POSSE Magazine - Fall 2013

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As summer comes to a close, fall is approaching and another season of Cowgirl and Cowboy Athletics is beginning. I don’t recall a year as full of expectation and promise as this one. IT SHOULD BE AN EXCITING TIME TO BE A FAN OF OSU SPORTS!

Greetings, OSU fans.

As you arrive on campus for all of our fall sports you will see the completed Sherman E. Smith Training Center. The facility will allow our student-athletes to train year-round without worrying about the weather.

I WANT TO THANK THE SMITH FAMILY FOR THE GENEROUS DONATION THAT TOOK THIS FACILITY FROM DREAM TO REALITY. It is important to note that Boone Pickens and Sherman Smith were close friends, fraternity brothers, business partners, and shared the same birthday five years apart. It is only fitting that two of the largest and most significant structures in the athletic village are named in their honor. IT IS AN IMPRESSIVE SIGHT WHEN YOU DRIVE DOWN HALL OF FAME AND SEE THEIR NAMES IN LIGHTS.

It has taken a lot of people working together to reach this point in the evolution of OSU athletics. There is still a lot of work to be done but Cowboys and Cowgirls are a special lot and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for our sports teams. Round up the family, buy your season tickets, and enjoy the ride!

HOLDER DIRECTOR OF INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS

23 LOOKING BACK

Barry Sanders

PHOTO / GARY LAWSON

At Oklahoma State University, compliance with NCAA rules is of the utmost importance.

As a supporter of OSU, please remember that maintaining the integrity of the University and the Athletic Department is your first responsibility. As a donor, NCAA rules apply to you. If you have any questions, feel free to call the OSU Office of Athletic Compliance at 405-744-7862.

REMEMBER TO ALWAYS ASK BEFORE YOU ACT.

Respectfully,

BEN DYSON ASSISTANT ATHLETIC DIRECTOR FOR COMPLIANCE

Award Winning

SOME OF OUR POSSE STAFF WON AWARDS AWARDS AT THIS YEAR’S OKLAHOMA COLLEGE PUBLIC RELATIONS ASSOCIATION (OCPRA).

Taken by Gary Lawson , the baseball image, depicting pitcher Jason Hursch , won the GRAND AWARD in the Traditional Photography/Sports category. The wresting photo of Jordan Oliver won an ACHIEVEMENT AWARD in the Digitally Enhanced Photography category.

POSSE MAGAZINE, V6N2 also won a GRAND AWARD in the Sports Publication category. Congratulations go to Cory Cheney, Paul V. Fleming, Phil Shockley, Ross Maute, Gary Lawson , Clay Billman , Bruce Waterfield , Matt Elliott, Gene Johnson and all those who help make this magazine special.

POSSE MAGAZINE STAFF

VICE PRESIDENT OF ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT / MARKETING KYLE WRAY

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF / SENIOR ASSOCIATE ATHLETIC DIRECTOR KEVIN KLINTWORTH

ART DIRECTOR / DESIGNER PAUL V. FLEMING

PHOTOGRAPHER / PRODUCTION ASSISTANT BRUCE WATERFIELD

ASSISTANT EDITOR CLAY BILLMAN

LEAD DESIGNER / ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR ROSS MAUTE

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS PHIL SHOCKLEY, GARY LAWSON, BRUCE WATERFIELD

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS BLAKE ZIMMERMAN, WADE MCWHORTER, KEVIN KLINTWORTH, GENE JOHNSON, RYAN CAMERON

CONTRIBUTING DESIGNER MICHAEL ORR

ATHLETICS ANNUAL GIVING (POSSE) DEVELOPMENT STAFF

SENIOR ASSOCIATE ATHLETIC DIRECTOR / EXTERNAL AFFAIRS   JESSE MARTIN

POSSE DIRECTOR ELLEN AYRES

PREMIUM SERVICES DIRECTOR KARYL HENRY

PUBLICATIONS COORDINATOR CLAY BILLMAN

PROGRAMS COORDINATOR / BENEFITS MARY LEWIS

EVENT COORDINATOR / GAME DAY PARKING MANAGER JOE NELSON

ATHLETIC DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANT STEPHANIE BOESE

ATHLETICS MAJOR GIFT DEVELOPMENT STAFF

SENIOR ASSOCIATE ATHLETIC DIRECTOR / DEVELOPMENT LARRY REECE

DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT / ATHLETICS MATT GRANTHAM

PROJECT MANAGER SHAWN TAYLOR

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Donations received may be transferred to Cowboy Athletics, Inc. in accordance with the Joint Resolution among Oklahoma State University, the Oklahoma State University Foundation, and Cowboy Athletics, Inc.  POSSE magazine is published four times a year by Oklahoma State University Athletic Department and the POSSE, and is mailed to current members of the POSSE. Magazine subscriptions available by membership in the POSSE only. Membership is $150 annually. Postage paid at Stillwater, OK, and additional mailing offices. Oklahoma State University, in compliance with Title VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Executive Order 11246 as amended, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and other federal laws and regulations, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, disability, or status as a veteran in any of its policies, practices or procedures. This includes but is not limited to admissions, employment, financial aid, and educational services. Title IX of the Education Amendments and Oklahoma State University policy prohibit discrimination in the provision of services or benefits offered by the University based on gender. Any person (student, faculty or staff) who believes that discriminatory practices have been engaged in based upon gender may discuss their concerns and file informal or formal complaints of possible violations of Title IX with the OSU Title IX Coordinator, Mackenzie Wilfong, J.D., Director of Affirmative Action, 408 Whitehurst, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, (405) 744-5371 or (405) 744-5576 (fax).

This publication, issued by Oklahoma State University as authorized by the Associate Athletic Director, POSSE, was printed by Southwestern Stationers at a cost of $1.11 per issue. 10M/Aug 2013/#4907.

POSSE magazine is published four times a year by Oklahoma State University, 121 Cordell North Stillwater, OK 74078. The magazine is produced by OSU Athletics and University Marketing, and is mailed to current members of the POSSE Association. Membership starts at $150/year and includes benefits such as the POSSE Magazine and member auto decals. POSSE annual funds contribute to student-athlete scholarships and operating expenses, which are critical to helping our teams stay competitive. Gifts of all sizes impact all areas of athletics. Postage paid at Stillwater, OK, and additional mailing offices.

450 COWBOY AND COWGIRL STUDENT-ATHLETES THANK YOU FOR YOUR LOYAL SUPPORT.

GOOD FOR WHAT Ails you

They may not make headlines as they toil behind the scenes in their preferred state of anonymity. But when Oklahoma State’s student-athletes start listing the folks nearest and dearest to them, no doubt OSU’s SPORTS MEDICINE STAFF would be at or near the top.

TODD GERLT — ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF ATHLETIC TRAINING — SOCCER

JOHN STEMM — HEAD ATHLETIC TRAINER — DIRECTOR OF PHYSICAL THERAPY

DR. VAL GENE IVEN — HEAD TEAM PHYSICIAN / DIRECTOR OF SPORTS MEDICINE

JESSICA CATES — ASSISTANT ATHLETIC TRAINER — WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRUCE WATERFIELD

The staff has a single goal: the welfare of the student-athlete. Their long work days begin hours before a practice or competition and don’t end until hours afterwards. Their spectrum of work can range from the treatment of bumps and bruises or allergies to severe injuries — some even life threatening. They also observe, first hand, the mental well-being of their charges.

As student-athletes battle back from injury, sometimes with many months of rehabilitation, it is the ATHLETIC TRAINERS, TEAM DOCTORS and PHYSICAL THERAPISTS that are with them every step of the way.

SCOTT PARKER — ASSISTANT ATHLETIC TRAINER — FOOTBALL

KEVIN BLASKE — HEAD FOOTBALL ATHLETIC TRAINER

DR. MARK PASCALE — HEAD TEAM ORTHOPEDIC SURGEON

JASON MILLER — ASSISTANT ATHLETIC TRAINER — MEN’S BASKETBALL

JOEL LUEDKE — ASSISTANT ATHLETIC TRAINER — CROSS COUNTRY / TRACK AND FIELD

CHRIS HINDERLITER — ASSISTANT ATHLETIC TRAINER — WRESTLING

Work continues on the Michael and Anne Greenwood Tennis Center. The beautiful new facility will feature six indoor and 12 outdoor courts. It is located at the corner of Washington and McElroy just northwest of the SHERMAN E. SMITH TRAINING CENTER

Oklahoma State University’s new track and field facility is located just north of the SHERMAN E. SMITH TRAINING CENTER. The new facility will contain locker rooms and storage facilities and is conveniently located within the ATHLETIC VILLAGE

The recently completed Sherman E. Smith Training Center sits directly across Hall of Fame Avenue from BOONE PICKENS STADIUM. This stunning facility spans almost 94,000 square feet and is large enough to host a soccer field. Its football configuration allows for 15 yards of clearance on both sidelines. The unique facility features six moveable fabric doors (three on the east and west sides). The complex also features three outdoor practice fields containing beautiful natural grass and synthetic surfaces.

A little more than five years after launching a transformative fundraising campaign to support OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY, we surpassed our $1 billion goal nearly two years ahead of schedule. However, there is more work to be done. We will continue through the campaign’s scheduled conclusion in December 2014.

We thank the tens of thousands of loyal and true alumni, fans and friends who have given to Branding Success: The Campaign for OSU. This is the boldest higher-education campaign in Oklahoma’s history, and the university is stronger because of you.

TO LEARN MORE about the campaign and the many ways you can support OSU, visit OSUgiving.com or call 800.622.4678.

SP OR T SUPPOR T

The POSSE is “the team behind the teams” … and now you can be an integral par t

Cowgirl individual programs with funds direc ted where it ’s needed the most. Revenues generated help supplement annual budgets, fund facilit y improvements, aid in travel expenses, provide new equipment and enhance the overall student-athlete experience. Get involved in one or more of these spor ts clubs today and designate where you want your gift to go …

PHOTOGRAPHY BY PHIL SHOCKLEY

AUCTION ROUNDUP posse

DOUG GOTTLIEB, HONORARY CHAIRMAN

An autographed Josh Holliday OSU jersey. A Carrie Underwood autographed guitar. A John Deere gator. A week in Napa Valley. A Garth Brooks autographed cowboy hat and boots. Whole hog (not just an appropriate description … an auction item).

This is an event that truly has something for everyone. From SPA TREATMENTS to BASS FISHING TRIPS and EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN, the choices are endless.

CBS sports broadcaster and former OSU basketball standout Doug Gottlieb hosted the 2013 POSSE Auction on April 27th in Gallagher-Iba Arena. The popular annual event raised more than $420,000 for the OSU Athletics Scholarship Fund . Guests mingled with the appreciative student-athletes and some athletes even shared the stage with emcee Larry Reece . A great meal and entertainment by WADE TOWER capped an evening of fun and fundraising for a great cause.

Planning is already underway for the 2014 auction. If you would like to attend, volunteer or donate something to next year’s event, please contact the POSSE office at 877-ALL-4-OSU, or via email at posse@okstate.edu

WADE TOWER, ENTERTAINMENT

HOW DO MY POINTS RANK?

AS OF

9, 2013

OSU ATHLETICS PRIORITY POINT SYSTEM

The PRIORITY POINT SYSTEM provides a fair, consistent and transparent method of providing benefits to donors in exchange for their financial investments in OSU athletics.

DONORS GAIN POINTS THREE WAYS:

CONTRIBUTIONS: All current and lifetime contributions (cash or stock) are worth 3 points per $100 donation. Planned (deferred) gifts in the new Leave a Legacy Endowment Campaign will receive 1 point per $100.

COMMITMENT: Donors will earn one point each year for purchasing season tickets (one point per sport annually), as well as one point for each year of

AS OF 7/9/2013

PHOTOGRAPHY BY PHIL SHOCKLEY

You yell out,

“ORANGE!”

How do your employees respond?

Just something to think about.

If you need more “POWER!” from your business, Oklahoma State University Career Services can help you recruit OSU grads AND students through on-campus career fairs, FREE job postings and online access to résumés.

IT WAS A QUARTER-CENTURY AGO, BUT THE FALL OF 1988 IS FOREVER ETCHED IN THE MINDS OF OKLAHOMA STATE FANS.

From a do-more-with-less, land grant university in flyover country, a humble hero emerged to win the most prestigious, well-known, iconic award in collegiate athletics. Maybe all of athletics.

On this, the 25th anniversary of Barry Sanders’ Heisman Trophy-winning season, the reluctant superstar looks back on what is, without question, the greatest single-season performance in college football history.

“It’s hard to believe that much time has passed,” Sanders says, recalling his junior season in Stillwater. “That was such a monumental time, and really just a year that so many things changed for me.”

Despite earning All-America honors as a kick returner in 1987, Sanders was still in the shadow of Cowboy great Thurman Thomas, OSU’s all-time leading rusher who had just embarked on a promising pro career. Coaches, teammates, fans and opponents had seen flashes of the talent Sanders possessed, but none could have predicted what lay ahead for the first-year starting tailback.

PHOTO / MALCOLM

Back Sanders Reflects on Heisman Season

STORY BY CLAY BILLMAN

PHOTO / HEINZ KLUETMEIER - SPORTS ILLUSTRATED

“I would get those preseason magazines, and I’d look at the articles, reading about different players and whatnot,” he says. “That was always fun. I was such a big fan of college football and I had worked so hard in my own way to be the best player I could be.”

Sanders wasn’t surprised when he didn’t see his name among preseason all-conference tailbacks, let alone Heisman hopefuls.

