ARLINGTON, Texas β Blake Ratcliff considers himself an Oklahoma fan, but admits he didn’t make the connection right away when the Airbnb request came in. Once he started corresponding with Dillon Gabriel, he understood.
“I had no idea who it was,” Ratcliff said. “And then we start talking and he goes, ‘You know, I’m the quarterback at Oklahoma. “”
Gabriel had done a lot of research and found only one property nearby that could accommodate his big idea. He booked a two-night stay from June 17-19 at Ratcliff Ranch in Lawton, Okla., located 70 miles southwest of Norman. It was there that he hosted the first-ever DimeTime Retreat, a weekend getaway for the Sooners’ quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers and tight ends to hang out, create links and play ball.
The UCF transfer and pre-season Big 12 Newcomer of the Year saw it as an invaluable opportunity to deepen his relationships with the talented players on his team and embrace the style of leadership he wants to provide these Sooners. He got the idea from Russell Wilson, who once hosted a Hawaiian retreat for Seahawks teammates in 2015, months after their last Super Bowl loss, for in-depth discussions and player-organized workouts.
For the Oklahoma players, the intention was different. They had no grievances to voice and resolve. It was about forging the friendships that make league seasons possible.
“It was a great time and something I think was needed for us to continue to connect on a whole new level,” Gabriel said.
Great time with the boys this weekend! The ViBeS were unreal! π€π½π€ͺπ© pic.twitter.com/g44vZOyP42
β Dillon Gabriel (@_dillongabriel_) June 20, 2022
The ranch was an ideal location, set on nine acres with a large backyard for throwing sessions, a room for 16, and a view of the Wichita mountains. Ratcliff and his wife, Sara, have hosted weddings, family reunions and more on their property. But the Oklahoma offense is coming to town to practice at home?
“I felt pretty privileged to be able to help them with that,” Ratcliff said with a laugh.
The extra reps were welcome as the Sooners continue to learn the fast tempo system from new offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby. Gabriel and his teammates worked there, meeting to go over routes, verbiage and the schedule, then taking them out into the field.
βIt was like, hey, do you have any questions? Ask them right now,β wide receiver Marvin Mims said. βLet’s make sure we’re on the same page. If not, let’s go.
For Mims, however, the experience was much more about bonding. He said he had never experienced anything like this trip. The guys got to know each other personally and not just through football. He noted that it’s usually harder than it looks. “Nobody is going to ask someone you don’t know outside of football to go out on weekends and stuff like that,” Mims said. That’s what Gabriel was attacking with this escapade. His goal was to get the guys to invest in each other.
“It had a positive impact,” Gabriel said. “We were able to connect with each other, turn off the phones and mingle with guys you never really talk to for whatever reason.”
A reason? Like Gabriel, a lot of the guys who made the trip to Lawton didn’t play in Oklahoma last year. Quarterbacks Davis Beville and General Booty, running back Bentavious Thompson and receivers JJ Hester and LV Bunkley-Shelton all just joined the Sooners this summer along with newly enrolled freshmen. These transfers must be ready to play. They must also develop trust. Gabriel loves relationships and recognized that they needed to accelerate the speed with which they build them.
So they had a lot of passages, of course. But they also made the five-minute drive to Medicine Park and spent time at Bath Lake. They played a round at Fort Sill Golf Course. Gabriel smiled as he recounted shooting pool with Jaden Knowles, Major Nelson and Brayden Willis and listening to music in the basement one night while others played “Madden.”
βWe ate together like one big family at the table,β Mims said. “No one else can eat unless you eat with everyone.”
Life would be boring aloneβ¦ do it together π₯Ήπ©π€π½π€ͺ pic.twitter.com/lmyUnnyP4k
β Dillon Gabriel (@_dillongabriel_) June 21, 2022
The Ratcliffs greeted the Sooners upon their arrival and couldn’t have been more impressed with the group. These weren’t your typical college kids who came to party and trash the place. Gabriel and his teammates even cleaned up, signed autographs and left thank you notes on the way out. Ratcliff hopes they return next summer and make it a tradition.
“Dillon was so professional, and the whole band was,” Ratcliff said. βThey took great care of the house. He was in fantastic condition when they left. They clearly wanted to make a good impression and do what they were doing. It was just fun from start to finish.
When Gabriel moved to Norman in January, he was keen to approach it the right way. In the beginning, he wanted to show these guys who he is with the way he works and how much time he puts into this game. He recognized that you better earn respect before you start being more vocal and demanding. But the fourth-year junior considered the camaraderie off the court to be even more important. He knows how that translates into games.
“I just saw it as an opportunity to connect with people,” Gabriel said. “For me, I was never going to eat a meal alone. I was always going to bring someone with me or go with someone and more than one person, get in a group and connect. I’m all about to break bread with each other.
The process of figuring out the right move for his playing career, after entering the transfer portal at the end of November, was stressful. Gabriel took a trip to Ole Miss. He visited and then committed to UCLA. “You’re making a decision that you really want to trust and feel really good about,” he said. But there are so many coaches and quarterbacks on the move at the end of the season. Circumstances change rapidly. As soon as Caleb Williams chose to trade, the Sooners knew who they needed.
When Gabriel got the call from Lebby, the coach who recruited him to UCF, he thought Lebby was joking with him. Gabriel was boarding a flight to Los Angeles in 30 minutes.
“I was like, ‘Dude, don’t play with me,'” Gabriel said. “But the moment Leb called, I knew he was serious. He called and said, ‘Boomer earlier.’
Gabriel returned home, made up his mind, and flew to Oklahoma a few days later. Six months later, he couldn’t be happier that he trusted his instincts that day. Gabriel is where he needed to be, helping usher in a new era for this program by building things the right way.
When Gabriel told Lebby about his DimeTime retirement plans, the coach was excited. But he had a question for his quarterback: what about the big boys?
Gabriel has an answer. He’s taking his offensive linemen to lunch tomorrow morning. They have planned a good little Saturday.
“We’re going to take a party bus down to the lake,” he said. “We’re getting on two pontoon boats and we’re going to enjoy our time there.”
(Photo: Kevin Jairaj/USA Today)
Comments are closed.