The thing about an epiphany is that you can have it at any juncture of life. It’s never ill-timed to pursue a path of religious and spiritual devotion. Imagine you’ve been a star player through every rung of the footballing ladder. From high school all the way through to an 8-year NFL career, you’ve been married to the game. Then, you come back to your alma mater in pursuit of resuscitating a flailing blueblood. You’re largely successful in whatever responsibility was bestowed upon you, too. Think that’s enough to bow out of the sport in favour of a new calling.
It’ll be rational to ask if someone in the GM’s capacity leaving merely 7 months after taking it on pushes this flailing program further backwards. Maybe, but there were contingencies already in place. See, this GM didn’t really have a defined role. No officialized responsibility. In this evolutionary era of College Football, the school was making this up as they went along. So when the time came to streamline front office operations, it was pretty much a clean slate anyway. This allowed said GM the chance to diverge towards a more transcendent path, and so they did.
Curtis Lofton may not quite be a household name across the football sphere, but he’s earned that reverence down in Norman. The former linebacker leaves his role as “General Manager” of the Oklahoma Sooners amidst what is a watershed phase in the fabled history of this behemoth program. I say General Manager in quotations because Curtis Lofton wasn’t exactly one in the conventional sense. He initially returned to OU as part of the Soul Mission, an initiative by HC Brent Venables. The venture employed ex-Sooners to mentor the current crop. Essentially, Lofton made such a positive impact that Oklahoma decided to keep him around as GM, the program’s very first. Except, they weren’t sure what the role would entail. Now that they’re ready for a more traditional GM, Curtis Lofton came to the realization it’s not for him. Instead, he’s now going to lend himself into ministry.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
“I have decided to step away from being the General Manager at OU, effective immediately, with my last day being February 1st,” Lofton said in a Facebook post. “I am pursuing ministry and striving for true greatness by creating impact for the Kingdom.” It’s great how Curtis Lofton is taking this quite literal leap of faith away from football, which he’s reciprocated enough time to. Even while departing the Oklahoma Sooners, he did do them one more favor.
#Sooners GM Curtis Lofton announces on Facebook that he is stepping down as OU football’s GM effective immediately on Feb. 1. This was an expected move. pic.twitter.com/CTMPNQNARs
— George Stoia III (@GeorgeStoia) January 16, 2025
By all accords in and around the program, this decision was expected. Lofton seemingly made up his mind some time ago. He was biding his time till the dust settled on this season. This is evidenced by the fact Oklahoma is already on the lookout for new candidates. Lofton leaves the Oklahoma Sooners in a better place than he found them, albeit this may not be apparent to the casual onlooker. OU insiders and fans have attested to this, as well as confirming that the search for a new GM is already underway.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Curtis Lofton leaves Oklahoma in a better place, but the cracked foundation persists
Over on the KREF Sports radio show, Oklahoma fan Chris Plank said, “When Curtis Lofton made it official yesterday that he was stepping away, I think one of the first comments I saw was, ‘Now even the most die-hard Sooners are bailing ship’… ‘Now even the legends are getting off while they can.’ This was not a surprise move. This became an expected move over time,” Plank also spoke very favorably about the work Lofton did in Norman.
“For a role that no one really knew what it would be and what it would look like, [Curtis Lofton] stepped into that and I thought he did a really good job,” he said. “You talk to anyone in that building, Curtis Lofton was, he was a difference maker…he did everything asked of him” The Oklahoma Sooners’ first season in the SEC post-realignment was underwhelming, to put it lightly. Apart from its results in the field, OU also lost traction on the recruiting front.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
The sheen is wearing off this storied blue blood. A below .500 year will inadvertently cause players to perceive them in a different light, a relatively lower echelon. They’re attempting to prevent falling further behind the 8-ball with this restructuring of the front office. A return to their pedestal has to become a question of when, not if, for the Oklahoma Sooners. More mediocrity won’t go down well with the Sooners faithful.
Have something to say?
Let the world know your perspective.
Challenge Your Sports Knowledge!
Solve the puzzle and prove your knowledge of iconic players, terms, and moments.
Debate
Curtis Lofton leaves Sooners for ministry—Is this a sign of deeper issues at Oklahoma?
What’s your perspective on:
Curtis Lofton leaves Sooners for ministry—Is this a sign of deeper issues at Oklahoma?
Have an interesting take?