Former Durango football star Joshua Bates has gone from a place with 20,000 people to another place with 20,000 people
The difference is Bates has gone from his hometown of Durango with a population of 20,000 to The University of Oklahoma with an undergraduate enrollment of around 20,000.
Bates is entering his second year on the Oklahoma Sooner football roster after finishing his Durango High School playing career in 2022. He was named first-team all-state in 3A in his junior and senior years. Last season, Bates redshirted after starting school at Oklahoma in January of 2023 to prepare to play college football at the highest level.
“It's been good; it’s a lot of hard work,” Bates said about his time so far at Oklahoma. “Last year I was able to learn a lot under a couple of players, Andrew Raym, McKade Mettauer and some of those older guys at OU. Just being able to play under them and learn the system, the offense and how everything works in my first year was good.”
Bates is planning on playing center this year at Oklahoma. At 6-foot-3-inches and about 310 pounds, Bates said he could move to both guard spots if injuries happen but not tackle because most of the tackles are a lot bigger. He said he was about 285 pounds when he played at Durango High School.
The weight room has been Bates’ home this offseason. He’s been doing a lot of squats, bench presses and power cleans. Bates said it’s all about generating as much power as possible.
He’s also been working on speed and agility as well as watching a lot of film on opponents’ defensive schemes and NFL film. Bates’ father, Justin, taught him from an early age to gain knowledge by watching film.
Some of the centers Bates watches in the NFL are Ryan Jensen from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Creed Humphrey from the Kansas City Chiefs. Jensen is a Super Bowl champion from his time with Tom Brady and Bates loves how nasty, physical and smart Jensen is. Bates also likes how Jensen is from Colorado and went to CSU Pueblo for college.
Humphrey also went to Oklahoma and Bates loves how he strong he is and how he moves laterally. He’s also a Super Bowl champion with Patrick Mahomes.
There’s been a lot of turnover and change in the Oklahoma program recently. The Sooners will have a new quarterback with sophomore Jackson Arnold as the likely starter. Bates is battling for playing time at center after the Sooners lost all five of their starts from last year’s team.
Oklahoma is also moving to the Southeastern Conference (SEC) from the Big 12 Conference after going 10-3 overall and 7-2 in the SEC last year. Oklahoma’s biggest win came in the Red River Rivalry when it beat No. 3 Texas 34-30 on Oct. 7.
“It's a dream come true to be a part of teams that win games like that,” Bates said about the Texas win. “You’re trying to do everything you can, week to week, to help the team and make sure we have enough resources to pull wins off like that. Last year was a great year, we've laid the foundation for this year … The Texas win was awesome. It's probably the loudest environment I've ever been in my life. My ears were ringing hours after that game. Just being on the sideline and hearing stuff and the split crowd up the Red River is pretty special.”
Although Oklahoma is moving to a new conference, Bates said it’s been business as usual inside the football facilities. The team is excited to play in the best football conference in the country.
Brent Venables is going into his third year as the head coach at Oklahoma after he was the defensive coordinator at Clemson. Bates said one of the more interesting personalities he’s been around with the level of intensity he brings to every situation every day.
“I'm also an individual that has the same traits and it's good being around that,” Bates said about Venables. “Seeing somebody like that, he's a great head coach, because he just brings it every single day. It's something that's inspiring and you want to do the same … He's a great guy, a great coach, a great mentor and a great leader of men. So, I'm blessed to be able to play under him and grow as a human being.”
The Oklahoma coaches have talked with Bates about how his experience level has improved and how he knows what to call and what to do once he’s in his stance. They’ve worked with him on adjusting to the speed of the Division I college game compared to high school.
Bates credits his time playing for Durango High School with helping him manage his time with the bus trips he took to places like Palisade and Montrose for football.
He still keeps tabs on how the Demons are doing and said he still has a close relationship with Durango coach Ryan Woolverton who he considers a mentor.
Name, image and likeness (NIL) has changed the college football landscape recently and has allowed players to make money off their name, image and likeness. The most amount of money is being made in college football at the level Bates is at.
But he isn’t worried about the money. Bates is thankful for the opportunity to earn money in college but is focused on the process of getting better. If he gets good enough, Bates knows the NFL and the money will come.
“If you're not chasing the highest level, you're doing the wrong thing,” Bates said about his goals of playing in the NFL. “I want to be, one day, a really good NFL football player, playing, making a living, and having a career there. I have every opportunity at OU (Oklahoma) and every resource that's going to help me get there. So it's up to me, my skill, ability and staying healthy.”
bkelly@durangoherald.com
