Billy Bowman on Jayda Coleman: 'She's the better half'

You’re not going to see OU safety Billy Bowman back down all too often. He has the competitive desire and determination all the greats have.

Individually? He’s not going to take a backseat. For the team? Bowman knows what OU is capable of in 2024 and enter the Southeastern Conference.

That fire came out at SEC media days last week when asked about being snubbed for the Jim Thorpe Award, given to the nation’s best defensive back.

Bowman, of course, didn’t get the award. But the hard part for a lot of people to accept was Bowman wasn’t even in the final three.

Nope, 63 tackles, six interceptions for 238 return yards and three pick-sixes was not enough to be considered.

Message sent by Bowman.

“All I’m going to say is I’m going to have more (pick-sixes) this year,” Bowman said.

No joking, just stating a fact. He’s not backing down. Funny enough, though, the very next question did see Bowman gladly consider himself second fiddle.

You can’t talk about Bowman at OU without mentioning his fiancé, Jayda Coleman. As great as a safety as Bowman is, Coleman is arguably the better, more accomplished athlete.

Well, no argument necessary, says Bowman. He knows it’s Coleman.

“She’s amazing. She’s the better half,” Bowman said. “The better athlete for all y’all out there. She’s the better athlete. Winning four national championships is sort of unheard of. We went to the ESPYs last week and them not winning Best Team was a shocker.

“What they’ve done, and Jayda in particular, being an All-American and being the player she is. Her being my fiancé is amazing. It’s something that a lot of people dream of. I won’t take that lightly. Being able to be with her and live out our dreams together. Being two prolific athletes from the same university. It’s amazing.”

The duo got engaged Dec. 31, New Year’s Eve 2023, but they’ve been together their whole OU journey. Coleman was one of the ‘coordinators of chaos’ when it came to OU softball over the years.

Her career numbers are ridiculous, hitting a .415 lifetime average with 47 home runs and 185 RBIs. Of course, that might ignore the best part of her game – perhaps the best centerfielder of all time.

Coleman routinely made one jaw-dropping play after another. Climbing the wall, diving in the outfield. It never mattered with Coleman. She was going to get to it and make the play, especially when the stakes were at their highest.

Just ask football head coach Brent Venables, who repeatedly had fun with Bowman on social media about Coleman’s defensive prowess and big-play ability.

https://twitter.com/CoachVenables/status/1666969433565274114

Hey 2🗣️I’m going with 24 @jaydac00 SHE got That 🥶in them VEINS & ⭕️UDNA…CONGRATS‼️ https://t.co/drQHN6CinY

— Brent Venables (@CoachVenables) June 4, 2024

And it was Coleman who got nominated for her own ESPY. Coleman’s walk-off home run in the Women’s College World Series semifinal vs. Florida was up for Best Play. Coleman didn’t earn the nod there, but it was a career that didn’t experience many disappointments.

“And Jayda Coleman is just the hype girl that’s just really, really smart about softball,” said head coach Patty Gasso when asked by SoonerScoop during the season. “And you might look at her and go gosh she’s incredible and she’s crazy, she’s really, really smart.

“She would be a really, really good coach if she wanted to, but she doesn’t have the patience for that. So she’s gonna go off and be a trophy wife for some football player someday.”

The first couple of #OU, Jayda Coleman and Billy Bowman. pic.twitter.com/xx3tJ7gSum

— Bob Przybylo (@BPrzybylo) June 7, 2024

That player, obviously, is Bowman, and Bowman was there every step of the way for Coleman’s OU journey. Coleman, however, has been tearing it up for the Oklahoma City Spark this summer. College success and now professional success, too.

Now it’s time for Bowman’s final run. The two have echoed the same sentiments when it comes to what their relationship has meant.

“He’s someone who understands exactly what I’m going through,” said Coleman when asked during the season.

“It helps because you have somebody that’s going through the same thing as you,” Bowman told SoonerScoop at media days. “And so I feel like we know what each other is going through. And we deal with the same issues. Literally the same stuff.”  

No wedding date is set, said Bowman, but that balance has been a key reason for both finding their respective success.

Bowman got to watch Coleman and OU accomplish the four-peat. Now it’s his turn to write his final chapter and show what he and the Sooners can do in the SEC. And ‘the better half’ will undoubtedly be there every step of the way.