NORMAN, OKLA. (KOKH) — As OU gets ready for its playoff run, one phrase has come to define this season, “hard to kill.” The slogan took off after a pair of gritty wins, and now it’s flying off the shelves. What started as a post-game comment from head coach Brent Venables has quickly become the identity of the Sooners.
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The phrase first made waves after OU’s narrow win over Tennessee, then gained even more momentum following a gritty victory over Alabama.
https://www.bonfire.com/ous-hard-to-kill-mantra-t-shirt
Players wore the message proudly, and fans did too.
“We’re like a big gladiator as a team,” said OU Linebacker Kip Lewis. “Weve been pushing it the last couple of weeks. Just the theme of it is hard to kill.”
“Hard to kill” is everywhere, with shirts flying off the shelves. What started as a locker room mindset has turned into a full-blown playoff rally cry, and fans are wearing it as a badge of honor.
“As far as sales go, I don’t think we’ve ever seen anything like ‘hard to kill’ take off the way that it has this year,” said Mitchel Barker, owner of Balfour of Norman. “Every phone call, every email is about ‘hard to kill’ right now, we’ve sold over a hundred every day that we’ve had them.”
For many, “hard to kill” perfectly captures a season defined by close games, tough finishes, and a team that refused to back down.
Now, as OU prepares for the college football playoff, the phrase has become more than just words on a shirt.
“I think that that is a mentality that a lot of Oklahomans have,” said Barker. “I don’t know when the team plays like they do, it’s just something that they can relate to. They don’t give up, and they just keep fighting.”
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