Boyd Street Magazine September 2022

SPORTS

DOWNS TIME

BY: CHRIS PLANK

As the Sooners kick-off the 2022 season, Oklahoma native and Weatherford product Ethan Downs is projected to be a difference maker. On the field, the sophomore defensive end has added more muscle, strength and leadership, which is evident in the confidence the new coaching staff has shown in him.

But the true difference that he makes goes beyond the football field, beyond the weight room and beyond the classroom.

“I don’t think there’s a guy on this team that loves this team or his position more than Ethan Downs,” new defensive ends coach Miguel Chavis said.

Ethan has always wanted to be a Sooner.

“When he was 7-years old he said ‘I’m gonna play for the Sooners and I’m gonna play in the NFL,’” Nate Downs said of his son’s early focus. “Everything he’s done since then has been geared in that direction.”

Ethan played in every game with the Sooners as a freshman, registering 3 tackles for loss and forcing a fumble against Western Carolina. With a new coaching staff in place led by Brent Venables, his commitment and passion were so clear he was selected to represent the Sooners at Big 12 Media Days.

It’s a responsibility rarely bestowed upon a freshman or sophomore.

“It’s about the buy-in, the buy-in to the culture, the work they put in, the leadership. It’s about how you play,” Venables said of Ethan representing the Sooners at Big 12 Media Days. “Everything matters. I know I’ve said that a lot. If you’re a great player, you’ve made plays for us on both sides of the ball and you’ve been late four times, that’s unacceptable. … Your destiny is a daily decision.”

“I don’t feel deserving [to be here],” Ethan said during his breakout sessions. “But I feel like it’s an opportunity to continue to grow, to give back, to prove myself.”

Ethan has a rare outlook on life that is fueled by his passion for his faith and a competitive spirit.

“I don’t know where it comes from. We raised all our kids the same, every kid is different… but he is special,” Ethan’s father, Nate Downs said of his son’s personality. “It’s more than just football and being athletically gifted. Spiritually he’s gifted and he’s going to be a leader for this team now and beyond. It’s not something you can teach or push someone towards. You either have it or you don’t.”

For his mom, De Anna Downs, it was about a trust that was gained very early that has helped him to develop into the man he is today.

“When he turned to us for advice early, we told him he could trust us,” De Anna said. “From that time on when we gave him advice he followed it to a tee. He’s just coachable… and he learns fast.”

The spotlight is not new for Ethan. He has been in this position before. As a freshman at Weatherford, he found himself playing with the varsity squad. As his career progressed, he was climbing up recruiting charts as he helped his high school win championships.

“He knows it is a gift,” De Anna added. “We’ve also taught him that someone is always looking even when you think no one is. We were really reassured that he’s the same person in our sight that he is out of our sight. It’s not a show.”

The way that Ethan lives his life can best be illustrated by his relationship with his best friend through middle school and high school, Skyler Bivens.

Chris Bivens and his wife Dixie along with their daughter Sierra and son Skyler moved to Weatherford in 2015. It was exciting for Chris because it was a return to his home state, but also concerning. His son Skyler was in junior high and had battled cancer his entire life.

“Skyler was diagnosed with cancer when he was 3 and had four or five reoccurrences and battled for 15 years off and on,” Chris said.

As the Bivens family settled in Weatherford, Skyler faced the challenge of finding new friends. Leaving Kansas meant leaving his best friend.

“I was worried, but God wanted us to be here, and he gave us Ethan,” Chris shared. “Ethan saw him for who he was… a kid who wanted to have fun.”

The bond between Ethan and Skyler was instant.

“Ethan came home from school in middle school, he tells me about a kid he met in gym class who had a hard time walking,” De Anna said of Ethan’s first meeting with Skyler. “People treat him bad because he’s different, but we started talking about cartoons and hit it off. Ethan never saw the things that set them apart. The boys were inseparable. Chris, Dixie and Sierra are now family. That young man and the battle that he fought opened all our eyes to something bigger.”

Despite the differences in stature, Ethan and Skyler were inseparable. Ethan had a loyal friend and Skyler had a buddy who allowed him to be a kid away from the everyday battles of scans, treatment and chemotherapy.

“Skyler had the best attitude. I never once heard him say why me,” Chris said. “He had three brain surgeries, countless other surgeries and never once did he ever say why me dad. Ethan was a role model for Skyler. Skyler was always telling him they were brothers. And that’s what they were like. They were brothers.”

Skyler lost his battle to brain cancer in 2019 when Ethan was a junior in high school. The bond was so deep between the two that the relationship is mentioned in the obituary for Skyler. They might not have been family by blood, but they had become brothers in life.

“I try to remember that whatever it is I can do it,” Ethan shared. “Skyler fought cancer all his life since he was 3. I met him in middle school, and it was a god sent thing. There is so much more than winning or losing on Saturdays. Even if we don’t win, even if I don’t make a big play, watching Skyler fight I learned about the value of life.”

There are several things that you get when watching Ethan Downs play: a passionate, hard-nosed, tireless worker who loves being Sooner.

“What you see in an interview is the same person he is all the time. Sometimes I feel like an outsider looking in, watching this play out for our son and watching him figure things out,” Nate Downs said of his son.

As Ethan prepares to take on a larger role in 2022, the foundation he has already set off the field has paved the way for him to be successful on the field. His mentality and mindset have meshed perfectly with Venables and his approach to Sooner Football.

“These coaches are all about grit, heart, all about putting your mind to it,” Ethan said. “Coach Venables just said today you can’t speak yourself into being a great football player. You must perform. You must work at it. I want to show that by how I work every day. I want to exceed expectations… and set a standard.”

As the Sooners embark on a new era, the foundation being set by players like Ethan Downs will help to serve as an example.

He knows that his biggest fan is always watching down from above.

“I take a lot of pride in Ethan,” Chris added. “What you see in Ethan is genuine. That’s who he is. It’s just a matter of time before the world sees how special he is. I think OU is blessed to have him. I couldn’t imagine that there could be a better face for their football program.”-BSM