Oklahoma DB C.J. Coldon Produced a Moment of 'Sooner Magic' With Dazzling Interception

NORMAN — Saturday, C.J. Coldon announced himself to the Oklahoma faithful.

One week after the Wyoming transfer recorded his first interception as a Sooner, he stole the show with a sensational pick in the second quarter of a 52-42 victory over Kansas.

KU quarterback Jason Bean dropped back to pass and looked to his left and appeared to have Tanaka Scott open on the sideline.

But Coldon was sitting underneath, and rose into the path of the throw.

The OU corner leapt in the air, getting a fingertip on the ball and tipping it down where he then hauled in the one-handed catch after falling on his back.

𝗝𝗨𝗠𝗣𝗠𝗔𝗡. CJ Coldon with 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥 😮‍💨#OUDNA | 📺 ESPN2 pic.twitter.com/LgRpy3nS36
— Oklahoma Football (@OU_Football) October 15, 2022

“It was crazy,” Coldon said after the game. “It kind of felt like sandlot football, just playing with your friends. I just jumped up, tipped it and try to get a PBU and knock it down. Then I saw I was able to reach out and grab it. It counted.

“I was trying to make sure it counted. But it feels even better getting a win at home, in Norman, at the Palace, that’s a great feeling.”

David Ugwoegbu wasn’t surprised that Coldon was in the right place to make the play, but the nature of the interception even took the veteran linebacker by surprise.

“I saw the QB throw the ball and he reached up with one hand. Instantly, when he got the hand up I thought it was going to be one of those one-handed Odell snags,” Ugwoegbu said. "But he tipped — he just came up with the ball.

“It was a crazy play, Sooner Magic with that one. C.J. is a great player. He does great stuff in practice, so it's no surprise he was in that spot to make the play.”

The interception could serve as a coming out party for Coldon, who is finally starting to get his feet under him at Oklahoma.

A redshirt senior, Coldon earned second-team All-Mountain West Conference last season at Wyoming.

The timing of his transfer didn’t allow Coldon to arrive in Norman until the summer.

It’s been a process to digest Brent Venables’ defensive scheme, but Coldon’s hard work is finally starting to pay off.

“Everything moves so fast, so (I was) definitely playing catch-up,” Coldon said. “You are behind missing spring ball. I’ve never been through a situation like that, starting in the summer time, besides freshman year. It was kind of like being a freshman again, in a way. The whole process has just been difficult.”

“ … Difficult with new terminology, more of a complex defense and learning that. It’s been difficult, no lie. Just trying to focus on getting better each day, 1 percent better each day.”

Coldon’s teammates have been impressed by his worth ethic, and they’ve noticed him make plays on the practice field.

Headed into the bye week, Coldon appears to be turning the corner and primed to be a major contributor throughout the end of the season for the Sooners.

“As soon as he got there we kind of felt like he was a part of us,” linebacker DaShaun White said. “I think as far as him just getting really comfortable I think that, and I could be totally wrong, but I think that just within these last few weeks maybe he's taken a really big step.

“And just his comfort in knowing what he's supposed to do and knowing where people are at around him. Even his communication, different sort of things like that. His anticipation of what he's gonna see before the ball is even snapped. I mean there's a lot of things that I just in the last few weeks have kind of seen him just grow in a really big way. And so happy that he's performing at a high level.”

Not only was Coldon’s interception a boost to his season, but it came at a crucial time in the game for the Sooners.

Oklahoma was only up by one touchdown, and Dillon Gabriel marched the offense right down the field to cash in on Coldon’s spectacular play.

“It was huge,” Venables said. “Turnovers are one of the most important stats in winning and losing. There were in plus territory. It was a 40-yard drive and they were in plus territory. It was a huge play. Our offense gets the ball back and we go down and score; that’s complementing each other.

“It was a really nice play by C.J.”

Now feeling more at home in the Venables defense, Coldon was able to rely on his athleticism and instincts to impact the game.

The former high school wide receiver made one of the catches of the day — his pick was ranked as the No. 1 play of the day on ESPN's "College Football Final — and he’ll be teeming with confidence next time the Sooners take the field in Ames.

“I was an all-state receiver,” he said. “I made a bunch of crazy catches playing receiver in high school, even in practice making crazy catches. In a game, that’s a great feeling. Teammates love you up. I can’t describe it. SportsCenter. It’s crazy bro.”

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