Oklahoma's John Mateer Has Found an Unlikely Inspiration This Offseason

TAMPA — It doesn't matter where you gain an edge or find inspiration. What matters is what you make of it.

For John Mateer, there's plenty of material, both internal and external, for the second-year Sooner quarterback to draw from. His offseason has driven most of the conversation surrounding Oklahoma's 2026 campaign to not only return to the College Football Playoff, but to compete for even more.

But OU's SEC Media Days 2026 appearance on Monday brought an unlikely surprise with it. Mateer has been watching film of past quarterback greats.

No, not only Baker Mayfield, Sam Bradford, or the NFL legends he aspires to be someday, but someone much older — Terry Bradshaw.

"I've actually been watching some Terry Bradshaw film," Mateer said on Monday. "Y'all wouldn't believe it."

Mateer watching film of past quarterbacks isn't surprising. Athletes in all sports will pull up YouTube or TikTok highlights in their downtime. The methodology is simple: "If I can replicate how player X does it, I can succeed like them, too."

But Bradshaw? Yes, he’s an NFL Hall of Fame legend and multi-time champion. But he last played in 1983. The former Pittsburgh Steeler found a second life in the mid-1990s as an analyst on FOX NFL Sunday, and his charisma has fueled a long broadcasting career, making him familiar even to fans born long after his playing days.

Even still, Mateer is a Generation Z quarterback. Jason White had already won Oklahoma's fourth Heisman Trophy before Mateer was born. Terry Bradshaw?

"I've been watching his film; he's great. And so, being like him, he won four Super Bowls. Come on, you're winning games," Mateer said.

The two had actually met, according to Mateer, at the Dallas Card Show, a large sports card event where athletes come to sign memorabilia for attendees and fans.

"I watch a lot of quarterbacks. (Tom) Brady, (Aaron) Rodgers," Mateer said. "You just go watch. You love watching. I love watching good football. And I was looking back, because I didn't know a lot. He's before my time, maybe a little bit. But he's won four Super Bowls, first overall pick. You go find somebody to play old school football; that's how I picked."

It's hard to argue against success. Bradshaw's four Super Bowl championships echo throughout time and transcend any evolution the game has gone through since the early 1980s. Mateer finding inspiration in that type of achievement should excite anyone rooting for him.

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