In the summer of 1988, the cover of Street & Smith’s College Football preview featured a pair of west coast quarterbacks, UCLA’s TROY AIKMAN and Southern Cal’s RODNEY PEETE.

Post-season accolades are often popularity contests, and without household name recognition or playing in a media mecca like Los Angeles, Sanders would have to do something special to garner the attention of Downtown Athletic Club voters. Something more than special. Something epic.

“Everyone pretty much knew that Troy and Rodney were the frontrunners,” Sanders says. They had enjoyed good college careers to that point. I guess I literally came from out of nowhere to win it.”

Sanders, who always let his play do the talking for him, announced his arrival on the scene in bold fashion. Catching the Cowboys’ opening kickoff of the 1988 season one yard deep in the endzone of Lewis Field, Sanders bolted upfield between the hash marks, running around, through and past 11 Miami (Ohio) Redskins 100 yards to pay dirt.

“That was pretty bizarre,” Sanders recalls, “because the previous season I’d done the same thing against Tulsa. It just seemed so unreal and like a dream.”

(His back-to-back season-opening scores became the first of 34 NCAA-recordsetting moments that fall.)

After being mobbed by teammates, SANDERS CASUALLY TOSSED THE BALL TO AN OFFICIAL AND JOGGED BACK TO THE SIDELINE—a classy move he would repeat another 43 times.

“It’s funny, because a lot of fans appreciate that,” Sanders says of his signature non-celebration. “For me, I always approached the game as kind of serious business. It’s not time to celebrate until the game is over and you won the game. That was just my approach. That kind of a thing just wasn’t my style. I left that to the other guys. That was their personality. It just wasn’t who I was. For me it was about remaining true to myself and just playing the game and enjoying the game.

I tried not to be too excited when I was on the field or get too low, because there was always more that needed to be done.”

When Sanders lined up in the I-formation, he saw a veteran cast in front of him. Senior fullback Garrett Limbrick, junior quarterback Mike Gundy and an offensive line comprised of five seniors— center John Boisvert, guards Jason Kidder and Chris Stanley, and tackles Mike Wolfe and Byron Woodard dubbed the “WAR PIGS.”

PHOTO / MALCOLM EMMONS – USA TODAY SPORTS

“We were fortunate to be a part of that offense, to have the weapons that we had in our skill positions,” says left tackle Wolfe. “As for the offensive line, we were nothing special up front. All of us were five-year seniors, and we were probably better than average college linemen, but none of us made it in the pros. But we had all played together and had that bond so we knew what each person was doing, and that’s important on the offensive line. It definitely showed on the field, and with all that coming together in one year, we had a great offense.”

ALL-AMERICAN RECEIVER Hart Lee Dykes added to the Cowboys’ arsenal.

“I don’t get a chance to talk about Hart Lee enough,” Sanders says. “He had an outstanding career at Oklahoma State and was one of the nation’s top receivers. Certainly the offensive line took great pride in what they did. They loved being able to just come off the ball and run block. Garrett Limbrick was just a tough, hard-nosed football player. Mike wasn’t the biggest, strongest guy, but he was a winner. So I certainly benefited from all that (support). I was fortunate enough to stay healthy and play with a group of guys and in a system where everything just happened the right way.”

While the modest Sanders is always quick to praise teammates and deflect attention from himself, his left tackle says it was obvious that No. 21 made the War Pigs look good.

“At that time, we probably thought as offensive linemen that we were doing a little bit better job than what we were actually doing,” Wolfe says. “After I had graduated, I got into coaching a little bit and was able to look back at some of our film. It was a quick realization that we were not as good up front as we thought we were. WE WERE NOT MAKING BARRY LOOK GREAT— HE WAS MAKING US LOOK BETTER THAN WHAT WE WERE. AND BARRY MADE US LOOK PRETTY GOOD.”

Reeling in a Legend

The One That Almost Got Away

WHAT ABOUT BARRY?

George Walstad raised the question at the conclave of Cowboy Football coaches just before national signing day in February 1986.

Oklahoma State Head Coach Pat Jones gathered his staff in the conference room one final time to pare down the list of suggested scholarship offers. For those bluechip prospects whom Jones green-lighted, letters of intent would be hand-delivered.

“We’d go around the table,” Walstad says, “and Pat says, ‘Well, give a scholarship to so-and-so,’ and so on.”

Among the list of prep standouts were Midwest City’s MIKE GUNDY, speedy wideout CURTIS MAYFIELD and Stillwater star SIM DRAIN III. The OSU staff had also targeted three highly touted tailbacks that year, including a top 10 Texas recruit in TERRANCE MILLER, Waxahachie’s GERALD HUDSON and Del City all-stater VERNON BROWN.

Near the end of the meeting, Walstad urged Jones to take a chance on one more player. It was a player he’d championed throughout the recruiting process. A name Walstad brought up repeatedly in staff meetings.

“What about Barry?”

The response was a familiar one, Walstad recalls. “Let’s wait and see.”

“George always had a pretty good feeling about him,” Jones recalls, “but we were on a bunch of high-powered guys at that time. Sanders wasn’t an afterthought, but I’m not going to sit here and say he was a highly recruited guy. He wasn’t, obviously.”

OSU’s assistant head coach under Jones, Walstad was in charge of the defensive line and special teams. His primary recruiting territory was Dallas-Ft. Worth metroplex.

“In those days you took the scholarship papers with you and signed them in person. There was no faxing like there is nowadays. That same year I think I signed five or six guys from that area, so Pat said, ‘Go ahead and go to Dallas.’

“Barry said he was going to call me Sunday night at six o’clock and let me know his decision between us, Tulsa and Iowa State.”

The phone rang promptly at 6:00 pm.

“Barry said, ‘Coach, I want to go to Oklahoma State.’ I said, ‘Great! Let me call Coach Jones, and I’ll call you right back.’

“So I called Pat and told him Barry wanted to be a Cowboy.”

“Take him,” Jones replied.

KANSAS CONNECTION

A 1963 OSU grad, Walstad was a twoway player for the Cowboys. After a stint in the service, he took his first high school coaching and teaching job at Wichita’s Southeast High School.

“I had developed some good relationships with the coaches up there,” he says. “After I was at Oklahoma State, a friend of mine from Wichita called and told me about Barry. That wasn’t my area, and as a matter of fact, we were not even recruiting Kansas at that time, but I took the opportunity to go up on a couple Thursday nights.”

But each time Walstad went to Wichita North High School to watch Sanders play in person, the recruiting trip was a washout.

PHOTO / BRUCE WATERFIELD

“He did some unbelievable things,” he adds. “He didn’t have to have a big hole. That fella, he’d squirt through anything. To be down there on the field with him and to see it that close, it was just amazing to watch his ability and what he could do.”

Despite the loss of Thurman Thomas (a future NFL Hall of Famer) Wolfe says

the team was confident in Sanders’ ability to carry the load at tailback that season.

“We had no question in our minds as far as Barry was concerned,” he says. “Now, we weren’t for sure how successful that season was going to be, but we didn’t feel like there was going to be any letdown from Thurman. Thurman, obviously was a great

“Both times it rained so hard that you couldn’t even watch the game,” he recalls. “We were trying to recruit Barry as a kick returner, because we had just lost Bobby Riley to graduation. We thought with Thurman (Thomas) coming back, we would be able to utilize someone like Barry to return kicks. When I went up there to watch him, he was playing at a slot back position. Very seldom did he ever carry the ball, only when they would hand the ball to him on a reverse or something like that. And it rained the whole game, so when they would punt, nobody would field it because it was so wet. The ball would go up in the air and hit the ground and just plop. So I didn’t get to see Barry do very much at all.”

OSU was also recruiting Sanders’ teammate, JOEL FRY, a 6-foot-6-inch, 245 lb. offensive lineman and state heavyweight wrestling champ.

“Joel’s parents would bring both of them down to Stillwater to our games and stuff like that, so we liked that part of it,” Walstad adds.

Later that fall, OSU played the Jayhawks in Lawrence. Walstad utilized the opportunity to scout the local junior college ranks and check back in on Sanders.

“Whenever we played those two schools in Manhattan or Lawrence, I usually drove up and went through the Kansas junior colleges, because I used to be the head coach at Garden City Junior College, and I knew all those guys. I stopped in Wichita and the high school coach at that time, DALE BURKHOLDER, had moved him to tailback.”

In the final half of the season, Sanders averaged more than 200 yards rushing per game in his newfound position.

athlete, a great football player. But at the same time, we saw Barry and his ability on a daily basis, so we knew there probably wasn’t going to be much of a drop off, if any. Obviously it turned out much, much better than what we thought.”

Sanders says he looked up to Thomas and learned a lot from his predecessor.

“I really enjoyed having Thurman there, because I could kind of see how he went about his business,” Sanders says. “There was no real pressure on me. There was this sense of ‘What are we going to do without Thurman Thomas?’ He had been so much of our offense and integral to our success, and even in his sophomore year he’d been very high on the podium for the Heisman.

“I had enjoyed a lot of success on special teams in the return game, but never

“Coach Burkholder had made a highlight film of Barry since he had moved him to tailback. It was a pretty impressive film to look at, because I think he had already had over 1,000 yards rushing by that time, so I asked the coach if I could borrow it. If you didn’t see that film of Barry playing tailback, you wouldn’t have even recruited him. I was happy I did, too.”

The painstakingly produced 16mm reel was the coach’s one and only copy.

“He produced this 16mm highlight film by taking VHS game footage and projecting it on the wall and shooting it with another camera,” Walstad says. “Those old 16mm film reels, hell, that’s all we had. You had to splice every damn section, and they were always coming loose when we were watching film.”

Walstad admits he didn’t return the reel.

“As difficult as it was to make that highlight film, he never had the chance to do it again. The film’s probably still up in my attic somewhere.”

“That was one of the films that stayed in somebody’s brief case for awhile,” Jones adds. “It wasn’t coincidental. We didn’t want to do anything to help anybody.”

Coach Jones and the rest of the Cowboy staff viewed Sanders’ highlight reel, but it still took Walstad’s constant persuasion to get Jones to pull the trigger on a scholarship offer.

“Pat always liked us to see him play live. We’d all seen the tape and everything, but nobody—including me—had seen him play tailback in person. Of course, I had seen him play basketball and dunk with a bad ankle because I’d gone up there, so I knew a little more about him than anybody at that time on our staff.”

Former Oklahoma head coach BARRY SWITZER claims the Cowboy staff intentionally kept Sanders’ recruitment reel

“TO BE DOWN THERE ON THE FIELD WITH HIM AND TO SEE IT THAT CLOSE, IT WAS JUST AMAZING TO WATCH HIS ABILITY AND WHAT HE COULD DO.”

— Mike Wolfe

really carried the ball 20-30 times a game. I understood that was a big deal, and I was certainly ready for the challenge and looked forward to it.”

Sanders’ assault on the NCAA record book began with 178 yards and two rushing touchdowns that first game, including an 89-yarder.

The first real test for Pat Jones’ Pokes came in week 2, as Texas A&M came to town.

The No. 18 Cowboys took advantage of early miscues and jumped on the Aggies right out of the gate. Sanders set the tone with a 58-yard TD scamper on OSU’s third play from scrimmage, and added a 61-yard punt return for a score for good measure. He finished the night

with 157 yards and three touchdowns as OSU downed A&M 52-15.

THE STATISTICS SANDERS PUT UP IN 1988 ARE MIND-BOGGLING. Against Tulsa, he scored five times and set the school record for single-game rushing with 304 yards on 33 carries. He would top 300 yards three more times that season.

The national media was starting to take notice. The Cowboys traveled to Boulder to face the Colorado Buffaloes in week 4, and Sports Illustrated was on hand to document Sanders’ feats.

“Most people thought we hadn’t really been tested,” Sanders recalls. “When we played Colorado, they had a couple guys on their defense that would eventually play in the NFL, and I still had a pretty

good game. So that’s when I started hearing Heisman talk and things like that.”

In an article titled “Quiet Cowboy Ridin’ High,” Sports Illustrated’s RICK REILLY praised his performance and offered tongue-in-cheek advice for embracing the spotlight:

Listen Barry, we need to talk. The boys here at Heisman Helpers, Inc., think you can run … The trouble is … you’ve got no gimmick, no videotape campaign, no golden helmet … Barry, we know guys who would send a limo out for more sportswriters after having the kind of day you had. Seriously, you’re just not in synch with the rest of college football. (SI, Oct. 17, 1988).

wasn’t a limit on who could get on I-35. He was a very good judge of talent, and we knew that, but George just out-worked and out-hustled all of ’em.”

The OSU staff soon saw Sanders’ skills first-hand. In the fall of 1986, Sanders was an unheralded freshman taking part in two-a-day practices.

“On the first day in pads, nobody even knew what he could do,” Walstad says. “We were having a 7-on-7 running drill, and he made a cut out the back side … He was going front side and jumped all the way back side, and all of us defensive coaches just looked at each other and went, ‘OH MY GOODNESS. WHAT HAVE WE GOT HERE?’ Thurman couldn’t even do that. That kind of made everybody realize he was a pretty good find.”

under wraps to prevent the Sooners from poaching their prize. Walstad thinks that’s a bit of revisionist history, and the truth isn’t nearly as cloak-and-dagger as it sounds.

“I think that’s just a story Coach Switzer told because he was catching hell about not recruiting him. He overlooked him, just like everybody else. There wasn’t anybody recruiting Sanders. Little did we know he was as good as he was.”

Coach Jones says other programs were simply beaten on the recruiting trail.

