Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowboy Comfortable With Role
November 01, 2002 | Cowboy Football
Nov. 1, 2002
by Chris Matthews, OSU Media Relations
Four years ago Oklahoma State's football program landed one of the top prospects in the nation. Chris Massey got a letter in the mail from just about every football playing school in the country.
Massey narrowed one of the toughest decisions he has ever had to make between Oklahoma State, Oklahoma and Arkansas. The Cowboys won the best recruiting fight they have ever fought.
One of the main reasons Massey decided on Oklahoma State was to help right the ship and to get the program turned around. There have not been any bowl appearances in his three and a half years with the team, but he is one of the reasons the Cowboys are headed in that direction.
"Knowing the players that were going here and wanting to be apart of something new helped me make my decision," Massey said. "I wanted to help turn this program around and I think we have slowly. We are still turning this program around."
The strong safety from Spiro, Okla., drew a lot of comparisons when he first set foot on Oklahoma State's campus. He was thought of as a replacement for R.W. McQuarters. He was going to play both sides of the ball. Massey has since found his role on the team and has made a name for himself in what he does best, returning kicks and lowering the boom on opposing wide receivers in OSU's secondary.
"I am in a situation now where I am playing strong safety or weak safety and returning kicks," Massey said. "I am happy with where I am at right now. It was frustrating my first couple of years because that was something I wanted to do. I have been here for awhile now and I have gotten smarter. I understand my role and how I fit in on this team."
Massey garnered All-America honors a year ago by leading the nation in kick returns with a 34.8 average. He set a school record in 2001 against Texas Tech with 208 kickoff return yards.
"One of my goals is to lead the nation in kick returns again," Massey said. "I just need to break a long one and get my average back up and turn the attention back on me again."
Opposing offenses have felt Massey's presence in the secondary. He leads the team with 34 solo tackles thus far, second on the team with 44 total tackles and he is third on the team in pass breakups. Massey's presence can be seen more in areas that do not show up in the box score. Nobody knows for sure how many passes have been dropped because of a hit he delivered earlier in the game.
"The safety position is a position that needs to be an athletic, linebacker type kid," secondary coach Doug Mallory said. "They have to be able to hit and they have to be able to cover. Chris (Massey) is unique that he is able to do both. He is a big physical kid and he adds another dimension back there when he comes up to strike people and lay some hits on them. It certainly helps our defense."
"Chris does a great job from a leadership standpoint. He has been a four-year player here and just his maturity and leadership back there has been a tremendous assett."
