Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowboy Football Team Visits Dallas Hospital
December 29, 2009 | Cowboy Football
DALLAS, Texas - The Oklahoma State football team had a special opportunity Tuesday as they took time out before practice to visit the Texas Scottish Rite Hospital For Children.
Over 100 players, as well as the Cowboy coaching staff, visited patients, handing out T-shirts, hats, stickers and other souvenirs and signing countless autographs.
"Doing something like this really puts things in perspective," said OSU linebacker Andre Sexton. "It makes everything that we do that we think is really hard seem not that hard. It just humbles you and lets you know that every morning that you get to wake up is a gift from God. This is a chance to give back to these kids and bring a little joy in their lives. It's the best thing we can do.
"It makes practice go by a little easier. If things get rough at practice, you just think about how rough these little kids have it and then nothing really seems that hard at all anymore. We've been fortunate and blessed with this opportunity to play college football, and this is really a humbling experience."
Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children is a world leader in the treatment of pediatric orthopedic conditions. Established in 1921, all services are provided without charge to patient families.
Among the donors to the hospital is Oklahoma State alumnus T. Boone Pickens, who recently donated money to build the hospital's T. Boone Pickens Training and Conference Center. Pickens was in attendance for Tuesday's festivities and addressed the Cowboy players.
"I support a lot of organizations but two, of course on top is Oklahoma State and also Scottish Rite Hospital," Pickens said. "This is a big day for us at Oklahoma State and also a big day at Scottish Rite. I know you know what you're doing on the football field, and I know you know what you're doing coming over here because this helps the kids at Scottish Rite. They're impressed with you. You're all big, powerful guys. Know that these kids watch you. They pay attention to what you say, they see how you react. Don't ever forget that because you are the ones that influence young kids."
OSU head coach Mike Gundy was presented with a special drawing done by one of the hospital patients.
"In the last day or so, I read up a little bit on Scottish Rite and was somewhat amazed that there's an institution that's treated 190,000 young children and has approximately 40,000 clinical visits a year and does it for free," Gundy said. "Being a father of three young children knowing that you want what's best for your child no matter what, you always want to be able to help them. At some point financially, you may not be able to. But to have an awesome hospital like this that is gonna do whatever is possible to make a young child's life better, I don't think it gets any better than this.
"We talk a lot about life skills as a football team. These guys develop themselves and put themselves in a position to lay it all on the line to help other people, and that's what matters. It's an honor for us to be involved with such a great cause.
"Our message to the young people is to continue to fight and never give up, and you will at some point in time make somebody else's life better."
One special highlight from the visit was Cowboy offensive lineman Noah Franklin receiving a haircut from teammate Andrew Mitchell. Franklin is donating his hair to Locks of Love, an organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children who have lost their hair due to medical conditions or treatments.
"It's something I've done since my sophomore year of high school," Franklin said. "Coach (Mack) Butler approached me with the idea, and I figured it would be something fun to do here and an opportunity to get word of the Locks of Love organization out there."
