Wolfe gets a second chance
Oklahoma vs. Texas: What's next for cornerback D.J. Wolfe?
Cornerback could erase bad memories with a big game against Longhorns

By Scott Wright

Published: October 5, 2006

In a much different way, fans have short memories, too.

Because of the what-have-you-done-for-me-lately nature of big-time college football, Wolfe can make Oklahoma fans forget about his early season blunders.

All the junior from Lawton needs is a strong performance Saturday against Texas and previous transgressions will be forgiven.

That seems fair. It only took three plays for Wolfe's entire 2005 performance at cornerback — a year that netted him honorable-mention all-Big 12 Conference honors — to be discredited.

Wolfe gave up a pair of long pass plays against UAB, then a 51-yarder against Washington, at which point Lendy Holmes immediately was sent in to replace him.

For the rest of that game, and all of the next one at Oregon, Wolfe was relegated to special teams.

His return to cornerback came Sept. 23 against Middle Tennessee State, when he split time with the starter Holmes.

Now Wolfe is likely back in the starter's role for the Sooners' annual showdown with the Longhorns.

"He's got beat on some plays, everybody knows it. But he's also played good on a bunch of other plays, too," OU defensive coordinator Brent Venables said. "Where we get mad at D.J. is when he looses a little bit of focus and assumes that the ball's not coming."

Clearing that mental hurdle will be the challenge Saturday. At some time or another, he'll be charged with covering the Longhorns' Limas Sweed, Billy Pittman or one of the other standout receivers.

"I see those guys as good receivers, but if you think about it, we play against good receivers here in practice — Malcolm Kelly, Juaquin Iglesias," Wolfe said of his OU teammates. "I think that helps give you a good look at what will be coming at you."

It's been quite a roller-coaster season for Wolfe, but that's not anything new. He's had a roller-coaster career.

Coming out of Lawton Eisenhower High School, Wolfe entered OU early, enrolling for the 2004 spring semester.

Wolfe had been heavily recruited as a tailback and came to a school that — at the time — needed tailbacks.

That was January 2004, the last month of pre-Adrian Peterson OU football.

Peterson signed with the Sooners in February and by August was cast as the next Billy Sims.

Wolfe still got a chance to play among the bevy of backups to Peterson. He played all 13 games, rushing for 107 yards on 25 carries.

"That was a pretty good experience, going out there as a true freshman and being able to play," Wolfe said. "We all know what Adrian did that year. But going in and getting some snaps and playing a little bit, I think that helped me going into my sophomore season."

His sophomore season, however, wouldn't be spent backing up Peterson. The coaching staff approached him in the spring of 2005 about moving to cornerback, a position he hardly ever played in high school.

"Adrian was coming off runner-up in the Heisman," Wolfe said.

"We knew who was going to be the focal point of the offense going into our sophomore years. They thought the cornerback position was a position I could excel in and have a bigger impact on the team."

He took a night to talk it over with his parents and they decided it was worth a shot.

His stats showed that it was a good choice. He started 12 of 13 games and finished with 65 tackles, two interceptions and 10 passes broken up.

Coming into this season, Wolfe was the known quantity in the OU secondary.

Everyone knew Reggie Smith was a playmaker, but he was moving from strong safety to cornerback.

Darien Williams was solid in the few starts he made at free safety in 2005, and freshman Keenan Clayton was potentially great at strong safety.

But Wolfe was never a concern. Until the first game of the season.

Before he knew it, he was benched.

"That didn't feel good at all," Wolfe said.

"It's something as a player, as a competitor, you don't ever want to happen at all. I think it gives you a mindset that you want to do all you can to be back out there with your teammates, so it makes you work a little bit harder."

And that's exactly how Venables hoped his cornerback would respond.

"You're looking for that as a coach," Venables said. "You want to watch how they respond without ever having to verbalize it. You want to watch their mannerisms. Are they coming in to watch extra tape? How are they on the practice field? Are they competing? Are they content with where they're at or are they fighting to get back on the field?

"And he's fought."

Secondary coach Bobby Jack Wright says he wants Wolfe to maintain his confident style, despite the big plays he's allowed this season.

"What you try to avoid are the ones that are going to beat you, cost you a ballgame," Wright said. "Or, it's happened to you so many times you don't have the confidence to go out there and play.

"D.J. is still competing. One thing he does not lack is confidence.

"(Wolfe and Holmes) know every play they better be competing because they're one play away from being replaced."

In part, Wolfe's confidence comes from the coaches' belief that Wolfe can still be the player he was in 2005.

"I just want to get out there and prove why the coaches have confidence in me at that position," Wolfe said. "Just go out and do all I can to help the team get a victory.

"As a player in my position, you're anxious for the game to come. You just want to show what you can do."

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