John Mateer shows a raw and real side of being the quarterback at a big school that people don't talk about enough
Being a quarterback is the hardest position in all of sports, and most people who have played would tell you the same exact thing. You really don't know how hard it is until you're in the position. And that's why when the Miami Dolphins put a camera on Tua Tagovailoa's helmet during practice, the football […]
Being a quarterback is the hardest position in all of sports, and most people who have played would tell you the same exact thing. You really don't know how hard it is until you're in the position.
And that's why when the Miami Dolphins put a camera on Tua Tagovailoa's helmet during practice, the football world, at least the people who have never played, was in shock. How does he see if his receivers are open down the field? How does he avoid the pressure while also computing all of these things in his head at once?
It truly is the hardest position. Being a quarterback at Oklahoma is very similar to being an NFL quarterback — all eyes are on you. Being a quarterback at Oklahoma is extremely hard, on and off the field. Yet, the Sooners have had so many successful ones. John Mateer, the former Washington State quarterback whom the Sooners picked up in the transfer portal, could be the next one to see his name next to guys like Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield, Philadelphia Eagles QB Jalen Hurts, and Arizona Cardinals QB Kyler Murray.
All of those have some sort of major success at Oklahoma, even if it meant just one season on campus. And, all of them were ridiculed at times on social media, not necessarily by the Sooners fan base, but maybe by others. Amd, Mateer, even while he was at Washington State, has already dealt with some of that himself.
Sooners QB John Mateer deals with social media
Now, before he's even played a snap at OU, he's learned that it may be best to stay off social media, and it's just as much because of his success as of late, as it is the failures that are bound to come, because everyone has them.
"People don't realize, it's harder, in my opinion, to deal with success than failure," Mateers told Mark Rodgers on The Sports Animal Wednesday at SEC Media Days. "Any feeling of complacency is unacceptable, and I'm not saying I was feeling that way, but I know what I need to get me going."
The Oklahoma Sooners made the right decision to get Mateer, and that's pretty evident before even seeing him play SEC competition. He's as mature and humble as they come. You can already tell he's a great teammate based on some of the things he has said at SEC Media Days.
And then you can add in the fact that he could be really, really good in 2025, maybe even a Heisman winner based on some of the picks he is getting in the preseason, and that's just an added bonus. The Sooners got their guy for at least this year.
