"It's emotional, but I'm not going to cry or anything," Birdine said on Tuesday.
That's OK. Football players are bred that way.
But the same stoicism cannot be expected from their families, which joined Oklahoma's 11 graduating seniors on the field before the Sooners' kickoff with Texas Tech Saturday night.
"It's very emotional, especially looking back at the time he has been here," said Ah You's older brother Jasen.
"It's very emotional for us as a family to be here watching him play his last home game."
C.J. Ah You played only two years for Oklahoma, and he will likely spend the bulk of his football career in the NFL. But his mother and father weren't thinking about the future as the crowd of 80,000-plus honored the OU graduates.
Instead, the Ah You's simply relished their son's fleeting moments in the Crimson and Cream.
"I gave him a hug and a kiss and I told him, ‘It's been a great journey,' " said Charles Ah You. "We haven't talked about his future. But it's OK. Whatever his future holds, we just pray to the Heavenly Father that he is healthy and strong."
The 11 seniors represent the smallest graduating class in Bob Stoops' tenure. Of the group, Birdine and quarterback Paul Thompson leave as fifth-year graduates, while defensive tackle Carl Pendleton leaves after just three years. Pendleton will forgo his fourth year of eligibility to concentrate on graduate studies and care for his 10-year-old brother, Kierstan.
