Owasso Ram football: working hard on and off the field

By Makenzy Holm

Coming into the 2024-25 football season, new Head Coach Antonio Graham, has had tons of work to do in order to get the Owasso Rams varsity football team ready for the new season. Over the summer, Graham began to devise a plan to get the Rams back on track to beat the better teams in our division. He realized that the team lacked the connection they needed to compete on the football field.

“I thought it was like really important that the bond is a lot [stronger],” Graham remarked.

He began to test the players by randomly asking one of them if they knew the name of another player on the other side of the workout room. If they could not answer, they were told to do push-ups or burpees.

“I’m just holding them more accountable to get to know each other to become a better team,” Graham shared.

Graham believes that if the players knew each other off the field, they would be able to anticipate what they are going to do on the field.

Graham elaborates that there could “be a particular scenario in the game where you know exactly what your teammate is thinking.”

Graham wants everyone to feel important and included, even though the football program is so vast. He believes that everyone deserves to feel recognized and respected.

Picture of the Ram Football Team taken by Kresta Bowman.

“There’s so many football players, [and] there’s only one football. Only one person can score a touchdown, so I just want to let them know that like, hey, this is a team,” stated Graham.

However, Graham believes that some principles can also be applied to the real world. He believes it’s important to teach his athletes how to be proper gentlemen and how to treat everyone with respect. Graham explained how he and the other coaches make sure to connect with each individual player to make sure they know that they are seen and heard. Graham wants the players to know that, no matter what, he will always care for them.

“I want them to be respectful to women, and I stand by these morals,” Graham shared.

Graham explains that even though coaching has its frustrating moments, he is still extremely invested in each of his players.

“These dudes get on my nerves big time, but at the end of the day, I love them,” Graham disclosed.

By showing the team a little bit of compassion, he believes that he can inspire the kids to work hard no matter where they are in life.