“All you got to do is get on Highway 35 and drive to Wichita, which George did. And so did Tulsa and so did Iowa State. There

“We knew what good was, and Barry was beyond that,” Jones says. “In hindsight, his performance would rank right up there with the best single seasons anybody has ever had in any major sport. It would be like hitting 90 home runs. Any of those magical years, whether it be TIGER WOODS, MICHAEL JORDAN or anybody else, this falls in that family of stuff.”

It isn’t every day that a coach signs a future Heisman Trophy winner (not to mention NFL Hall of Famer), and Walstad’s recruiting coup may just top them all.

“GEORGE IS REALLY THE HERO IN THAT WHOLE DEAL,” JONES SAYS. “PLEASE QUOTE ME ON THAT.”

“One time Pat told somebody on the radio, ‘I just want to make it clear and understood that George Walstad recruited Barry Sanders,’” Walstad says. “That meant a lot to me.”

“Everybody in the world claims that they recruited somebody, but I was the only one on the staff who was behind Barry Sanders the whole time. I knew what we had.”

PHOTO / BRUCE WATERFIELD

Paired with an iconic photograph of Sanders leaping over the goal line, the exposure introduced Sanders to the nation.

“A lot of people really got behind that Heisman push on my behalf because of that game and because of that article,” Sanders says.

The secret was out in Stillwater.

The following week, the tenth-ranked Cowboys traveled to Lincoln, Nebraska, to face the No. 7 Cornhuskers—a team OSU hadn’t beaten since 1961.

“I tell you what,” Wolfe says. “They jumped on us fast and hard. And I think it was 42 to nothing in the second quarter. Nebraska ended up beating us pretty good (42-63), but they never could shut us down. They never took the first team defense out.”

Despite the loss, Sanders and Co. had earned the respect of the eventual Big 8 champs. Tom Osborne’s teams were not used to surrendering 42 points to anyone, let alone four touchdowns and 189 rushing yards from a single tailback.

Sanders’ statistical low output of the year came the following week against Missouri for Homecoming, with only 154 yards on the ground and a pair of touchdowns. The Cowboys cruised past the Tigers 49-21.

Kansas State was little match for the OSU offense, and Sanders ran wild in his home state. Breaking his own single-game mark, he rushed for 320 yards and three TDs on 27 carries, while sitting out much of the fourth quarter after the Cowboys had pulled away from the Wildcats to win 45-27.

“HE COULD’VE STAYED IN THERE AND GOTTEN 400 YARDS.” WOLFE SAYS.

His teammates urged Sanders to try and break the NCAA record, but he politely declined.

“There were a good handful—maybe three to five games—where I sat and could’ve run for a lot more yards,” Sanders admits. “But for me it wasn’t really about that.”

While Sanders shied away from the spotlight, his teammates took to the media.

“After the Kansas State game, we kind of turned our focus a little more on Barry and trying to get him the Heisman,” Wolfe recalls. “At least I know I did. I remember doing an after-game interview in the locker room where they asked me about that. I made the comment that if Barry

On a cold November day in Ames, Iowa, Sanders broke an 80-yard touchdown run that broke the Cyclones’ back. He finished with 293 yards and four TDs as OSU pulled away late to win 49-28.

“That Iowa State game, in particular, stands out to me,” says Wolfe. “It was freezing cold. I tell you, it was awful. We had to put the water cups in front of the heaters because they were freezing up. It was just that cold. And we were behind most of that game, all the way into the 4th quarter. It was so cold I was ready to go home. As cold as it was, and we were just not playing well, and Barry just kind of took it on his shoulders and ended up changing the whole momentum of the game. We end up coming away with a couple touchdown victory that day, but it could’ve gone either way.”

Sanders’ next date with destiny would be a special non-conference matchup that paired the Cowboys and Texas Tech Red Raiders in Tokyo. The inaugural (and shortlived) Coca-Cola Bowl was billed as a showcase of American football in Japan, and provided the OSU athletic department with a $100,000 payday.

doesn’t win the Heisman, it will be a travesty. He will have gotten robbed.”

The 1988 Bedlam game was a heavyweight prizefight, with each team trading punches until the very end. Sanders toted the pigskin 39 times for 215 yards and two scores, while MIKE GADDIS matched his effort with 213 yards for the Sooners. When the final gun sounded, OSU was a field goal short, falling 28-31 in a heartbreaker. It would be the team’s last loss of the season.

In a 63-24 blowout over Kansas, Sanders’ five-touchdown explosion eclipsed the NCAA single-season touchdown mark with 31 for the season, while his 312 yards on the ground put him over 2,000 total yards with two games remaining.

“Growing up I watched MARCUS ALLEN run for 2,000 yards in college, and so I witnessed that and felt a part of it and was cheering for him,” Sanders says. “For me to have enjoyed that kind of success was amazing.”

The 1988 Heisman Trophy ceremony just happened to be scheduled for the same weekend.

William and Shirley Sanders made the trip to New York City for the announcement, while their son—half a world away—just wanted to sleep through it.

“They’re 13 hours ahead of east coast time,” Sanders says, “so they had to wake me up at some strange hour. I had so much on my mind, because the game was to be played later on that day. It sounds kind of trivial, but one of the things you try to do is get a good night’s sleep before a game.”

“I’ll tell you, Barry did not want to participate in it,” Wolfe recalls. “He said, ‘I’ve got a game today, I don’t need to be getting up and doing that.’ It took a little bit of persuading, but he went, and we were allowed to tag along to the studio.”

“BARRY ALWAYS GAVE THE CREDIT TO SOMEBODY ELSE.”

Three of the top-five vote getters were in attendance in New York: Peete, Aikman and Major Harris of West Virginia, while Miami’s Steve Walsh joined Sanders via satellite. At 5:50 pm (7:50 am Tokyo time), Peter Lambos, president of the Downtown Athletic Club, stepped to the podium.

The 1988 winner … of the Heisman Award … the John W. Heisman Memorial Trophy … is BARRY SANDERS of Oklahoma State University!

Upon hearing the news, the winner cracked a slight smile and politely applauded.

“It was a thrill to be a part of it,” he says. “My parents were able to go to New York to be a part of the ceremonies, and some of my brothers and sisters as well. My dad had been a lifelong football fan, and he was really touched by just being there and having me announced as the winner. That was definitely an amazing day for our family.”

It was an award the talented tailback shared with his teammates.

“They took such pride in it,” Sanders says. “I did owe a lot to those guys, because they had done so much to make sure that I was in that position. So I thought it was only right and only fitting to have them there.”

“That was something really special for us offensive linemen,” Wolfe says. “When he won it, it was just jubilation. Very few offensive linemen get to block for a Heisman Trophy winner. We were just so fortunate to have him back there. We enjoyed every second of it.

“Barry always gave the credit to somebody else,” he adds. “For an offensive lineman, you don’t get a lot of recognition. For somebody like him to always mention that to the press, that made us feel good, like we were doing something to help put him where he is. We used to take

him out to lunch, and he was just always a very genuine guy. Just a good person at heart. He’s always been that way.”

Hours later, the Cowboys got into a shootout with the Red Raiders, but the newly-crowned Heisman winner would save his best for last. BREAKING HIS OWN SCHOOL RECORD WITH 332 YARDS ON A STAGGERING 44 CARRIES, HE SHATTERED ALLEN’S NCAA SINGLE-SEASON MARK as OSU edged Tech 45-42. So much for lack of sleep.

His 2,628 yards in just 11 regular season games (an average of 238.9 yards per game) is still the standard for greatness. Despite 12, sometimes 13, regular-season games in today’s era of college football—plus bowl statistics (which have been only been included in NCAA records within the last decade)— most of his stats have yet to be topped.

If you include the 62-14 Holiday Bowl win over Wyoming, add five more TDs and 222 yards. Not to mention 1-for-1 passing on a throwback to Gundy. Sanders sat out the 4th quarter, by the way.

The 1988 season stands out as the greatest performance in college football history. Not just for the astonishing numbers—a grand total of 2,850 yards and 44 touchdowns— but for the personality of the person behind them.

“FOR ME IT WAS JUST A SPECIAL TIME BECAUSE OF THE PEOPLE THERE,” SANDERS SAYS. “IT WAS A PERFECT PLACE FOR ME AND JUST THAT CRUCIAL TIME GROWING FROM BEING A KID TO BEING A MAN. I LOVED MY TIME THERE AND REALLY LOOK BACK WITH A LOT OF GREAT MEMORIES OF GREAT PEOPLE AND EXPERIENCES.

“IT WAS JUST A MAGICAL YEAR.”

PHOTO / GARY LAWSON

Tokyo

“I thank God for putting me in this position. I couldn’t have done it without Him. And secondly, I’d like to thank my offensive line and my fullback, Garrett Limbrick, you know, they’ve done such a great job. I couldn’t have asked for a better season out of those guys. And I’d like to thank William and Shirley Sanders, for being so inspirational in my life and bringing me up the way they know I should be brought up. Thanks a lot.”

BARRY SANDERS’ HEISMAN ACCEPTANCE SPEECH (DEC. 3, 1988)

1988 HEISMAN VOTING

War Pigs”

(nickname of OSU’s veteran offensive line) — all seniors

JOHN BOISVERT

6-2, 256-pound center from Edmond, Okla.

JASON KIDDER

6-3, 274-pound right guard from Appleton, Wis.

CHRIS STANLEY

6-4, 271-pound left guard from Elk City, Okla.

MIKE WOLFE

6-5, 276-pound left tackle from Miami, Okla.

BYRON WOODARD

6-2, 300-pound right tackle from Houston, Texas

STORY BY BLAKE ZIMMERMAN PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRUCE WATERFIELD STILLWATER

GOING THE DISTANCE

During her time as a Cowgirl, NATALJA PILIUSINA has collected an NCAA title, seven All-America honors, six combined indoor and outdoor Big 12 championships in the 800 meters, multiple school records and has been named 2013 Oklahoma State female student-athlete of the year.

AND TO THINK SHE ALMOST DECIDED NOT TO COME TO OSU.

Stillwater, Okla., is 5,132 miles from KLAIPEDA, LITHUANIA, and that’s if you fly in a straight line. That distance was almost too far for Piliusina as she was deciding whether to attend college in the United States.

“I GOT COLD FEET,” PILIUSINA SAID. “I REALIZED THE DISTANCE INVOLVED, AND I WASN’T SURE ABOUT BEING SO FAR AWAY. I DIDN’T REALLY KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IT. SO, WHEN I GRADUATED, I TOLD EVERYONE I WASN’T COMING.”

Piliusina, a highly-recruited distance runner since she was in the tenth grade, always knew she wanted to come to Oklahoma State — she just needed some extra convincing.

“Zivile Pukstiene, our jumps coach, emailed me and said I should just come for a visit and see if I liked it,” Piliusina said. “I visited for two days and fell in love with everything about the team and the school. I canceled all my other visits. I knew OSU was where I wanted to be.”

The Cowgirl track and field record books haven’t been the same since.

All of the success has come from long hours of preparation, and that’s how Piliusina wants to be remembered at OSU.

“I just want people to see how hard you have to work to be one of the best runners in the NCAAs,” Piliusina said. “I not only want to rewrite the record books here at OSU, but also make sure they don’t get rewritten for a while after I’m gone. Of course I want the program to grow and get better, but I want getting a school record to be a huge deal as well. I WANT TO CHANGE THE PROGRAM.”

Piliusina has spent her entire college career changing the OSU women’s program, and on June 8, it culminated with a dramatic victory in the 1,500 meter final at the 2013 NCAA Outdoor Championships, in Eugene, Ore.

The 12 runners stayed in a jumbled pack for most of the 1,500 meters. Piliusina was boxed in on the inside part of the track with 300 meters to go, in sixth place.

“With 300 meters to go, I was having flashbacks to last year,” OSU Coach Dave Smith said. “It looked exactly the same to me. I thought ‘Oh my gosh. It’s happening again.’”

The race he’s referring to was the 2012 NCAA Outdoor women’s 1,500 meter final. Piliusina entered the race with the top time in the country. She started the race strong, and led for most of the way. With a lap to go, she thought she was going to win.

She finished tenth.

“Last year, all the pressure of entering as the favorite got to me,” Piliusina said. “I put pressure on myself. I kept telling myself ‘I have to win. I have the fastest time.’ Things just didn’t go right

for me. Even the weeks leading up to the race were a disaster. My workouts weren’t good. I was getting way too nervous, and that did me in.”

Cut to 2013. Entering the final turn, Piliusina made her move. She moved into fourth place on the inside of the track, and things were looking better, but she was cut off with less than 200 meters to go, she had to back off and let people pass her so she wouldn’t be boxed in.

With 100 meters to go, she was in seventh.

“At that point, I wouldn’t say I gave up, but I knew I wasn’t going to win,” Piliusina said. “I felt fine, but there was no way out. Something changed. I just wanted it so bad. Coming close so many times, and all the work I had put in entered my mind. I wanted it so bad.”

The 10th-place finish the year before, the runner-up finishes in the 2011 NCAA Outdoor 800 meters and the 2012 NCAA Indoor 800 meters and the workouts like the ones OSU Assistant Coach Bobby Lockhart witnessed became fuel.

ON THE HOME STRETCH, WITH LESS THAN 100 METERS TO GO, PILIUSINA SAW A WINDOW, AND WENT FOR IT.

“I kept flashing back to last year,” Piliusina said. “There wasn’t a day that went by that I didn’t think about that race. I don’t remember all that happened, but I found a way.”

