Oklahoma DB Kendel Dolby is 'Attacking' Each Day as He Works Back From Injury

Dolby is back in pads now, though he’s not a full participant in everything the team is doing this spring. 

He’s participating in individual drills currently, but the training staff is cautiously bringing him along with the goal of him being a full participant in fall camp. 

“I’m definitely pleased with my process, obviously I’m not where I want to be yet but it’s a process,” he said. “I’m attacking every day, I’m taking small checkpoints and wins that I get and I’m stacking them up.”

Bouncing back from an injury is tough, but Dolby’s recovery process taxed him as he went through waves of emotion. 

“It’s like phases,” he said. “You have a phase where, ‘Why me? Why did this happen?’ I had a great support group, the coaching staff, my teammates and my family. Just kinda going through that phase from, ‘Why did this happen?’ to ‘OK, it happened. What am I going to do about it?’ And going from ‘What am I going to do about it?’ to, now I’m on the other side of it where I’m motivated and looking to get back from it.”

Playing at cheetah linebacker, Dolby seemed to find a home in Brent Venables’ defense. 

He started to mentally grasp the position in 2023, totaling 49 tackles, two sacks, five tackles for loss, two interceptions and four pass breakups. 

With an entire offseason dedicated to playing the position, last year he was primed to take his game to the next level. 

A concussion cost him the Tulane game, but he still added 10 tackles, one sack, one pass breakup and one QB hurry in three games before exiting the game agains the Volunteers. 

After establishing himself as a key piece in Venables’ system, Dolby’s mind quickly jumped to wondering if he’d every play football again.

“In that moment, I was thinking that, you know what I'm saying,” Dolby said. “There was so much going through my head. But like I said, it's all a part about the process of growing.

“… I'm doing everything I can, so I can be like myself — or be better. I think, in my head, I'm gonna be better. And I trust God's plan, and I trust in the coaching staff, I trust in the training staff to get me back to being the player I was, or even better.”

Dolby’s teammates are thrilled to see him back on the practice field. 

“It broke my heart because of the work I know he's put in,” defensive back Gentry Williams said. “I know the type of man he is and what he's doing to get to this point. I know what he's going to do to get to the next level. He's going to put that work in. He's going to push me to be a better person on and off the field.”

In his absence, Dolby was excited by the development of the rest of the guys at cheetah. 

Under the leadership of new assistant coach Wes Goodwin, Dolby believes there’s more development to come from the group. 

“He’s not the yelling type. He’s more of a quiet coach, I would say. But he means well,” Dolby said. “When he’s coaching you up, he’s not really yelling but you take in what he’s telling you because he comes from a place of love and a place of wanting you to grow. He’s been a great coach and a great addition to the staff.”

Still, Dolby is battling every practice to get back to the physical player he was before his injury, as his energy brings an extra edge to OU’s defense. 

“(I’m) just taking it day by day,” he said. “Doing what I need to do in the training room, really taking my time with it.”