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TAMPA, Fla. - One of the things that stood out most from SEC Media Days was hearing from Oklahoma offensive guard Eddy Pierre-Louis.
The Tampa native not only got to represent the Sooners in his hometown, but he also showed exactly why Brent Venables trusts him as one of the leaders on this team.
Pierre-Louis made it clear he understands the responsibility that comes with being a guy his teammates look up to.
"My guys look up to me, so I've got to go harder for those guys," Pierre-Louis said. "I've got to put myself aside. I can't worry about me — I've got to worry about my group and what's best for the team."
Pierre-Louis isn't looking for the spotlight, but is one of the guys who is looking to set the tone up front. The redshirt sophomore is showing he’s ready to lead by example and put the team’s success above everything else.
He also talked about how special it was to be back home in Tampa at Media Days.
“Oh, man, this is great,” he said. “Being back in my hometown, Tampa, Florida. I was able to see my mom earlier. So that was also a good blessing. And also it's great. I worked for it. And also it was good that my teammates seen that in me as well. So I'm quite honored for sure representing my squad and also representing Oklahoma.”
You can hear the gratitude in his words. Pierre-Louis made it clear that getting to represent OU in front of his family and hometown crowd felt good, especially after the journey he’s been on.
Pierre-Louis has been a Sooner fan since he was a little kid. He shared a cool story about how Oklahoma has always been his dream school, despite growing up in the Gulf Coast of Central Florida.
“Oklahoma was my dream school since I was a kid,” he said. “I made a video to myself saying, like when I was 7, saying I was going to go to Oklahoma. And I'm blessed that I made that happen, for sure.”
He even mentioned watching games on TV and being drawn to the passion.
“I seen them on TV,” he said. “That red just lit up to me. I seen the passion that they had when they were playing a game. So that was something that I wanted to be a part of. I just kept working for it.”
It just goes to show how deep the connection is for him. He didn’t just end up at OU — he chased it from a young age.
On the leadership side, Pierre-Louis admitted he wasn’t always talking when he first got to Norman.
“When I first started, I wasn't very vocal,” he said.
But he’s grown into that role, and you can tell he takes it seriously. He kept coming back to the same message about putting the team first.
“My guys, they look up to me,” Pierre-Louis said. “So having that each and every day, I gotta know that I gotta go harder for those guys. I've got to put myself aside. I can't worry about me. I've got to worry about my group. That's something that I overemphasize with my group as well. Sometimes you can't be thinking about yourself. You've got to think about what's good for the team, what's best for the team.”
Pierre-Louis not just talking about it — he’s living it and trying to pass it on to the younger guys.
Venables has talked about how strong the leadership is in the locker room this year, and Eddy is a big part of that.
He also reflected on how far he’s come and how meaningful this moment is.
“It feels great because I know where I came from and I know where a lot of people are from as well,” he said.
“So being in this situation, being in front of all y'all people as well, is a blessing, definitely.”
Pierre-Louis has worked his tail off to get to this point. From being a highly rated recruit to developing into a starter and now a vocal leader, his story is one a lot of people can relate to.
The offensive line has been a talking point, and having leaders like Pierre-Louis who are committed to the group and willing to put in the hard work is exactly what this team needs.
If the offensive line plays with that same team-first mentality he’s preaching, we should see real improvement in the run game.
Eddy Pierre-Louis is embracing the leadership role, staying humble, and staying hungry.
Continue reading...
The Tampa native not only got to represent the Sooners in his hometown, but he also showed exactly why Brent Venables trusts him as one of the leaders on this team.
Pierre-Louis made it clear he understands the responsibility that comes with being a guy his teammates look up to.
"My guys look up to me, so I've got to go harder for those guys," Pierre-Louis said. "I've got to put myself aside. I can't worry about me — I've got to worry about my group and what's best for the team."
Pierre-Louis isn't looking for the spotlight, but is one of the guys who is looking to set the tone up front. The redshirt sophomore is showing he’s ready to lead by example and put the team’s success above everything else.
He also talked about how special it was to be back home in Tampa at Media Days.
“Oh, man, this is great,” he said. “Being back in my hometown, Tampa, Florida. I was able to see my mom earlier. So that was also a good blessing. And also it's great. I worked for it. And also it was good that my teammates seen that in me as well. So I'm quite honored for sure representing my squad and also representing Oklahoma.”
You can hear the gratitude in his words. Pierre-Louis made it clear that getting to represent OU in front of his family and hometown crowd felt good, especially after the journey he’s been on.
Pierre-Louis has been a Sooner fan since he was a little kid. He shared a cool story about how Oklahoma has always been his dream school, despite growing up in the Gulf Coast of Central Florida.
“Oklahoma was my dream school since I was a kid,” he said. “I made a video to myself saying, like when I was 7, saying I was going to go to Oklahoma. And I'm blessed that I made that happen, for sure.”
He even mentioned watching games on TV and being drawn to the passion.
“I seen them on TV,” he said. “That red just lit up to me. I seen the passion that they had when they were playing a game. So that was something that I wanted to be a part of. I just kept working for it.”
It just goes to show how deep the connection is for him. He didn’t just end up at OU — he chased it from a young age.
On the leadership side, Pierre-Louis admitted he wasn’t always talking when he first got to Norman.
“When I first started, I wasn't very vocal,” he said.
But he’s grown into that role, and you can tell he takes it seriously. He kept coming back to the same message about putting the team first.
“My guys, they look up to me,” Pierre-Louis said. “So having that each and every day, I gotta know that I gotta go harder for those guys. I've got to put myself aside. I can't worry about me. I've got to worry about my group. That's something that I overemphasize with my group as well. Sometimes you can't be thinking about yourself. You've got to think about what's good for the team, what's best for the team.”
Pierre-Louis not just talking about it — he’s living it and trying to pass it on to the younger guys.
Venables has talked about how strong the leadership is in the locker room this year, and Eddy is a big part of that.
He also reflected on how far he’s come and how meaningful this moment is.
“It feels great because I know where I came from and I know where a lot of people are from as well,” he said.
“So being in this situation, being in front of all y'all people as well, is a blessing, definitely.”
Pierre-Louis has worked his tail off to get to this point. From being a highly rated recruit to developing into a starter and now a vocal leader, his story is one a lot of people can relate to.
The offensive line has been a talking point, and having leaders like Pierre-Louis who are committed to the group and willing to put in the hard work is exactly what this team needs.
If the offensive line plays with that same team-first mentality he’s preaching, we should see real improvement in the run game.
Eddy Pierre-Louis is embracing the leadership role, staying humble, and staying hungry.
Continue reading...
