One interesting dude
Teammates say Wolfe is flashy, boisterous — and confident
Teammates say Wolfe is flashy, boisterous and confident

NORMAN — The first time Reggie Smith saw Oklahoma teammate D.J. Wolfe in action, he immediately recognized Wolfe's talent.

Smooth, no stumbling around, never nervous.

Smith could tell Wolfe was a big-time ladies' man.

Sure, Wolfe is more broadly known as the OU football player who changes positions every year. Or the guy who was an All-Big 12 cornerback one season, then got burned against Texas and benched the next season. Now he has found a home as the expected starter at strong safety.

But to his closest friends, there's more to Wolfe. Much more.

There's his flashy car. His boisterous attitude. And his way with women.

"I've seen him in action a couple times,” Smith said. "He had some pretty nice lookin' females.”

The 21-year-old Wolfe says that reputation was built back in his "younger days.”

"That's something I'm trying to put behind me,” he said. "Now I go home after practice, lay in bed and go to sleep. I'm too old for that now.”

Other words his teammates use to describe him: loud, flashy, a clown, confident.

The latter is the characteristic that bridges Wolfe as a person and a player.

"He's never had a problem with how good he feels about himself. Just ask him,” jokes defensive coordinator Brent Venables.

Venables quickly recognized a sense of comfort with Wolfe at strong safety after he moved there last spring. Venables and secondary coach Bobby Jack Wright have been most pleased with how quickly Wolfe picked up the mental side of the position.

"He had a knack for it right away, and I was surprised,” Venables said. "He verbalizes back to you. As a coach, that gives you a feeling of security that he constantly knows what was good or what was bad on any particular play.”

For Wolfe, it was just another turn on the winding road of his OU career.

Coming out of Lawton Eisenhower as a star running back, Wolfe enrolled at OU in January 2004 — one month before the Sooners signed Adrian Peterson.

"Four years ago, I came in feeling like running back was the spot (for me),” he said, his famous grin widening.

He played as a true freshman, but moved to cornerback the next season and earned All-Big 12 honorable mention. Last year came his first bout with serious struggle on the field. He got beat deep on multiple occasions, the last by Texas' Limas Sweed.

Relegated to special teams duty the rest of the year, Wolfe redeemed himself when Marcus Walker was injured in the Big 12 Championship game against Nebraska.

On his first play, Wolfe intercepted a pass.

"He came in ready to go,” Venables said. "That speaks volumes for how he handled the situation. All the way at the end of the year, he was ready to go and made a huge play in the game.”

Now Wolfe feels like he has a second — or fourth — chance.

"I'm very gracious to the players and coaches for giving me an opportunity again,” he said. "Like I told my teammates, last year I wasn't accountable, didn't hold my end of the rope. And I told them that'll never happen again.

"So it's on me to go out and prove I can be accountable and have a good role on this team.”

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