Piliusina split six opponents and flew down the inside lane into second place. Then, she jumped back outside with about 50 meters to go. She only had one runner left to pass, and she wasn’t going to finish in second again. By the time Piliusina crossed the finish line, she had a cushion of more than 10 meters. She was finally No. 1.

“With 20 meters to go, I knew I had it, but I didn’t want to celebrate,” Piliusina said. “I wanted to make sure. But when I did cross, it was excitement. It was relief. It was everything. When I watched the races before mine, and saw other people crossing the finish line and celebrating, I wanted that. I wanted that happiness that you get when you accomplish something you dream about.”

After Piliusina finished her post-race interview, she saw Smith outside the fence bordering the track. She ran over to give him a hug.

“Honestly, I was relieved,” Smith said. “I KNEW HOW HARD SHE HAD WORKED. I KNEW HOW BADLY SHE WANTED IT. She had done everything we could think of to keep her healthy and ready to go. She sacrificed a lot. If she didn’t win, it was going to be so hard on her. It was tough on her last year, but she doubled down this year. She was more ready for it, and understood the pressure.”

PHOTO / MIKE SCOTT

Later that day, Piliusina found a link to her race online and watched it. Even she couldn’t believe what she saw.

“If I had been a spectator watching that race, there’s no way I would have guessed I would end up winning,” Piliusina said.

“I STILL CAN’T BELIEVE IT HAPPENED.”

She believes it now. The minute she got back from Oregon, she was out there again, trying to get better.

When coach Lockhart arrived in Stillwater, his bags still packed from the trip to Eugene, he saw Piliusina jogging through the north parking lot of GallagherIba Arena.

She was on a run. He couldn’t help but chuckle.

“I wish I could tell you I was surprised,” Lockhart said. “I know it’s not the best answer, but I wasn’t surprised. I just knew she was on a run.”

That’s because it’s no secret—Piliusina is as competitive as they come.

“She’s already preparing for the next race,” OSU Coach Dave Smith said. “When we got back, she told me she needed to go on a run. I ASKED HER ‘YOU AREN’T GOING TO TAKE A DAY OFF?’ SHE SAID ‘NO.’ She went home, parked her car, changed and went running. I sat on the couch for an hour, and she went on a run. That’s who she is. She did tell me her first run as a national champion felt great.”

Piliusina’s success hasn’t been limited to the track. She has been great in the classroom as well, pursuing her bachelor’s degree in economics. In order to be considered for OSU student-athlete of the year, a student-athlete must have maintained a 3.0 GPA or better, while having completed 100 credit hours.

Although she will go down as one of the greatest female athletes in OSU history, Piliusina takes the “student” part of “student-athlete” seriously, and she may not be done with school yet.

“I want to get a degree,” Piliusina said. “That’s why I came here. I didn’t choose to become a pro runner right away, because I want a degree. School is so important.

I’m actually thinking about going after my masters degree, too. School and running come together in a nice way for me. Both are a huge part of my life and they balance out well.”

Even when it comes to class, Piliusina treats what she does as a training session—a chance to get better.

“I think being a student isn’t as much about the actual knowledge you gain, but training yourself to learn,” Piliusina said. “Learning to learn, I guess. It’s preparation for the real world. It’s about keeping yourself on schedule and getting work done on time. It’s more than just class.”

Smith said that mindset has carried over to the track, and not only made Piliusina better, but also made her an example for others in the program to follow.

“Obviously, she is very gifted athletically,” Smith said. “She is really competitive and has a great work ethic. When you put those three things together, you get great results. She has put our program on the map, helped us elevate our visibility, and she has brought some of the other girls along with her. They have had the opportunity to train with her and it’s made everyone better.”

Piliusina has one year to go to get her degree, meaning she still has one more year to continue rewriting the OSU women’s track and field and cross country record books. She already holds more individual OSU track and field/cross country records than anyone else in school history, and is more than willing to try to add to her totals.

“I want to go for doubles in everything,” Piliusina said. I want to be female student athlete of the year again next year — go back-to-back. It’s awesome to see my picture there with all the great athletes at OSU. I also want to win another national title, because I would be the first woman with two outdoor titles at OSU. I also want to try new events. I WANT TO HOLD EVERY RECORD BETWEEN THE 800 METERS AND THE 3,000 METERS. IT WOULD BE COOL TO SEE MY NAME EVERYWHERE.”

If Piliusina continues at current pace, her goals for next year don’t seem too far out of reach, especially considering she came more than 5,000 miles to accomplish them.

BUILDING BL CKS

STORY BY WADE McWHORTER

ALL THAT CHANGED ON A WEEKEND TRIP TO STILLWATER.

“A friend of mine invited me to go with her on her visit, and I just decided to go and get away for the weekend,” Michalowski recalls of her first trip to OSU. “I ended up having a great time and really enjoyed the atmosphere. I was able to go to a football game, soccer games and meet the coaches. I think just the early exposure and fun memory of OSU made it pop back into my mind when I starting look-

That first impression proved to pay huge dividends for both player and program as several years later, Michalowski found her way back to Stillwater and into a Cowgirl uniform and embarked on a career that three Big 12 Conference and saw the defender honors three times.

Stories like Michalowski’s have become commonplace under Carmichael, who enters his 18th season at OSU and ninth as the Cowgirls’ head coach in 2013.

So how exactly has Carmichael built an OSU program from nothing into a national power, one that finished two of the last three seasons ranked in the top five of the final national rankings, despite having facilities that admittedly lag behind others in the Big 12?

“(Carmichael) is good at what he does and great at selling it,” Michalowski said. “And now with the success OSU has had in the past five years, INSTEAD OF HIM REACHING OUT TO THE RECRUITS, THE GIRLS ARE REACHING OUT TO HIM WANTING TO BE A PART OF SOMETHING SPECIAL AND MAKE HISTORY. Now it is Colin and the coaches

As a Texas high school freshman, CARSON MICHALOWSKI couldn’t have told you the Oklahoma State mascot, school colors or who COLIN CARMICHAEL was.

having to make hard decisions on who they want to be the next key players to keep the success of OSU soccer going.”

It certainly hasn’t always been that way, nor is Cowgirl soccer recruiting an overnight success, says Carmichael.

And he would know — Carmichael arrived in Stillwater along with Karen Hancock in 1996 to start the OSU soccer program from scratch.

Patience and hard work has paid off for that duo, who flip-flopped roles in 2007, with Carmichael taking over head coaching duties full time and Hancock taking on the role of assistant coach.

In OSU’s first three seasons (1996-98), the Cowgirls won just six Big 12 games combined. A decade later, the 2008 squad won seven conference games and claimed its first regular season league title.

That ’08 title marked the first of FOURSTRAIGHT BIG 12 CROWNS — two regular season and two league tournament titles — and along the way, OSU also became a fixture in the TOP 10 NATIONALLY and made BACK-TO-BACK NCAA ELITE EIGHT appearances in 2010 and 2011.

Eights in a row and won some Big 12 championships,” Carmichael said. “We’ve run the gamut. But as we found out last year, it’s very difficult to maintain that high level of success.

“WE ENJOY MUCH MORE BEING THE ELITE PROGRAM THAN THE ONE TRYING TO GET THERE, BUT WE ALSO KNOW HOW HARD IT IS TO STAY THERE. OUR JOB OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS IS TO CONTINUE TO BRING IN PLAYERS THAT ALLOW US TO COMPETE AT THAT LEVEL.”

Bringing in top-flight recruits is now a common occurrence for Carmichael’s program, with back-to-back recruiting classes ranked in the top 10 nationally, including a 2013 class considered the eighth best in the country.

And as the program has built and sustained success, the recruiting process has changed — for one, the Cowgirl coaching staff can be much pickier and more selective.

“Now we can recruit kids to play the way we want them to play,” Carmichael said. “We’re able to watch players and not just say ‘She’s good, we’ll take her’ — that was the old philosophy. Now we can say ‘This

we can recruit kids to play the way we want them to play.”

“We’ve gone through the process of a new program. We have gone from just trying to find our way and get the best possible players to a program that was competing in the Big 12 and doing better to a team that people looked at regionally and thought ‘Wow! They’re getting good!’ —to a team that is on the map nationally by going to the NCAA Tournament and winning some big games to quite possibly an elite program that made two Elite

kid is good, and she has the attributes that we look for at that position and she’ll fit in with how we play.”

So what do Carmichael, Hancock and associate head coach Justin Elkington look for in future Cowgirls?

Carmichael said first and foremost, like in most sports, coaches look for speed and athleticism.

“Now

— Colin Carmichael

PHOTO / PHIL SHOCKLEY

“Every coach wants to make sure, in every sport, that you have some of the better athletes,” Carmichael said. “And for us, technical ability depending on position, is big. If you’re a forward, are you a good finisher? If you’re a midfielder, can you keep the ball? If you’re a defender, can you serve long balls?

“And mentality. That’s probably the hardest thing for us to gauge. ‘What is that kid’s mentality like?’ Because we only get to see them four to six times playing soccer so we try to get a gauge from their coaches on ‘Are they the first person at practice, the last one to leave? Do they come for extra training? Do they do individual workouts? How motivated are they to play or do they just show up and go through the motions?’”

Of course, identifying potential contributors is only part of the recruiting process. Once Carmichael has figured out whom he wants to see in a Cowgirl uniform, he transforms from scout into salesman.

To do that, Carmichael focuses on a number of positives. The location of Stillwater is a great fit for the majority of recruiting bases that OSU hits — Oklahoma, Dallas, Houston, Austin and Kansas City. OSU’s well-known academic reputation also plays well for recruits, as does Stillwater being a great community for young women to feel safe and secure.

“Since we haven’t had the greatest facilities, we focus a lot on the people,” Carmichael said. “We try to sell OSU as a school, Stillwater as a community and the fact that the people here care about you and we’re going to look after you and give you the opportunity to compete at a high level.

“Recently, we’ve been able to sell the success of our program more than in the past, but the main things are still:

• We’re going to be a very competitive program

• We’re going to compete for championships

• We’re going to take care of you and treat you the best way possible.”

Michalowski was a key building block in helping Carmichael’s recruiting pitch become prophetic.

As a freshman in 2009, she started on an OSU team that advanced to the second round of the NCAA Women’s Soccer Championship for the fourth-straight year.

Over the next two seasons, she helped break that streak, as the Cowgirls elevated to an elite level by topping the 20-win mark both seasons and advancing to within one win of the NCAA College Cup (soccer’s final four).

“The main idea that the coaching staff and Colin tried to sell when they were recruiting me was being a part of a growing program, and that is what sold me in the end,” Michalowski said. “Honestly, most people I played with in high school didn’t really think of OSU as a top collegiate program. I mean, it was on the rise right as I was entering school — OSU ended up winning the Big 12 that season (2008), and that was pretty cool to tell my friends. But other than that it wasn’t known as a Texas A&M, Texas, Notre Dame kind of program.

“But I looked at it like did I want to be a part of a great program and maybe not contribute as much or be with a bunch of talented, hard-working girls and possibly make Oklahoma State a top soccer program?

PHOTO / BRUCE WATERFIELD

MICHALOWSKI WAS A KEY BUILDING BLOCK IN HELPING CARMICHAEL’S RECRUITING PITCH BECOME PROPHETIC.

“Thankfully, I chose the latter and I was a part of something really special, making OSU a competitive household name.”

Carmichael reiterated that there is no substitute for winning when it comes to selling your program to a potential student-athlete.

more you win, the more kids want to be a part of it.”

“The more you win, the more kids want to be a part of it,” Carmichael said. “The success of the program is the biggest factor, and all of the other things are important along with that.

“One of our incoming freshmen this year, Niki McKnight, was at our Sweet 16 win against Duke (in 2010) and committed on the spot. There’s nothing you can do to simulate that — if you’re not having that success, that kid might look at it and go ‘I kinda like it, but…’ But when (McKnight) saw the 2,000 people in the bleachers, the atmosphere, us knocking off a ‘name’ program, she was sold.”

That atmosphere is something that has also become a source of pride in the program and something that has taken off along with the numbers in the win column.

Carmichael will be the first to admit that the home of OSU soccer, the Cowgirl Soccer Complex, leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to keeping up with the competition.

But as he and Michalowski both point out, the playing surface is as good as anyone has in the region, and when you can show recruits pictures of large crowds, along with a facility “dressed up for game day” with a video board, flags and banners, it does become a selling point.

“We really sell the atmosphere,” Carmichael said. “Although it’s not modern and the amenities aren’t great, we are able to say that the atmosphere you’re going to play in is phenomenal. It’s a lot of fun. People are here and they’re yelling and chanting. We sell that side of it as opposed to the actual visual facility you see when you walk up there.”

Carmichael can also point to the OSU soccer locker room and the weight room in Gallagher-Iba Arena, the West End Zone of Boone Pickens Stadium, the OSU residence halls and the Sherman Smith Indoor Training Center to highlight the athletic department’s commitment to student-athletes.

And that commitment will soon benefit Carmichael’s program, as the Cowgirl Soccer Complex is on the to-do list in a big way.

“We’re starting to tell recruits, ‘Look there’s a lot of great plans here, look at the new indoor practice facility that’s gone up, they’re building tennis and track and soccer is on the way,’” Carmichael said. “We’re using that now that we’re moving forward with our facility.

“And once (the new facility) actually comes into play, it’s a game changer. We still have all those other positives and now we have this state-of-the-art, beautiful facility where you’re going to train and play every day. I would guess that would be very appealing to a lot of kids.”

Michalowski agreed.

