Or a nudge.“Coach Venables, we had a pretty good talk,“ Pleasant said of an off-season chat with Oklahoma defensive coordinator Brent Venables.
And that talk, mostly one-sided for sure, may be responsible for the linebacker’s awakening and transformation into a player the Sooners now feel can be counted on.
Bothered recently by a hip flexor strain that resulted in missed practice time, Pleasant is nearly healthy again and securely in the mix at linebacker.
“Demarrio’s earned my trust,“ Venables said.
That trust hasn’t come easy.
Once a touted recruit, Pleasant’s previous time at OU resulted in rare results: 13 tackles in two seasons as a reserve.
Pleasant was already being pushed to produce more when Ryan Reynolds suffered a torn ACL, serving Pleasant with opportunity at the strongside (Sam) linebacker post.
And prompting Venables to make a plea.
“I told him, ‘I don’t have any other options here. It’s time,’ ” Venables said. “‘You were a great player out of high school. You’ve shown flashes of it every week or so since you got here. It’s time to grow up.
“‘You’re at a fork in the road here. We need you. I’m counting on you. And I believe in you. And I’ll help you.’ ”
Pleasant’s recent injury created opportunity for Curtis Lofton, who has played well enough to give Venables an added option. The veteran defensive coach said he’s even considering something rare - for him - rotating linebackers.
“In the past, I haven’t really had more than three guys I could trust in a game situation,” Venables said. “I felt my hands were tied. I would substitute only in a pinch.
“But these guys have earned our trust with the way they’ve played and responded.”
So that nudge, combined with time and opportunity, seem to have made an impression on Pleasant.
The Sam spot is no longer a question area, a missing puzzle piece of the defense alongside standout veteran linebackers Rufus Alexander and Zach Latimer.
Pleasant now fits comfortably. And his strong play this preseason is a topic of delight among coaches.
“That shouldn’t be a surprise,” said Sooners coach Bob Stoops. “In the spring, he had as fine a spring as anybody we had. He was making big plays and playing consistently.”
The surprise, perhaps, is that Pleasant is finally maintaining that consistency.
Pushed into duty last season when Clint Ingram missed the UCLA game with injury, Pleasant started and responded with 10 tackles, including a sack.
“He showed everybody what he was capable of in that game,” Latimer said.
Except in the six other games he played - nada.
No tackles.
Not even an assist.
So while it was a glimpse of what Pleasant could do, it was only a glimpse from a player who was a consensus top-10 linebacker nationally as a prep star out of Lewisville, Texas.
Venables said such tales aren’t uncommon.
“Sometimes guys see somebody else in front of them and they don’t fight for it, because they don’t think it’ll do them any good,” Venables said. “I think that might have been the case.
“And it was just a maturing process, too, for Demarrio. Some guys grow up faster than others. He’s not unlike others. Many others in that regard.”
Pleasant’s predecessor, Ingram, often tested Venables early in his career.
“Clint was a knucklehead, now, in a very good, non-malicious way,” Venables said. “Just a knucklehead. Kind of goofy. Always right there on the edge of making me mad and then making me laugh.”
Ingram grew up, too, of course, evolving into a third-round NFL draft pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Now Pleasant said it’s his time.
“I just told myself, ‘Hey, I’ve got to focus. This is my last two years and I’m going to fulfill my ability to the fullest,’” Pleasant said. “I’m understanding my role. And since I’m getting more reps, I’m able to understand the defense a lot more and process it more.
“I’ve been working hard in the weight room. I had my best summer. I’m ready to come off the summer and roll it into the season.”
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