Oklahoma defensive ends coach Bobby Jack Wright’s message to his defensive ends is pretty simple: Force me to play you.

It doesn’t matter how talented the player is or how much potential impact the player brings to the table. He has to earn Wright’s trust and meet his expectations. It sometimes takes a while to get used to Wright’s coaching style. Senior R.J. Washington is the perfect example.

“The first year we had Coach Wright, Jeremy (Beal) said Coach Wright will yell at you, then slide a joke in and calm the mood of the room down,” Washington said. “So people think “Ah, he’s just joking.” Jeremy was like, he’s joking but it’s like 'For real though, if you don’t make that play, you won’t play.'”

That realization didn’t click with Washington until last season when he began to realize his potential after arriving in Norman as the No. 11 player in the ESPN 150 in the class of 2008. Washington began to meet Wright’s expectations and earned playing time, finishing with 16 tackles and five sacks as a junior.

“Coach Wright is not playing about that,” Washington said of meeting Wright’s expectations. “He’s like, ‘I’ll take two people and they’ll play the whole game.'

"If you don’t want to do what you are supposed to do, you aren’t getting on the field.”