“Having great athletic programs with luxurious facilities overall will show recruits that our school cares and prides itself on being the best and having one of the prettiest campuses around,” Michalowski said. “And I think it is about time soccer got the whole package!”

“The

— Colin Carmichael

PHOTO / PHIL SHOCKLEY

A MAN OF ALL SEASONS

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

STORY BY RYAN CAMERON

Dick Soergel had his future mapped out before he ever played a game for Oklahoma State and that blueprint did not include becoming perhaps the most versatile athlete in Cowboy history. Instead, his focus rested solely upon the famed white maple floor inside Gallagher-Iba Arena.

“One of the major reasons I really went to Oklahoma State was Mr. Iba. I had made the high school All-America team and I thought I was a basketball player,” Soergel said.

“I had listened to Mr. Iba’s Oklahoma Aggies most of my life. I used to read my dad’s scrapbook and everything indicated Mr. Iba was one whale of a coach, which he was. So, I was going to play basketball for him.”

The plan was even calculated for life after college for Soergel, who had ambitions of continuing his playing career on the AAU circuit with the Phillips 66ers out of Bartlesville, Okla.

“It was an era when pro basketball wasn’t very prominent. AAU basketball was really good back then,” Soergel explained. “Various companies had a basketball team and it provided the opportunity to continue playing basketball, but you also got a real good job.”

“The pros didn’t pay anything back then. It was a whole different world. My objective was to play basketball for Mr. Iba, then go on to work for Phillips and then play AAU ball for a few years and have a good career.”

However, a couple of coaches in Stillwater had a different set of plans in mind. The football team was coached

by Cliff Speegle, who just happened to be the brother of Soergel’s high school coach. Toby Greene handled the coaching duties for the baseball squad. Both coaches had their sights set on adding the talented multi-sport star from Oklahoma City’s Capitol Hill High School to their rosters as well.

“Cliff was pretty insistent in that he would like me to play football. He got together with Mr. Iba and Mr. Iba agreed that he would also let me play football,” Soergel said. “They agreed that I could have either a football or a basketball scholarship. If I wanted to quit either sport at any time I would continue to have a four-year scholarship in whichever sport I continued to play, so that was the way we started out.”

Instead of whittling his workload back down to a single sport he increased it when Greene came calling. The longtime skipper didn’t so much issue a recruiting pitch as he did marching orders for Soergel.

“I really never had any contact with him about baseball until my freshman basketball season was just about over. I was walking down the hall of Gallagher Hall one afternoon and Coach Greene walked up in front of me and stopped me and he just told me very bluntly, ‘You go into the equipment

room and check out some baseball shoes,’” Soergel said.

“That is the way he recruited me, so I went in and checked out baseball shoes.”

Just like that, the wheels were set in motion for arguably the most versatile athlete in school history. When the dust had settled on his athletic career in Stillwater, Soergel had earned nine letters in those three sports and was ultimately inducted into the Oklahoma State Hall of Honor as well as the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame.

“It just kind of came naturally. I had done it all my life. My dad was a great threesport athlete. He was always an encourager to me. I had two older brothers that were also encouragers,” Soergel said. “I really did not plan to play three sports. It just kind of came about because I found out I could. I enjoyed them and I didn’t want to quit them, so I continued.”

While enjoyable, trying to juggle a three-sport schedule, much less excelling in all three arenas, would prove to have its challenges.

“My freshman year, it was really a grind. I was playing freshman football and the way the basketball team

would practice, the varsity would practice in the afternoons about every other day and then would practice at night every other day. The freshman team would do the reverse of that,” Soergel said. “What I really did my first year was I would practice football and on those nights the freshmen practiced at night, I would go get something to eat then I would practice basketball at night,” Soergel said.

By the time his sophomore season rolled around, Soergel navigated a modified schedule that kept basketball and football practices from being stacked on top of one another.

“I worked real hard at it, but then the next year when the varsity season started I didn’t go out for basketball until football was over. As soon as football was over, I got my basketball gear and made the team,” Soergel said.

Along the way, Soergel learned shifting gears from fall to winter was more difficult than moving from winter to spring.

“The transition from football to basketball was pretty tough because the conditioning is so different. The transition from basketball to baseball was a lot easier. Particularly being a pitcher.”

Challenges aside, Soergel embraced the differences that came with changing seasons.

“THEY ARE ALL DIFFERENT. BASEBALL IS A FUN GAME. IT WAS A GREAT TIME. FOOTBALL IS A THRILLING GAME. YOU HAVE THE BIGGER CROWDS AND THE NOISE AND ALL THAT SORT OF STUFF. BASKETBALL IS ALSO THRILLING AND THEY ARE ALL JUST A LITTLE DIFFERENT,” SOERGEL SAID. “I DIDN’T REALLY HAVE A FAVORITE. I ENJOYED THEM ALL.”

Not only did Soergel enjoy all three, he experienced successes in each, whether it be pitching the baseball team to victory in the national championship in 1959, helping the basketball team to a top-five finish at the NCAA Tournament in 1958 or leading a victorious bowl campaign for the football team.

In 1958, Soergel quarterbacked the Pokes to a 15-6 victory over Florida State in the Bluegrass Bowl that was memorable for several reasons.

“There weren’t very many bowl games when I was in school and they tried to start the Bluegrass Bowl,” Soergel said. “The conditions were very difficult. The week before the game a blizzard hit. It was cold when we got into Louisville and the field was ice, so they had to use bulldozers to scrape the

field off. We played in tennis shoes because our cleats wouldn’t go into the ground.”

To top it all off, the game was played in front of a national television audience with an up-andcoming personality by the name of HOWARD COSELL providing the commentary for what would be the first and last edition of the game.

The following year, Soergel capped a brilliant pitching career as the winning pitcher for the Cowboys’ in their 5-3 victory over Arizona in the championship game of the College World Series.

“For me to get to come in and get to pitch the final game was particularly sweet. I hadn’t lost a game in college until we got to the College World Series,” Soergel said.

“We won our first two games and we were playing our third game and I was pitching against Arizona and they beat me. That was a bitter loss. We got to work our way back through the loser’s bracket and Arizona got beat and we got to play them.”

The rematch provided a chance at revenge for Soergel, who tossed the final 5.1 innings to earn the victory.

On the hardwood, a 62-49 victory against Kansas in Allen Fieldhouse during his final season in 1960 softened the disappointment of a sub-par season. The win included the 6-foot-2 Soergel giving the Jayhawks’ 6-foot-8 WAYNE HIGHTOWER fits with the future NBA draft pick eventually fouling out.

“When I was a senior, we had a very average basketball team, but I remember going to Lawrence and beating Kansas up there,” Soergel recalled. “We got ahead of them and Mr. Iba put us into his delay game. I was bringing the ball down the floor all the time and Wayne Hightower was chasing me and I just wore him out.”

Soergel credits a trio of factors for his ability to achieve success on multiple athletic fronts—coaches, competition and mental approach.

The coaching tree at OSU was filled with hall-of-fame talent and is something Soergel says Mr. Iba deserves the credit for building.

“Wayne Hightower was chasing me and I just wore him out.”

— DICK SOERGEL

“I think the coaches were very important. A lot of people don’t realize how good a coaching staff we had across the board. Ralph Higgins in track, Toby Greene was the baseball coach, Myron Roderick was the wrestling coach, Mr. Iba was the basketball coach and Labron Harris was the golf coach,” Soergel said. “Mr. Iba did a great job of hiring coaches and he had people that were very loyal to him. All of those men were really loyal and it was a big family. They helped me.”

“The coaches were very, very significant in inspiring and directing me,” Soergel continued.

As for competition, Soergel insists good athletes were present throughout the respective sports, raising the production level for everyone involved.

“We had some good athletes. They pushed you and you had to perform,” Soergel said. “Competition, in my opinion, doesn’t do anything but make you better. We had a lot of competition and I always liked competition because it made you better.”

Success on the playing field had as much to do with the mental aspect of the game as the physical side, according to Soergel.

“I learned to play all of the sports with my mind and not my feet. There is a lot of thought process in playing sports. My coaches always emphasized that. You have to think, you have to anticipate, you have to be ahead,” Soergel said.

When he exhausted his college eligibility, it was

professional football, not basketball, Soergel pursued.

“I signed a football contract and tried to play for the Patriots in the first year of the American Football League. I stayed there for two months and got cut after the exhibition season. I was so disappointed I didn’t try anywhere else,” he said.

The reasoning behind giving football a shot was simple.

“YOU EITHER MADE IT OR YOU DIDN’T. THERE WASN’T ANY MINOR LEAGUE and I probably would have done things differently with hindsight, but at that time I also had a wife and a kid and I needed to go to work and make a living,” Soergel said.

With that in mind, Soergel remained in athletics and simply shifted gears. He returned to Oklahoma State and once again juggled responsibilities, becoming the athletic department’s first-ever business and ticket manager.

As an administrator, Soergel had a hand in laying the foundation for several practices that remain in place today.

“Mr. Iba was not a real business man. He had a man that was doing some of that kind of work. There really were no business procedures. I remember the bills were in a drawer in a box. When it came near the end of the year you pulled those bills out and tried to pay them. Hopefully, you had enough money to do it and the budget was really tight,” Soergel recalled.

At a time when gate receipts provided minimal revenue and donations were virtually nonexistent, Soergel was tabbed

with the task of getting the department’s finances in order.

“It was a real growing process to develop different kinds of procedures, to put together a set of books and it was an interesting challenge. I enjoyed that. We had some success and put together a pretty good operation,” Soergel said.

“I made a lot of proposals to Mr. Iba and we got approval to take over the concession operation. That first year we more than tripled our revenue. There were a lot of innovations that we implemented with student tickets being another.”

For someone who has seen Oklahoma State athletics from multiple aspects, Soergel can appreciate the transformation that has taken place in Stillwater in recent years.

“I never envisioned anything being as nice as those facilities are now. It is wonderful to have them. What a recruiting benefit it is to have those kind of facilities,” Soergel said.

“I think Terry Don Phillips did a great job of starting things with the renovation of Gallagher-Iba Arena and getting involvement and funding for that. Mike (Holder) has taken over and just done a phenomenal job of raising money.”

“Certainly we are all beholden to Boone Pickens for his generosity and his vision and all of the things he has done. Also, the other people that have come to the forefront and pitched in make it heartwarming for me. I commend all of the people there that are responsible for that.”

Even with the significant athletic success across the

board OSU is currently having, a three-sport participant may very well be a thing of the past, keeping Soergel in the rarest of company.

“I was very fortunate. I don’t think you have any coaches today that would allow an athlete to play three sports. I think they would insist... ‘If you are a football player I have to have your time’ and that is probably the way it is now,” Soergel said.

Having retired from the banking business in 1997, Soergel’s competitive spirit won’t allow for him to sit still and you could say has even driven him to expand his athletic endeavors.

“I play tennis about three days a week. I play golf maybe once a week. I thoroughly enjoy it and I still love competition. I am not interested in going out and hitting balls. I am interested in competing against somebody.

A 1998 inductee into the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame, Soergel is also still active with the Jim Thorpe Association as a member of the selection and finance committees.

Coupled with his committee duties, Soergel’s church and five grandchildren keep his plate full.

DO YOU REALLY THINK THE MAN WITH NO OFFSEASON WOULD HAVE IT ANY OTHER WAY?

Catch the Spirit ... Join the Club.

The new OSU Spirit Club is organized for the sole purpose of supporting the Oklahoma State Spirit Squad, which includes the coed cheer squad, pom squad and Pistol Pete mascot.

Take advantage of our

Donations are POSSE-eligible and will fund partial scholarships for all squad members and provide additional merit-based scholarships for excellence in academics or nancial hardship. Additionally, gifts will supplement the budget for equipment, travel and competition expenses.

For more information, or to join the Spirit Club, please visit osuspirit.com or call 405-744-5855.

Party with America’s Favorite Mascot!

PISTOL PE TE’S PARTNERS

Annual kids club membership (8th grade & under) is just $25 per child.

Benefits include:

• FREE ADMISSION to OSU soccer, wrestling, women’s basketball, baseball & softball

•  Exclusive members-only t-shirt & ID lanyard

• Invites to autograph parties & other special events

• Birthday card from Pistol Pete

• Pistol Pete picture & more ...

For details, visit at okstate.com/kidsclub

Oklahoma State’s deputy director of athletics is DAVE MARTIN. He has a very clean desk.

Sche THE ART OF

STORY BY KEVIN KLINTWORTH

BUT IN ONE OF THOSE DESK DRAWERS HE HAS A THICK FILE. It’s the home of football schedules past, present and future. It holds contracts, cancelled contracts and general correspondence in regards to Cowboy football opponents. It’s sort of messy.

In short, it’s not nearly as neat as the desk. And neither is the business of scheduling for college football administrators. In the era of conference realignment, power ratings, made for TV games, skyrocketing game guarantees for opponents, strategically placed open dates and football games played on just about every day of the week, the task of assembling college football schedules has never been more

difficult. It is an ironic development considering the number of non-conference games that need scheduling is dropping in just about every power conference. And just to add to the degree of difficulty, a college football playoff is coming – with some version of a yet-tobe-determined selection committee and moving targets for future criteria. The variables are many and that doesn’t include the target audiences. Fans want entertaining games – preferably at home. Coaches look at the big picture and the wear and tear of a season that continues to grow longer. Athletic directors have to look at budgets, and the Dave Martins

of the world have to be thinking years in advance when home games have to be reciprocated and what that means to future schedules.

