John Mateer reflects on returning from injury for Texas game: ‘I’m glad I did it’

John Mateer showed a lot of toughness for Oklahoma last season, even if it was a bit detrimental. Still, he returned 17 days following surgery on his injured throwing hand to play against rival Texas. While Oklahoma was thoroughly beaten 23-6, and Mateer didn’t play well, he didn’t regret making it back for the Red River Showdown. If he’s fully healthy for this year’s game, it could be entirely different. $19.99 gets you a FULL year of On3 | Rivals national coverage “Coming back 17 days after, like I’m glad I did it because it showed me that I can fight through a lot, even though I obviously was not 100%,” Mateer said on SEC Network at SEC Media Days. “Like it was a very difficult thing to do, but I’m glad I did. Even though I failed, like I’m glad I put myself in a vulnerable position because I’ve learned so much. And when I think about the Texas game, I think about how much I’ve changed and learned from the game as a person. Because I mean, obviously, it didn’t go well.” John Mateer doesn’t regret coming back for Texas game, has learned a lot since Mateer threw for 202 yards and three interceptions in the game, completing 20-of-38 passes. He was limited to five yards on the ground as well. “It’s like throwing a baseball without your two fingers,” Mateer said of his hand injury to On3’s Wilson Alexander. “I had to hold the ball flatter, be under it. I couldn’t really get over the top of it as much, and I just had to adapt to make it work. It was OK. You know, I mean, we all saw what it ended up being. But it’s better now.” Not only that, Monday’s comments echoed what he said earlier this summer. He wouldn’t have changed a thing regarding his comeback. “I don’t think that’s the way life should be lived,” Mateer said. “ I think you challenge yourself. You see what you’re really made of. And I don’t think it’s that I wasn’t made of enough. I just think that challenge is real hard for anybody. And if I wasn’t made of it, now I am because I went through it. “I have no regrets in the challenge I put myself through. Obviously, it didn’t work out. Like, it sucked. We all watched it. I’m not saying that. But it’s just the result. I learned a lot, and you learn that you can adapt, and then in the offseason, go back. So, I have no regret.”