Curtis Lofton - Director of SOUL Mission - Football Support Staff

Curtis Lofton

Title:
Director of SOUL Mission

Professional Experience
2024- Oklahoma, Football General Manager
2022-23 Oklahoma, Director of SOUL Mission

OU Responsibilities
• Develop and implement comprehensive recruitment strategies, leveraging data-driven insights and industry best practices to identify promising prospects and personnel operations, as well as roster management and scouting initiatives.

• Evaluate prospective talent and supervise recruiting endeavors to align with team objectives and needs.

• Manage team roster requirements and help oversee retention strategies.

• Monitor NIL activity with current roster, ensuring compliance with existing NCAA and/or conference guidelines.

• Provide educational resources to current student-athletes regarding NIL requirements and regulations.

Professional Notes and Accomplishments
• Hired by Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables in 2022 and spent two seasons as a director of OU's SOUL Mission program, serving as a mentor, role model and advocate for Sooner football players. He oversaw SOUL's life skills pillar and was OU's NFL liaison.

• Was a standout linebacker at Oklahoma from 2005-07, helping the Sooners win 30 games and two Big 12 championships under former head coach Bob Stoops. His linebackers coach was Venables.

• Earned consensus All-America and first-team All-Big 12 honors in 2007, the same season he was named AP Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year.

• Led the Sooners with 157 total tackles in 2007, which ranked third nationally that season and still stands as the most by an OU defender over the last 43 years.

• Selected in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft (37th overall) by Atlanta and enjoyed an eight-year pro career with the Falcons, New Orleans Saints and Oakland Raiders. He started all 16 regular season games for six straight seasons from 2009 through 2014.

• Compiled 948 tackles (660 solo), 42 tackles for loss, 8.0 sacks, three interceptions, 25 passes defended, 11 forced fumbles and five fumble recoveries in his NFL career.

• Registered 94 tackles in 15 starts as a rookie in 2008, then notched at least 118 tackles each of his next six campaigns.

• Totaled 133 tackles (105 solo), four tackles for loss and two forced fumbles in 2009, then recorded 118 tackles (four for loss, 2.0 sacks) and three forced fumbles in 2010.

• In 2011, he set career highs with 147 tackles, nine TFLs, two interceptions (one returned for touchdown), seven passes defended and a fumble recovery.

• Signed with New Orleans in 2012 and extended his streak of seasons with 120-plus tackles. Totaled 392 stops, 18 TFLs, 3.0 sacks, 11 passes defended, four forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries in his three years with the Saints.

• Spent his final NFL season with Oakland in 2015, making nine starts and registering 64 tackles, three TFLs, a sack and a fumble recovery.

• Was rated as the No. 4 inside linebacker in the nation by Rivals and a consensus top-10 linebacker nationally coming out of Kingfisher High School in Kingfisher, Okla.