In just the past two years, OSU’s nonconference schedule has dropped from four opponents each year to three with the Big 12 Conference’s decision to play nine league games annually instead of eight. As a result, Martin had to unload contracted non-conference matchups by cancelling games or by moving them to future dates.

“One of the series that was cancelled was a home-and-home with PURDUE,” Martin said. “We tried multiple dates in

So clean, in fact, it looks like he could change offices at a moment’s notice.

multiple years, but the Big 10 was changing its league schedule as well. Both schools wanted to keep the contract, but we couldn’t coordinate dates – even several years out.”

In that regard, Martin might as well be a teenage boy. He’s always looking for dates, and he sometimes has a commitment problem.

But there are extenuating circumstances in Martin’s case. He might be too nice. Several years ago, Oklahoma State was approached by fellow conference member TEXAS A&M, which needed a favor. The Aggies were about to sign a non-conference series with Arkansas to be played in Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, but they

needed OSU’s help by moving a game, or two, or more.

In an effort to help out a fellow Big 12 member, OSU acquiesced and moved several games.

“I know we moved three to help them, and I think it may have affected two more games,” Martin said.

As it turns out, Texas A&M left the Big 12 for the Southeastern Conference, and OSU got caught in a schedule squeeze for its troubles. Not only did OSU have to play at Texas two straight seasons, but the Cowboys had trouble filling an open date to start the 2012 season as an indirect result of the A&M-Arkansas series. After making contact with approximately

25 schools, OSU finally had a taker in SAVANNAH STATE.

But just maybe OSU got the last laugh in a deal that wasn’t so funny after last season’s 84-0 win over Savannah State. The Cowboys sent the Aggies off to the SEC with a 30-29 Kyle Field loss in a game that changed both seasons and helped catapult OSU to the Big 12 title.

And as an added benefit, new league member TCU inherited Texas A&M’s schedule. That means a second-straight visit to Stillwater for the Horned Frogs in a year in which OSU and TCU are considered top contenders for the Big 12 title. The home field advantage in that matchup could be critical in 2013.

duling

2013 COWBOYS FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

Oklahoma State has an unwritten goal of seven home games each season, but that target is a little harder to hit in the newlook Big 12 with its unbalanced schedule, which includes four home games and five road games every other season.

“We had eight home games a couple of seasons ago (2009), and we really think there was a bit of fan fatigue by the end of year,” Martin said. “So we always have six and we would like to have seven home games each season.”

As the facilities around Oklahoma State athletics have changed, so has the blueprint for football scheduling. During the years of Boone Pickens Stadium construction, OSU’s home-field capacity shrunk to approximately 44,000.

With the loss of seating comes a drop in game-day revenue, which leads to smaller guarantees for the visitors. A guarantee is the amount of money a visiting team receives for making the trip and it is one of the tools used to balance a budget year. Quite simply, schools that pay smaller guarantees often have trouble attracting non-conference opponents who might be seeking a bigger check.

To help offset this particular scheduling dilemma, Martin began a 2-for-1 phase. Most teams outside of the “power conferences” have trouble landing marquee home opponents. OSU struck deals

that resulted in smaller guarantees for opponents in exchange for a visit by OSU to their stadium — the infamous 2-for1. Oklahoma State played one game at TROY and Troy visited Stillwater twice, thus 2-for-1. As a result, OSU saved money with a smaller guarantee for the Trojans when they visited Stillwater, and Troy got the rare chance to host a Big 12 opponent.

OSU’s stadium capacity has now climbed to more than 60,000 and 2-for-1 deals are very nearly a thing of the past. The only one currently remaining in Martin’s messy schedule file is with CENTRAL MICHIGAN.

In four of the next five seasons, OSU has seven home games scheduled with a 10-member Big 12 seemingly set. But sometimes things change. And oftentimes those changes are television driven.

Oklahoma State is often approached by the Big 12 Conference’s TV partners about potential matchups or date changes. OSU at times responds with a “no thanks” to the league. But sometimes the answer is yes, which was the case with Thursday night games in 2009 and 2010 (vs. COLORADO and Texas A&M).

“WE HAVE CERTAIN OBLIGATIONS THAT COME WITH BEING A MEMBER OF THE BIG 12 CONFERENCE,” MARTIN SAID. “WE ALWAYS LISTEN AND THEN WEIGH THE POSITIVES AND NEGATIVES. THE NETWORKS ARE PAYING US (THE BIG 12) FOR OUR GAME INVENTORY SO THEY CERTAINLY HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO MAKE REQUESTS. THERE ARE A LOT OF FACTORS INVOLVED.”

And this is where the art of scheduling comes into play.

In 2013, OSU agreed to play MISSISSIPPI STATE in Houston on Aug. 31. The game will be held in Reliant Stadium and televised by ABC. It is billed as the Advocare Texas Kickoff. In 2014, Oklahoma State will open the season in AT&T Stadium in Arlington against sure-to-behighly-rated FLORIDA STATE. It could well be the best matchup of the opening weekend of the college football season.

Those matchups have been the source of some debate. They both provide high-profile season-openers and big guarantees (the amount of money the participants receive by playing in off-campus games), and they help Oklahoma State maintain a healthy relationship with the deal makers of sports television.

A VICTORY IN EITHER GAME COULD BE THE JUMP START TO A TERRIFIC COWBOY SEASON. And on the balance sheet, OSU figures to clear more in the neutral site games than a typical home game, especially when subtracting the bills that come with hosting events.

But the early-season matchups certainly don’t come without risks as the

2011 OREGON DUCKS can attest. Oregon, ranked fourth in the Associated Press poll, opened that season in Dallas against No. 3 LSU. After suffering a 40-27 loss to the Tigers, it took an eight-game winning streak for the Ducks to get back to their preseason ranking. They eventually finished the year as Rose Bowl champions.

And there you have the dichotomy of scheduling.

For conference officials, fans and TV execs, what’s not to love? Great non-conference matchups within driving distance for OSU fans to open a new season in the national spotlight against marquee opponents with a healthy payday.

But for coaches, Labor Day Weekend takes on an entirely different feel with a high-quality opponent on the agenda after just four weeks of practice.

“Coaches and athletic directors and administrators always look at scheduling from different perspectives,” said OSU head coach Mike Gundy. “It’s just the nature of our jobs.”

Perhaps the toughest aspect of scheduling is the moving target that is the future. A football schedule constructed as recently as 2008 has probably been made obsolete by realignment and the looming playoff. Back in the day, the Big 12 Conference and the Southeastern Conference helped place conference football championship games front and center.

Today, the Big 12 is the only power conference without a championship game.

THINGS MOVE FAST.

THINGS CHANGE. AND AS A RESULT, EVEN DAVE MARTIN HAS A MESSY FILE OR TWO.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY PHIL SHOCKLEY

ADDITIONAL POSSE PARKING

The POSSE has acquired additional donor parking spaces at the OSU Library Annex and Stillwater High School football stadium. These Silver Star lots are located just north of the intersection of Duck and Boomer Road. Round-trip shuttle service to the stadium will be provided, beginning three hours before kickoff.

Oklahoma State University’s School of Hotel & Restaurant Administration has been a LEADER in Global Hospitality and Tourism.

58Throwing Bullets

STORY BY GENE JOHNSON PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRUCE WATERFIELD

Just the mention of Brandon Weeden’s name causes Cowboy fans to smile widely at fond memories. When Weeden throws, the football can take the appearance of a large bullet being fired, a perfect tight spiral.

59

During the 2011 football season, Weeden, the best OSU Cowboy quarterback to ever take a snap on Lewis Field, led the Pokes to previously unreached heights: a Big 12 Championship, a No. 3 national ranking and a Fiesta Bowl victory over a tough and talented Stanford team. Quite a résumé for a former professional baseball pitcher.

In the 2012 NFL draft, the Cleveland Browns picked Weeden in the first round, the 22nd player chosen. He started last season at quarterback for the Browns and passed for 3,385 yards, setting a team record for a rookie.

In February, I discovered Weeden sharing my gym, Edmond’s Transformation Fitness Center. Nine or ten young guys were playing a spirited game of full-court basketball, and one — a tall redhead wearing a lime green shirt — could shoot the three. I watched for several minutes as I walked around the gym. The guy looked familiar: Brandon Weeden.

An hour later, after the group finished playing hoops, I somewhat hesitantly walked up and introduced myself to Weeden. He was friendly, a genuine Cowboy.

Over the next few weeks, I observed Weeden’s workouts. Often other NFL players, including former Cowboy tight ends Brandon Pettigrew of the Detroit Lions and Billy Bajema of the Baltimore Ravens, joined him to work out.

Their rigorous routines consisted of stretching, agility drills, throwing and catching the football, pumping iron, working the machines and doing cardio. These guys enjoyed themselves, kidded each other, laughed, worked hard, perspired a lot and moved a ton of weight.

make sense to turn pro right then. I enjoyed the college game, so I decided to come back for another year. Looking back, I’m glad I did.”

Former OSU football coach Pat Jones told sports radio there are only a handful of guys in the NFL who can throw the ball as well as Weeden can. Hearing the praise, Weeden hesitates before commenting: “That means a lot to me, coming from a guy like him. He’s coached at the highest level, been around a lot, I appreciate that. I take a lot of pride in throwing the football.”

At 6-foot-4 and 230 pounds, Weeden is thicker in the chest than I thought he would be, all muscle, solid as a rock. He agreed to share his thoughts on his just-completed rookie NFL season.

Weeden says he first thought he could play in the NFL during his junior year at OSU.

“We were having success as a team, and I was throwing the ball well,” he remembers. “I waited until the season was over and weighed my options. To me, it didn’t

Weeden knew playing at the pro level wouldn’t be easy. It was everything he thought it would be — and more.

“Extremely challenging,” he says. “Everything happens so fast. But I get to be one of only 32 people in the world, on a given day, to do what I do: be a starting NFL quarterback. I consider it a blessing.”

Veteran Browns players call him WD3 or Weeds and made no secret of their high expectations for Weeden.

“We have a close-knit locker room … no hazing for the rookies, which didn’t hurt my feelings. We quarterbacks hang out together. I get along well with Colt McCoy,

the former Texas quarterback who started the previous season for the Browns. He’s got a good head on his shoulders, a quality individual.”

Weeden describes the preseason as rigorous, running from 6 a.m. until 7 p.m. six days a week. “There’s time on the field, in the weight room and hours in the classroom,” he says. “It’s intense. You have to be ready to go when the season starts.”

The differences, according to Weeden, between the pro game versus college ball lie in speed, physicality and, for quarterbacks, knowing all the defensive schemes your opponent will throw at you.

“Up front, on the line of scrimmage, is a street fight on every down,” he says. “It’s a man’s game. Everyone can run … they’re all big, strong athletes. I know I’ll take some hits, and I can’t be timid. I have to know where the hot throw (getting rid of the ball quickly) is to try to take the hit off, so that I don’t get nailed.

“With only 25 seconds between plays, I have to make split — second decisions,” he continues, a serious look on his face as he leans back in his chair. “Half the game for us quarterbacks is between the ears. The other part is giving your guys a chance to make plays, which means I have to throw the ball exactly where it needs to be.”

So far Weeden’s biggest challenge has been learning the multifaceted complexities and schemes of the various defenses he had to face. “Learning the details takes a lot of time … mountains of information to absorb.”

of their favorite haunts. “I like a good steak or sushi,” says Weeden.

The Browns went 5–11 last season, winning one more game than the year before. Five of those losses were by seven points or less.

“Next season we have to win those close games,” he says.

Weeden may not have faced any hazing in his own locker room, but on the field versus the city’s former team was another story. Cleveland lost the Browns to Baltimore after the 1995 season when owner Art Modell took the team east. A legal battle ensued, and the result was the Baltimore team was renamed the Ravens and Cleveland kept the Browns name for a team that began playing once a new stadium opened in 1999. Modell died in September 2012, bringing up all the rancorous history. During an early season game against the Baltimore Ravens, All-Pro linebacker Ray Lewis came at Weeden like lightning on the blitz.

“I threw hot … got rid of the ball, but Ray got me,” Weeden remembers. “Instead of helping me up, he pushed off on me as he got up, then stood over me and glared for a couple of seconds, letting me know there was more where that came from. Ray is the ultimate competitor.” There is no edge to Weeden’s retelling of this tale; instead, he Weeden laughs and makes it sound as though it was almost an honor to get drilled by the future Hall of Fame player.

“Every week, the hardest thing for me is to get out of bed on the day after a game, but I pretty much enjoy everything about playing in the NFL. It’s a great lifestyle,” Weeden says.

Pressure? “Sure there’s pressure. Cleveland hasn’t had a winner in quite some time. Cleveland is a big-time city, a large market. There are 53 of us players who want to bring a front-runner to town, but you can’t let that thought overwhelm you or you won’t be able to function.”

Weeden’s eyes light up when he talks about next season.

“Our owner Jimmy Haslam is an all-in guy and has a great staff in place. We’ve got all these rookies that now have a season under their belt. Offensive coordinator coach Norv Turner, one of the best offensive minds in football, is coming in. We’re definitely a young team on the rise. I feel we have the pieces in place to do something special. Should be a fun year. … The season can’t get here quick enough for me.”

Goals? “Win the close games. Give ourselves a shot to win our division and get into the playoffs. I have to give our team the chance to win those games that are decided in the fourth quarter.” Weeden adds, “We play in a tough division and need to play well each week. When the playoffs start, it’s a whole new season.”

