Brent Venables explains how Brayden Willis has helped reinforce Oklahoma's leadership

Not all leaders on the football field are created equal. Some do it with their words, others with their actions. And at Oklahoma, head coach Brent Venables has one that does it with both in senior tight end Brayden Willis. During a recent press conference, Venables explained how Willis has helped reinforce Oklahoma’s leadership, along with explaining what kind of leader his senior tight end is.

“Well, I think that, like all great leaders, he’s selfless, willing to sacrifice, great toughness, he’s a model of consistency,” said Venables. “(He has) great humility, loves to work, loves to grind, loves his teammates, and he’s willing to say and do the uncomfortable and the things that are not popular.

“For me, it’s just been reinforcement; there’s great leaders everywhere. And I’m trying to create an environment that nurtures that, that develops other leaders, and trying to help him be effective and make the kind of impact that he wants. Sometimes, we all need a little bit of affirmation. So I try to propel him in that regard with as much support from not only myself but from other players too. Sometimes when you’re a young person, and you’re trying to lead, and it isn’t always taking root, you can get frustrated, and they grow weary. And so I’ve constantly tried to be an example for him, first and foremost… I’ve just tried to help him and serve him however I can from a leadership standpoint.”

This season might have been an up-and-down year for Sooners football, but Willis remained consistent in his contributions on the field. In what is likely to be his final season at Oklahoma, the senior from Arlington, TX, has recorded 28 receptions for 382 yards and five touchdowns.

Before it is all said and done, Willis will have one more chance this season to lead the Sooners into battle as they take on the Texas Tech Red Raiders on the road on Saturday. Caesars has Oklahoma as betting favorites on the road by two points. However, ESPN considers this game to be a coin flip but gives a slight nod to the Red Raiders, with a 51.1 percent chance of winning in their matchup predictor. The game is scheduled for a 6:30 PM CST kickoff time. You can catch all the action live on Fox Sports 1 (FS1).