The nickname followed him all the way to the end.
For R Mason Thomas, “The Closer” was never about slogans or introductions. It was about finishing. And on Saturday night inside Memorial Stadium, the Oklahoma senior defensive end did exactly that, closing out his career in the same place he spent years defining effort, accountability, and commitment for the Oklahoma Sooners.
Thomas returned from injury to play in Oklahoma’s College Football Playoff loss to the Alabama Crimson Tide, knowing he was not at full strength. That reality did not deter him. It sharpened his purpose.
“Shout-out to the trainers, Jonathan Gress, Geoff Lau, Hailey, Dylan, Luke, they all helped me getting back,” Thomas said postgame. “Healing right, getting my mind right just so I won’t play timid or scared. Nobody is 100 percent during the season. Let’s go be as high as we can be so we can ball out for this playoff game.”
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Oklahoma’s defense battled throughout the night, playing fast and aggressive against one of the nation’s most complete teams. Thomas pointed to the effort in the trenches while keeping the focus where he believed it belonged.
“At the end of the day it doesn’t really matter if we don’t come out with the W,” he said.
That mindset framed how Thomas evaluated the season as a whole. When asked whether the year should be considered successful, he did not soften the truth or hide behind perspective. Championships matter. Rings matter. But so does how you finish.
“If success means the big diamond on your pinkie ring, you could say no,” Thomas said. “But at the end of the day, to go out with my guys like this, I count it as successful.”
His decision to return was rooted in loyalty and standard. Leadership, he said, begins with head coach Brent Venables and flows through the locker room.
“It all starts with Coach V (Venables), the ultimate leader,” Thomas said. “For our defense to be how it was this year says a lot about our coaching and our leadership.”
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One final night in Norman carried its own weight. Thomas knew it as he looked up and took it in, understanding this was the end of his time on that field.
“It is nice to look up and see Norman Nation,” he said. “Senior night wasn’t my last time. I knew we were going to have a playoff game here. That meant a lot.”
They called him “The Closer” because he finished games. On Saturday night, he finished something bigger, his Oklahoma career, exactly where it belonged, under the lights, with his teammates, and nothing left undone.
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