Melanie, Weeden’s wife, loves Cleveland. “Melanie wasted no time making friends,” Weeden said. “She’s in a workout group and Bible study, plus has made friends with several players’ wives.”

Weeden spends what little spare time he’s had on playing an occasional round of golf or relaxing with Melanie. They enjoy wine and going out for dinner. Cleveland restaurants Hyde Park Prime Steakhouse downtown or Pier W on the water are two

The Browns went 0-5 before notching their first win last season. “That was a big thrill for me,” Weeden says smiling. “It’s something I’ll never forget. Walking off that field with my head up is something I want to be able to do every game. Cleveland’s a great sports city. When we win, the whole town goes crazy. The fan support has been super. That’s why we want to bring them a winner.”

The toughest thing for Weeden was getting hurt against Denver and not getting to play in the final game against Pittsburgh. “You train all year, then get injured and have to watch from the sideline,” he says, shaking his head.

To the OSU Cowboy faithful, Weeden sends his best wishes. “I encourage them to keep coming out and supporting the Cowboys. We have the best fans in college football … loyal, smart. They get it — a family feel. We’re on the map, exciting to watch. I’d challenge the students to stay for the whole game. Don’t leave at halftime. Be rowdy! It means a lot to the team and impresses recruits.”

Four seasons ago if you’d have told Weeden he’d play in the NFL, he would have said you were crazy. Now, with a season under his belt, he’s looking forward for more. “I can’t wait!” he says.

the Honor Roll

When OSU announced its scholarship endowment initiative, the athletic program was last in the Big 12. Now, more than halfway through the 10-year program, OSU leads the conference. But we’re not finished yet.

OSU awards 229 full scholarships to student-athletes each year at a cost of $4.5 million. Each dollar freed up through endowed scholarships goes back into our programs. Better equipment. Better facilities. Better support. Each dollar has a direct impact on the lives of our student-athletes.

“Each scholarship we endow secures the future of OSU athletics and provides more opportunities for our student-athletes on and off the field,” says Mike Holder, Vice President for Athletic Programs and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics.

This is the list of all the generous supporters who have helped to provide a bright Orange future. They are our Honor Roll.

To learn more about scholarship opportunities and how you may contribute, please contact Larry Reece (405-744-2824) or Matt Grantham (405-744-5938).

“It has been amazing to see 315 donors step up to get us past the $58 million mark in commitments to the Leave A Legacy campaign.

The bottom line is OSU supporters get it … scholarships help our studentathletes today while strengthening our athletic budget forever.”

— LARRY REECE, SENIOR ASSOCIATE ATHLETIC DIRECTOR, DEVELOPMENT

BASEBALL 6.5

FULL SCHOLARSHIP

Dennis and Karen Wing (2)

Hal and Lynne Tompkins

HALF SCHOLARSHIP

Mike Bode and Preston Carrier

Jennifer and Steven Grigsby

Sally Sparks

QUARTER SCHOLARSHIP

Bryant and Carla Coffman

David and Grace Helmer

Jill Rooker

FOOTBALL 30.5

FULL SCHOLARSHIP

Bob Norris

Bryant and Carla Coffman / The Merkel Foundation

David LeNorman

Dennis and Karen Wing (2)

Dr. Mark and Beth Brewer

Jim Click

John and Gail Shaw

Ken and Jimi Davidson

HALF SCHOLARSHIP

Cindy Hughes

Donald Coplin

Doug Thompson

Greg Casillas

Ike and Marybeth Glass

Jim and Lynne Williams

Martha Seabolt

Sandy Lee

Dr. Scott Anthony

Leslie Dunavant

Mike and Kristen Gundy

Mike and Robbie Holder

Ron Stewart

Ross and Billie McKnight

Sandy Lee

Tom and Sandra Wilson

Wray and Julie Valentine

John and Patti Brett

Mike and Judy Johnson

Sally Sparks

State Rangers

Tom Naugle

QUARTER SCHOLARSHIP

Al and Martha Strecker

Arthur “Andy” Johnson, Jr.

Arthur Couch

Barry and Roxanne Pollard

Bill and Ruth Starr

Brad and Leah Gungoll

Brian K. Pauling

Bridgecreek Investment Management LLC

Bryan Close

David and Cindy Waits

David and Gina Dabney

Dr. Berno Ebbesson

Dr. Ron and Marilynn McAfee

Eddy and Deniece Ditzler

Flintco

Fred and Janice Gibson

Fred and Karen Hall

Howard Thill

James and LaVerna Cobb

Jerry and Lynda Baker

Jerry and Rae Winchester

John P. Melot

John S. Clark

Ken and Leitner Greiner

Kent and Margo Dunbar

Paul and Mona Pitts

R. Kirk Whitman

Randal and Carol White

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GRADUATE ATHLETE 0.75

QUARTER SCHOLARSHIP

Bob and Joan Hert

Neal Seidle

Tom and Cheryl Hamilton

MEN’S BASKETBALL 18.5

FULL SCHOLARSHIP

A.J. and Susan Jacques

Brett and Amy Jameson

Calvin and Linda Anthony

Chuck and Kim Watson

Dennis and Karen Wing (2)

Douglas and Nickie Burns

Griff and Mindi Jones

HALF SCHOLARSHIP

Bill and Marsha Barnes

David and Julie Ronck

Dr. Mark and Susan Morrow

Jay and Connie Wiese

James and Mary Barnes

Jim Vallion

Ken and Jimi Davidson

Kent and Margo Dunbar

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Mitch Jones Memorial

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL 6

FULL SCHOLARSHIP

Brad and Margie Schultz

Ken and Jimi Davidson

HALF SCHOLARSHIP

Baloo and Maribeth

Subramaniam

Mike Bode and Preston Carrier

Don and Mary McCall

John and Caroline Linehan

QUARTER SCHOLARSHIP

Bill and Sally Cunningham

Calvin and Linda Anthony

Donald Coplin

Jill Rooker

Jon and Nancy Patton

Richard and Linda Rodgers

WOMEN’S EQUESTRIAN 0.25

QUARTER SCHOLARSHIP

David and Gina Dabney

WOMEN’S GOLF 0.5

QUARTER SCHOLARSHIP

Amy Weeks

Kent and Margo Dunbar

WOMEN’S TENNIS 0.25

QUARTER SCHOLARSHIP

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Sandy Lee

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Gary and Sue Homsey

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HALF SCHOLARSHIP

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QUARTER SCHOLARSHIP

Bob and Elizabeth Nickles

Garland and Penny Cupp

Richard and Joan Welborn

MEN’S TENNIS 0.25

QUARTER SCHOLARSHIP

Tom and Cheryl Hamilton

MEN’S TRACK 0.5

QUARTER SCHOLARSHIP

Dr. Mark and Susan Morrow Susan Anderson

SOFTBALL 0.25

QUARTER SCHOLARSHIP

Tom and Cheryl Hamilton

WRESTLING 10.25

FULL SCHOLARSHIP

A.J. and Susan Jacques

Bruce and Nancy Smith

Chuck and Kim Watson

Lon and Jane Winton

OSU Wrestling – White

Jacket Club / Gallagher

Endowed Wrestling Scholarship

OSU Wrestling – White Jacket Club / Myron

Roderick Endowed

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Mark and Lisa Snell

QUARTER SCHOLARSHIP

Danny and Dana Baze / Cory and Mindy Baze

John and Beverly Williams

R.K. Winters

OSU Wrestling – White

Jacket Club / Ray Murphy

Endowed Wrestling Scholarship

OSU Wrestling – White

Jacket Club / Tommy

Chesbro Endowed

Wrestling Scholarship

The Cobb Family

PHOTO / BRUCE WATERFIELD

STORY BY BLAKE ZIMMERMAN

PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRUCE WATERFIELD

Oklahoma

country/track and field coach

DAVE SMITH

BUT THE OSU MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY TEAM HAS CLAIMED THREE OF THE LAST FOUR NCAA TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS (2009, 2010, 2012) . WITH RESULTS LIKE THOSE, IT’S HARD TO QUESTION A METHOD, EVEN IF THE PLAN IS SOMETHING THE CASUAL OBSERVER WOULD NEVER GUESS TO BE SUCCESSFUL.

“IN A RACE, I WANT TO MAKE IT WHERE EVERY TIME WE PASS SOMEONE, WE DON’T SEE THEM AGAIN,” SMITH SAID. “THAT MEANS WE HAVE TO START CONSERVATIVE, PICK UP SPEED AS THE RACE GOES ALONG, AND MOVE OUR WAY UP THE FIELD.”

Fans don’t usually think of the word conservative when reflecting on a race, because it implies a slower pace.

“We don’t like to gamble or take risks,” Smith said. “When you race like that, there’s a chance you may sacrifice getting some guys to place up front. But you also protect against going for it, not being able to do it, and then dropping 25-30 places from where you should have finished as a result.”

Smith’s strategy is all about maintaining poise. It’s about taking the excitement one has at the beginning of a race, and being able to control and harness it, so the runner can accomplish what is necessary during the second half of the race.

Smith said it isn’t hard for freshmen to adapt to the system, because they usually have a chance to study it for a while.

“In my 11 years, we’ve only had three freshmen run on the national team,” Smith said. “In almost all cases, freshmen get to learn from the outside and observe what we do before they step in on the national team. When we do have someone at their first nationals, usually I’ll pair them with someone: have them stay with a particular runner for 7,000 or 8,000 meters. At that point, if they can’t do it, or they feel like they can go for it, then that’s fine. That helps them finish 70-80 percent of the race before they even have to make a decision.”

State cross

doesn’t coach the sport the way most of his colleagues do.

“No strategy works without

At the 2013 Big Championship12in Waco,

In a sport that can seem so individual, it can be tough for someone to sacrifice what they hope to do as an individual runner in the race, in the hopes of achieving something greater from a team standpoint. Smith said that is why team chemistry among the athletes is a huge key to success

“If we have a guy who is a top 25 runner in the country, but feels as if he needs to finish in the top five because he doesn’t trust his teammates to do their jobs, then the team is at risk. It’s all about trust. There’s a chance that guy goes for the top five and finishes 50th. I’d rather have the No. 20 guy in the nation finish 25th, than go for fifth and finish 50th. It’s all about a more conservative approach. Our guys know if they each do their jobs, we’ll be in a position to win,” says Smith.

the right athletes.”

Smith understands that track and field and cross country never stops. Cross country runs from August into late November, the indoor track season starts in early December and runs into March. The outdoor season starts immediately after and runs into mid-June. Pretty soon, it’s August again. Smith has to be mindful of his athletes from a fatigue standpoint. He said it’s always a balancing act.

“A big part of it is the way we set up our schedule,” Smith said. “Early in the season we compete locally, mainly to give our young guys a shot to run and see where they are. We don’t go to any of the big cross country invitationals. I don’t want to have to run at peak performance that early in the season. We try to step up the intensity with each meet, each couple weeks. It’s impossible to keep that intensity up all year. You have to be careful.”

In any strategy, in any sport, from football’s high-flying offense, or basketball’s fast-paced approach, there is a primary reason for its success. Smith has coached more than 70 All-Americans, more than 50 conference champions and four individual NCAA champions. He said the reason for success has always been the same.”

TX, GIRMA MECHESO, left , TOM FARRELL , center, and KIRUBEL ERASSA , right , spent the entire race in the lead group of seven runners, until they separated themselves with two laps to go. On the final turn, Erassa was able to kick past his teammates and win the championship.

“No strategy works without the right athletes,” Smith said. “We have athletes who work very hard, believe in what we do and sacrifice a lot to get themselves ready to run at the national championships, and that’s the most important thing. Like I said before, it’s all about everyone trusting their teammates and knowing if they all do what they’re supposed to do, we will be in contention to win. We’ve had athletes who do all of those things.”

Smith has had all the right athletes, and sometimes he gets athletes who are more than just right, they are extraordinary.

Natalja Piliusina has been one of the most dominant female athletes in OSU history. Six Big 12 800 meter titles, seven All-America honors and now an NCAA championship highlight her resume. Smith said athletes like Piliusina sometimes have to be coached differently, whether on a conscious or subconscious level.

“You can’t help it,” Smith said. “With an athlete like Natalja, the difference is she may not get as much attention because she doesn’t demand it or need it. I spend less time worrying about what to do with her as far as getting her ready, because she is always ready. I do treat her differently, because she does everything right. You tell her to do something once, and she does it. You explain something to her once, and she understands it. She is super competitive, so I don’t have to motivate her--she does it herself. ALL GREAT ATHLETES HAVE TO BE TREATED DIFFERENTLY.”

On the men’s side, Tom Farrell returns this fall, hoping to lead the Cowboys to back-to-back NCAA cross country titles. Farrell is a great athlete like Piliusina, but Smith says it’s the mental and emotional aspects he brings that make him great.

“He’s a veteran of two national championship teams,” Smith said. “He knows how it goes, he knows what to expect and how to deal with the pressure. He’s a leader, and he knows how we want to run. He can lead the guys and do the thinking and strategizing. Everyone else can run off of him.”

Like Farrell, Smith is a leader, and knows what it takes to win. He started at OSU as an assistant in 2002, took over men’s cross country in 2006, then men’s track in 2008, and in 2009 he became the director of both men’s and women’s track and field and cross country. Since Smith took over the OSU men’s cross country program in 2006, the Cowboys have placed in the top 10 at the NCAA Championships every year and have won the Midwest region five times. Smith said the people he has worked with at OSU have made his transitions easy.

