How Owen Heinecke Emerged as One of the Stars of Oklahoma's Defense

NORMAN — Owen Heinecke went to Brent Venables’ office on a mission in the spring.

He left with disappointment.

It was one he understood, but came away from that meeting vowing to do whatever it took to be noticed.

It wasn’t immediate, but eventually Venables and the rest of Oklahoma’s defensive coaching staff took notice, and it has paid off big for both sides.

Entering the postseason — which figures to include a College Football Playoff berth for the Sooners — Heinecke has not only carved out a role for himself, he’s become a prominent piece on one of the best defenses in the country.

Heinecke is second on the team in tackles with 67, second in tackles for loss with 10, and tied for third in pass breakups with four.

His path to OU is fairly well known — two-way star at Tulsa’s Bishop Kelley who chose Ohio State lacrosse over football offers from the service academies and a pair of in-state Division II programs before walking on in Norman after one year in Columbus.

But Heinecke’s meteoric rise this season wasn’t something anybody saw coming, except maybe Heinecke.

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Venables certainly didn’t anticipate it.

“I’m thankful for his persistence,” Venables said.

Heinecke walked out of that meeting with Venables feeling some deep emotions.

He said those emotions specifically are what motivated him to take the steps that led to him transforming himself from a player who was mostly a special teams contributor last season to one who is critical to the success of the defense this year.

“I would say the real answer is frustration and anger,” Heinecke told Sooners On SI .

Heinecke felt like he’d shown enough to get a shot heading into the spring but still wasn’t registering with the coaches.

“There’s 125 guys on a football team and walk-ons normally aren’t at the top of the scouting report,” Heinecke said. “I felt like I was making plays but wasn’t really getting the shot that I wanted. So I went into his office and kind of had a heart-to-heart with him that didn’t really go the way I planned on it going. So I made up my mind that I was going to make a spot on this defense no matter what.”

Instead of being down about the meeting, Heinecke was focused to break through.

“I felt like I wasn’t getting seen,” Heinecke said. “It’s my job just as much as anybody else to leave no doubt in the coach’s mind. I had left doubt in their minds up until that point, so I was like, ‘At all costs, got to make sure that there’s no doubt in these coaches’ minds that I’m good enough to play here.’ ”

So Heinecke sent Venables a highlight reel of plays he’s made in practice and games.

“I told him what I thought I did well, what I needed to work on and asked where he thinks I could improve,” Heinecke said.

When Venables responded simply with a thumbs up, Heinecke wondered if he’d messed up.

“I thought, ‘Gosh, he probably didn’t like me sending this,’ ” Heinecke said.

But he didn’t give up, and sent another message not long after. This time, the response was a little more encouraging.

Venables answered, “I like this.”

Heinecke sent another. This time, the response was more detailed.

“He responded with all the things I needed to work on,” Heinecke said. “So I think it kind of grew on him.”

Heinecke didn’t expect to be given a role just based on the clips, but he wanted to try everything he could to become a significant piece on the team.

“I had kind of been a shy kid, a walk-on, not trying to step on any toes and trying to please everybody,” Heinecke said, “but this was going into possibly my last season — I’ve got to make a run for it and I know that I’m good enough to play here and all I need is a shot. He gave me that shot and it’s been a great year.”

Heinecke’s persistence has served as a lesson to the Sooners this season, even before his rise as the season has gone on.

“Owen’s a workaholic,” defensive lineman David Stone said. “When you talk about a guy who was a walk-on and the success he had … it’s evident in the everyday process he has. Owen was someone who held me accountable in the summer workouts when we were running.”

Stone remembers being sick from exertion during workouts and Heinecke still pushing him.

“He’s a real leader, man,” Stone said. “My freshman year I didn’t even know he was a walk-on. That man is truly outspoken, and he’s humble about himself but confident at the same level at the same time. … The level of energy he plays with and the elevation he brings around to the whole defense, it’s wonderful, man.”

And though that meeting with Venables didn’t go the way he wanted, Heinecke appreciates the way his coach — a former walk-on himself — handled him.

“That’s just kind of who he is,” Heinecke said. “He wants you to work for stuff. He’s a blue-collar guy and I think he wanted to just see the fight from me.”