From Horns Down tattoos to NIL T-shirts: Inside Danny Stutsman's memorable Red River Rivalry moment

Danny Stutsman first smelled the smoke. 

Walking off the field at the Cotton Bowl last Saturday and headed to the locker room, the Oklahoma linebacker could smell and see the waft of cigar smoke hanging in the air. The celebration had begun in the Sooners’ locker room. 

As he entered the space following Oklahoma’s 34-30 win over Texas in the Red River Rivalry, teammates were already posing with the Golden Hat and taking celebratory photos. The third-year player knew he needed his shot with the trophy. 

With the Golden Hat on his head, cigar in his right hand and flashing a Horns Down, Stutsman posed for his photo that will live in Red River Rivalry history. 

“I’m walking up the tunnel and I was like, it smells like cigars,” he told On3 on Thursday with a laugh. “I was just walking through the locker room, people were celebrating and already taking pictures. I was like, ‘I got to take a picture.’ Had some sunglasses, and I love sunglasses. Popped those on. Then yeah, I took the photo. I went on with my day.”

Stutsman carried on with his day, taking in the Texas State Fair. Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables let his players enjoy the fairgrounds before making the trip north. The linebacker soaked it in – he still thinks the coupons are a scam – and bought a funnel cake and a cherry limeade. 

That’s when he found out his photo wasn’t just going to be a personal keepsake. The shot inside the locker room had gone viral, with nearly 50,000 likes now on Instagram. 

“People were coming up to me and asking if I had seen the picture they posted,” he said. “I was pretty surprised myself because it turned out pretty cool.”

Five days after Oklahoma found redemption at the Cotton Bowl, that picture is still being reposted on social media. Same with his pregame speech, which Stutsman said he had no clue was being videotaped. 

If the picture goes down into Texas-Oklahoma lore, then the line from his speech will become a rallying cry for Sooners.

“I’m certain about two things in f-ing life,” he said, caught on video by Oklahoma football’s social media team. “I’m certain that one, Oklahoma only fears God. And No. 2 – Texas fears Oklahoma.”

Stutsman on the situation: “I didn’t even know that was recorded or anything. I’m talking to my team about kind of getting right in the moment and motivating them. And then for that to be recorded stuff, I really had no clue.”

Now Stutsman is profiting from those moments. The linebacker launched a T-shirt with the Oklahoma City-based company Opolis Clothing on Wednesday. Featuring an illustration of his famed photo and the line from his pregame speech on the back, it’s the perfect way for Oklahoma fans to celebrate the win. And of course, the price had to be $34 – the same amount of points the Sooners scored Saturday.

The Sooner defensive leader is also cashing in on those shirts. Thanks to the NCAA now permitting name, image and likeness since July 2021, he is able to monetize his publicity rights. According to his agent, Brian Bradtke, Opolis has cut a royalty deal with Stutsman that is “more than the usual royalty percentage.”

Venables bought into helping market the T-shirt, snagging a quick photo with Stutsman after a film study. That photo has also gone viral, one of the rare moments of a head coach helping promote an athlete’s NIL activity. 

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While it might seem like a small moment, it’s made all the difference in marketing the T-shirt. 

“Oklahoma has been fully supportive ever since I got here, they’ve talked about NIL and helping the players,” Stutsman said. “Actually last night I wore the T-shirt to a 3.0 dinner we were having. We’ve had the highest team GPA in the last two semesters in the history of Oklahoma. So coach Venables saw me wearing the shirt, and I said, ‘Hey, I have an extra one, do you want to take a photo?’ Because me and coach Venables have a really good relationship, he was all for it. 

“We had a very early meeting today, watched some film and then I just got a quick photo after. He was all cool with it. You take those simple moments to really help support your players. It means a lot to me how much coach Venables cares about this team and the university overall.”

Brian Bosworth sunglasses make for unique NIL T-shirt 

One of the parts that makes the shirt so special is his sunglasses, which Stutsman admitted is one of his favorite things to collect. Walking through an airport last year, he spotted the loud, white shades. They almost encapsulate the linebacker, who is known for being a jokester inside the locker room but currently is No. 16 in the nation averaging 9.7 total tackles per game. 

The signature on both lenses is from Brian Bosworth. Stutsman had the legendary Oklahoma linebacker sign them this summer, having the chance to meet him during a visit to Norman in the summer. 

Stutsman wore them prior to the season opener. He thought it was fitting to bring them out again for the Red River Rivalry. There’s some irony to the fact Bosworth’s signature is on the shades. The linebacker once revealed a T-shirt under his jersey that read: “NCAA: National Communists Against Athletes.”

“I’ve been keeping them in a glass case in my room,” Stutsman said. “So I guess, I would say they are my favorite pair of sunglasses.”

Danny Stutsman just getting started

Danny Stutsman has been everywhere this week. On top of the T-shirt, he’s been playing mind games with Texas fans about a possible Horns Down tattoo. It first appeared on his Instagram page on Sunday night. He then teased that it may have been a fake, before mentioning he “kind of kept it up” on the Pat McAfee Show on Wednesday. 

Stutsman declined to comment on the tattoo, saying it remains to be seen if it’s real or fake. 

The linebacker has also added nearly 10,000 followers across his social media channels. He was also on The Jim Rome Show. Bradtke, his agent, said he’s seen an uptick in brands reaching out about possible partnerships.

“All that money that I’m making is going straight to the bank,” Stutsman said. “There’s no need for a college student to have – I drive a ’09 car, it gets me from point A to point B. I don’t need anything crazy.”

For the linebacker, his attention has already moved on to prepping for games against UCF and Kansas. He will enjoy the rest he can get during the bye week, but he said he’s already started to talk with quarterback Dillon Gabriel about how they can fine-tune their leadership and preparation. 

There’s no question he’s upped it a notch this season on the field. 

“His improvement on the field is night and day,” On3’s Sooner Scoop reporter Georgia Stoia said. “And I think a large part of that is just maturity. He has always been considered a jokester, and he still is, but he’s really taken on a leadership role and grown into being a voice on this team. And they started with his progression off the field. He bought a new TV and computer this year just to watch film in his living room. He has all the linebackers over to watch with him. You can tell that’s paying off in his play as he’s often seeing things happen before they actually do.”