“It’s come in steps with more and more help,” Smith said. “It doesn’t feel like I’ve gone through huge changes — it’s been more of an evolution. When I came here,

I was working with Dick Weis , and he taught me the way things were done here. I learned a lot from him. We had grad assistants who worked with us, and when Coach Weis retired, they became my assistant coaches. We’ve had great continuity on our staff. They’ve stayed together. When we took over the women’s program, we brought in three more coaches. We’ve had help. I can’t point out a time and say that’s where everything changed.”

That point where everything changes again may be arriving with the new track and field facility under construction. Amidst all the cross country success, OSU picked up an eighth-place finish as a team in the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships along with Piliusina’s

outdoor title. OSU is bursting onto the track and field scene , and Smith said the new facility is already carrying that momentum and changing things, especially in recruiting.

“Recruiting has started for the 2014 class, and I’m finally able to say that WE’RE GOING TO HAVE A STATE-OF-THEART TRACK FACILITY,” Smith said. “It’s going to be a great place to train and a great place to race. In the past, our facilities were used against us, and a big part of my recruiting pitch was that we didn’t need the facilities and we could perform without them. EVERY ATHLETE WANTS TO FEEL THEIR SPORT IS IMPORTANT TO THE UNIVERSITY, and I think with this facility, people can look at

it and know Oklahoma State University, its administration and its alumni care about track and field.”

The facilities will be an incredible help to the program, but Smith’s strategy and its success will continue to be just as important. It all comes down to winning.

“It’s easy for kids to stick to the strategy, because we’ve been winning,” Smith said. “If we were doing things this way and not winning, it would start to get old for the athletes to throw away personal dreams and goals for the team, and the team not win. But, it’s been successful, and WE CONTINUE TO MAXIMIZE OUR POTENTIAL PERFORMANCE ON THE BIGGEST STAGE .”

THE THREE NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP TROPHIES SITTING IN SMITH’S OFFICE

AGREE WITH HIM.

“All great athletes have to be treated differently.”

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“ V i r t u a l V enu e” t o c h o o s e y o u r s e a t : o k l a . s t / v i r t u alg i a

Moving Day

Mike Yurcich moves from Division II to Division I — from Pennsylvania to Oklahoma

But the reason was simple. About the time Yurcich was a senior at the Pennsylvania college, he caught “the bug” — as in the coaching bug.

Yurcich knew he wanted to be a football coach, and that meant that while others were taking notes, he was filling his notebook with Xs and Os.

“I started drawing up plays at the study table in some classes I was taking, I just starting scheming,” Yurcich said. “And really ever since I was a kid, I’ve enjoyed the schematic aspect. I used to take notes at basketball games that my dad was coaching.”

Just over a decade later, Yurcich is still drawing up plays — and now he’s doing it for one of college football’s most prolific offenses.

Yurcich’s journey to Stillwater has been well chronicled, and even he admits sometimes it’s hard to believe.

An Ohio native, Yurcich spent the previous seven years as an offensive coordinator at the NCAA Division II level, first at Edinboro University and then at Shippensburg University.

But then came a phone call early this year from Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy, who was looking for a new offensive coordinator for his Cowboys.

That initial phone conversation led to several more, then eventually the two coaches met face-to-face for the first time.

“I tried to just listen and have a conversation,” Yurcich said. “It’s an opportunity that comes your way, and you just want to take it in stride.

“It’s one of those things where good fortune comes your way, and you don’t want to overthink it too much. You just want to be clear in your communication and answer the questions he had for me the best I could.”

Yurcich said the majority of those conversations were in regards to his coaching philosophies — recruiting, offensive structure, why he did things the way he did things, how he coached quarterbacks, what kind of coach he is on the field.

In discovering Yurcich, Gundy had initially been drawn to the style of play, tempo and speed of his offenses at Shippensburg, and Yurcich was also an ex-quarterback who coached quarterbacks, two other priorities for the OSU boss.

The biggest thing the two shared? The need for speed, as in a fast-paced, uptempo spread attack.

“Playing fast, ultimately, is our modus operandi,” Yurcich said. “I BELIEVE IN TEMPO, AND THAT’S SOMETHING THAT COACH GUNDY AND I HAVE IN COMMON. This philosophy here at Oklahoma State and what I’ve done in the past is something that’s very similar. The installation is a short time frame where you continually rep your package over and over so you become very skilled fundamentally.”

The spread attack Yurcich embraces is a far cry from his football roots. As a prep signal caller at Euclid High School, he engineered a Power-I running attack for a program that produced running backs such as Robert Smith, Pepe Pearson and Tony Fisher.

A forward pass? That was almost unheard of.

“You’d have a play-action pass once in a while and throw it on third-and-long, that was about it,” Yurcich said.

Yurcich’s love of the spread offense blossomed at the University of Saint Francis, where he learned as a graduate assistant coach under NAIA Hall of Fame coach Kevin Donley.

Mike Yurcich admits he wasn’t always an attentive student at California University.

STORY BY WADE McWHORTER | PHOTOGRAPHY BY PHIL SHOCKLEY

“WHAT HAPPENED WAS THE OFFENSE HAD TO TAKE BACK THE OFFENSE. DEFENSES BECAME OFFENSIVE, AND THEN OFFENSES BECAME DEFENSIVE …”

‘WHAT ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT?’

“WELL, FOOTBALL AND MISSISSIPPI STATE. IT JUST CAN’T GET HERE SOON ENOUGH FOR ME.”

“…VACATION IS ABOUT TO START, AND MY WIFE LOOKS AT ME AND SAYS

“(Donley has) been attacking grass since we first met,” Yurcich said. “HE TOLD ME TO ‘GO WHERE THEY AIN’T, NOT WHERE THEY IS.’ He said he uses bad grammar and that phrase because it’s that simple.”

And the philosophy adopted by Yurcich clearly works. His offenses were among the best in DII over the better part of the last decade, including a year ago when Shippensburg led the nation in total offense with 529.2 yards per game and ranked second in scoring at just under 47 points per contest.

“ALL PHILOSOPHIES WORK — IT’S NOT ABOUT ‘WE’RE RIGHT OR YOU’RE WRONG,’ IT’S WHAT YOU DO, YOUR IDENTIFICATION AND WHAT YOU BELIEVE IN,” Yurcich said. “It’s about scoring . IT’S ABOUT POINTS AND IT’S ABOUT TAKING CARE OF THE FOOTBALL. That’s the foundation.”

Yurcich added that he doesn’t have an ideal number of plays per game for his offense — the goal is to leave the 11 players across the line of scrimmage gasping for air.

“What you want to do is make sure the defense is exhausted and you’re wearing them down,” Yurcich said. “I don’t care how many plays that is. Our tempo and how we run plays has to be at such a pace that we feel like we’ve totally exhausted the defense. IF WE DO THAT, I THINK WE’LL FEEL GOOD ABOUT WHERE WE ARE AS FAR AS TEMPO GOES.”

Yurcich’s gravitation to a wide-open attack is not unique. Spread offenses have taken the college game by storm over the last two decades, and Yurcich said the evolution of the spread offense is simple.

“You had one-back offenses come out and then defenses caught up with those with a zone-blitz attack,” Yurcich said. “Defenses could adjust based on what you were aligning in and make all their calls, get in the right blitz against your formation and be pretty sound with safety and corner help over the top and attacking your pass protections and outnumbering you to one side or another.

“What happened was the offense had to take back the offense. Defenses became offensive, and then offenses became defensive because you had to check certain plays, you had to redirect the front, you had the quarterback redirecting and pointing.

“SO THE TEMPO GIVES THE ATTACK BACK TO THE OFFENSE. IT’S ABOUT ALIGNING faster, ABOUT COMMUNICATING faster AND GETTING OUT THERE AND RUNNING YOUR DEAL faster THAN THEY CAN.

“What you’re doing with tempo is disrupting communication on the defensive side and limiting them to what they can do. So if (the defense) can communicate and get all that dialed up, then kudos to them.”

The majority of defenses on OSU’s schedule of late have been unable to slow the Cowboys’ attack. Over the last three seasons, OSU is the only team to rank in the top 10 nationally in total offense, scoring offense and passing offense.

To that end, don’t expect the offense Yurcich runs to look much different from that of his OSU predecessors. The main things he has emphasized since taking the reins are tempo and fundamentals.

“We want to continue to excel at the things, the plays and the schemes, that these guys already know,” Yurcich said. “A long time ago somebody said to me, ‘It’s not what you know, it’s what your players know.’

“It’s really important to me that our players understand the scheme first and foremost. Make sure they’re playing very fast, and that they understand what we’re asking them to do. AND PLAYING TO YOUR PERSONAL STRENGTHS IS VERY IMPORTANT AS WELL.”

Added Gundy, “(Yurcich has) learned our system and learned about our players and started to settle in. There was a big adjustment from where he came from to Oklahoma State, and I think he was smart in sitting back and listening and learning. He didn’t say a lot, but I think that every day he learns more about us and gets more control and is more confident.”

Will that confidence translate into churning out large chunks of yards and

lighting up the scoreboard? Yurcich knows that pressure is there, and he welcomes it.

“If you don’t understand and embrace pressure, then you’re not in the right profession,” Yurcich said. “At the same time, I don’t feel as much pressure because our players know the system. It’s not like I have to come in here and teach them a whole new system of offense and start fresh. I’m just jumping in, and the wheels are already turning, the machine is running.

“I don’t feel undue pressure. I feel the importance and the urgency regardless, every football season, no matter where I’ve ever been as a player or coach. And that’s no different here.”

Something else Yurcich feels is excitement. For him, the Cowboys’ 2013 opener against Mississippi State on Aug. 31 already consumed him.

“We were sitting on the back patio the other day, relaxing and vacation is about to start, and my wife looks at me and says ‘What are you thinking about?’” Yurcich said. “Well, football and Mississippi State. It just can’t get here soon enough for me.”

And if you think the nerves were high for an offensive coordinator coaching in his first Division I game against an SEC opponent in an NFL stadium, well you’re right.

“I’M ALWAYS NERVOUS — EVERY GAME I’VE EVER COACHED OR PLAYED IN, I’VE HAD THE BUTTERFLIES, AND THAT WILL REALLY BE NO DIFFERENT HERE,” YURCICH SAID. “It’s about winning, it’s about doing your best. When you prepare hard and lay it all on the line, YOU’RE GONNA HAVE A LITTLE ANXIETY THERE. But I think that’s good.”

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ORANGE NATION

Have you ever seen someone at the mall, grocery store or other public place wearing something so hideous that you expected the fashion police, complete with sirens wailing and lights flashing, to come screeching up any moment and take the obvious offender to style purgatory?

Several weeks ago, I attended an outof-state event that drew about 100 participants. A teenager wandered from group to group, dropping in on various conversations. I noticed several people snicker and point at the young man’s outfit of multi-hued green plaid shorts with a blue and yellow striped shirt. It screamed, “Take me off!” What parent would allow a child to walk out of the house dressed like that? Then I saw his father. Words can’t describe the trends this man was trying to set. I’m not sure if he was successful at trend-setting, but I’m quite certain he broke a lot of fashion rules. You may have seen this guy at one of your family functions this summer.

HAVE YOU NOTICED

WHAT IS IN VOGUE

RECENTLY? It’s orange! Seventh Avenue in New York is full of orange purses, slacks, tops, watches, hats, shirts, ties, accessories — a treasure trove of the color is taking

the tailored world by storm. THE NEXT TIME YOU ENTER YOUR FAVORITE STORE (ON FOOT OR ONLINE), LOOK AT ALL THE VARIATIONS OF THE TINT SO CLOSE TO OUR HEARTS.

A few years ago, we sat down with Nike, the corporate, brand and marketing icon, to discuss uniform color and variation for Oklahoma State University Athletics. A person begins to get a feel for how important Nike is in the world of sports when reviewing uniforms and fan apparel for so many major college athletic programs across the country. Fans respond in great numbers to watch their teams perform, and both are often wearing the appropriate color from Nike. Some research indicates athletes are drawn to institutions with the swoosh on their chest. THE BEST WANT TO WEAR THE BEST.

We wanted to promote the color orange in various ways, and we wanted to give OSU athletes options for game day. Various players were asked what was important to them in regard to their uniforms. One player’s answer was particularly striking: “We want it to be like when you get to go out on a Friday night. You open your closet and say, ‘What do I get to wear tonight?’ “

AS YOU KNOW, OKLAHOMA STATE HAS BEEN ONE OF THE MOST VERSATILE TEAMS IN THE COUNTRY OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS IN TERMS OF COLORFUL GEAR. Players and fans alike have loved it. Players have responded on

the field and the courts, and fans have responded at the cash register. You have purchased a record amount of orange merchandise. And that is good for everyone! The partnership with Nike, coupled with one of the most supportive fan bases in America, has been a recipe for success. ORANGE IS EVERYWHERE. Some teams have gone completely off the cliff in regard to their approach to team uniform design, while others have so stubbornly resisted change that their own players’ outcry for flexibility has fallen on deaf ears.

HOW MANY TIMES HAVE WE HEARD PEOPLE TALK ABOUT THE VISIBILITY AND UNIQUENESS OF OUR TEAM COLORS? I’ve noticed a great deal of people across the state and region proudly wearing them. So instead of calling the authorities on your uncle or any other fashion-offending party, just remember: EVERYONE LOOKS BETTER IN ORANGE!

GO POKES.

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Annual contributions to OSU Athletics totaling $150 or more qualify for membership. Benefits include the award-winning POSSE Magazine, POSSE star decal for your automobile, educational tax deduction and more. Stay connected to OSU Athletics ... Join our winning team today.

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