a player.”

That testimony is what Venables is looking for when recruiting. Obviously, not every play will have as tough of an upbringing as Lofton. Many will have it easier. A few will have it tougher.

But having someone on staff like Lofton, who can relate to players on both sides of the spectrum, is exactly what Venables wants. Because while they may not have seen eye-to-eye when Lofton was 18 — something probably several current players can relate to — they certainly see eye-to-eye now, as Venables is always searching for the next Curtis Lofton at each position.

“I think this is going to be a great fit for him,” Gilbert said. “He’s been through the process before so he’s got great experience. He’s built those relationships with coaches and personnel people, scouting — I think a lot of those guys helped him evaluate the game from a different standpoint of not just football — from the standpoint of personnel and how players fit into a team, on and off the field. I think he will really be able to help coach Venables and the OU programs because he knows what they’re looking for because he himself fits that mold.”

‘A perfect role’

Now an NFL agent, Moore has paid close attention to the changing landscape in college football. He believes all college football programs should have a GM.

But finding the right person, Moore said, is difficult. You want someone who understands player evaluations, like an NFL scout. But you don’t just want any NFL executive. You still need someone who understands the school, the fanbase and, above all, the type of players the head coach wants in his program.

For OU, Lofton checks all those boxes.

“For him, this seems like a perfect role,” Moore said. “He is OU through and through, so you know his heart is in the job and he wants what’s best for the program and the guys that are going to be in and out of there… I think an agent from the outside — and I’m speaking as an agent — might not always be looking at the big picture as far as these deals go with these athletes.

“So having someone there who can be almost a safeguard and be a lot more knowledgeable in the landscape than these specific athletes are is going to be perfect. He’s going to care about these kids and put what’s best for them first.”

Lofton’s role is sure to change over time. That’s the nature of college football right now.

There’s expected to be roster limits and a salary cap soon. That’s why Oklahoma made this hire when it did. And why it’s also partnering with former Philadelphia Eagles Vice President of Football Administration Jake Rosenberg and his consulting firm, The Athlete Group.

Still, while the college football world is changing, Venables said some things will stay the same. Like, the how they recruit and the type of players they recruit.

“There’s many parts of it that are not changing,” Venables said. “This isn’t the NFL. We don’t draft players. It ain’t the same. And two years ago when we talked about this, it ain’t the same. There are some things that are the same. This ain’t the same. This is 17, 18, 19 year olds that you recruit and have long relationships with. You don’t draft them…

“I think it’s in some ways sexy to talk about the NFL and use those big terms. It’s recruiting. There’s always been an evaluation piece. There’s always been an acquisition piece that is critical to your success. The difference is you have open-ended free agency that makes it maybe a little more challenging.”

From high school recruiting to the transfer portal to NIL and revenue sharing, Lofton will have his hand in every aspect of the OU football offices. He and Venables will work closely together, with the hopes of Lofton taking some of Venables’ day-to-day duties off his plate. And as Venables enters his third season leading the OU football program, it’s imperative that Lofton succeeds in this new role.

Because as college football continues to change and as OU enters a new chapter in the SEC, having success year-to-year, week-to-week will have never been harder. Oklahoma’s fate lies at the feet of Venables, who has put unwavering faith in Lofton.

For Venables, Lofton is an embodiment of the program he hopes to build. And now it’s Lofton’s job to help build that program.

“You start looking around at our staff — and I think about it enough and I think about it a lot for myself and how it happened for me,” Venables said. “It wasn’t because I had this lifelong dream to be a coach, necessarily. It was about showing up every day and being thankful and grateful for your opportunity and then creating value for yourself by just keeping your head down and work. And all of a sudden these great opportunities will come to you.

“Maybe not as fast as you want sometimes, but it’s gonna happen and people are gonna see you when you don’t know they’re watching. So, (he’s) great example for our players.

“He’s an alpha, Curtis is, in all the right ways.”

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