Oklahoma State University Athletics
Three OSU Walk-Ons Rewarded With Scholarships
August 26, 2011 | Cowboy Football
Aug. 26, 2011
STILLWATER, Okla. - You may not be able to purchase a football jersey with their number on it at the local retail stores, but the non-scholarship walk-on players at Oklahoma State are difference-makers within the program.
During fall camp, head coach Mike Gundy and his staff rewarded three of those difference-makers - receiver Colton Chelf, offensive lineman Casey LaBrue and safety Kyle Hale - by putting them on scholarship.
"Young men that walk on to our program and work extremely hard will have an opportunity to earn a scholarship when we have any money left over that we can give to them," Gundy said. "We certainly want to do it because they are what college football is all about. Guys that love to play the game and they start out doing it for free - I think it's a show of the direction we're going and what we stand for, which is trying to do the right thing."
Gundy talked about how walk-ons contribute to an Oklahoma State program that now finds itself eye-to-eye with the top teams in the nation.
"We have 130 players. 85 are on scholarship, so we have 45 that are not. Certainly, that's a large portion of our roster," Gundy said. "The walk-ons help us prepare for games, they eventually work their way into being on special teams and contributing somewhere on the depth chart."
There are obvious financial advantages that go with being put on scholarship, but as is often the case, it's not just about the money.
"I feel blessed to be on scholarship and see that hard work finally pays off," Hale said. "Being able to make my parents proud is a big thing and especially with my granddad just passing away, there's a sense of doing it for him as well. It means a lot to me."
He went on to sum up the feelings that countless walk-ons at Oklahoma State and around the country have.
"I was never really in it just for the scholarship. I'm in it because I love playing the game, it's fun and I love the team," Hale said. "That's what makes me come out here every day and try to get better and help the team get better."
A multi-sport athlete coming out of Broken Arrow HS, Hale came to Stillwater with little fanfare. He has faithfully served on the scout team and toiled in the considerable shadows of All-America teammates. His most visible contribution to the team on gameday has come on special teams as part of the Cowboys' kick coverage unit. He is coached both as a safety and as a special-teamer by Joe DeForest, who originally broke the news to Hale that he earned a scholarship.
"It was right before one of our morning practices," Hale said. "We were going into meetings and Coach DeForest came and pulled me over to the side. He said that they were going to go ahead and put me on scholarship. He said I've worked hard and produced, and the coaches think I deserve to be put on scholarship. I was tired and sore that morning, but that really changed everything for me and made practice a lot easier for me."
Ask DeForest about Hale and you get the feeling he could go on for hours.
"Kyle Hale does everything right and I wish we had 100 guys just like him," DeForest said. "There isn't a more deserving guy out there."
After getting the news of his scholarship and then practicing that morning, Hale got on the phone.
"I called my mom and she started crying and saying that I have worked so hard and I deserve it. She said my granddad would be so proud of me if he was here. That really made me feel good to know that they were probably even more excited about it than I was," Hale said. "It was a great feeling to know that I can make them that proud."
For both Chelf and LaBrue, earning a scholarship was always part of their motivation. Teammates at Enid HS, both started their collegiate careers elsewhere, then transferred to Oklahoma State. Chelf initially attended NEO A&M JC, where he was the team's leading receiver in 2008 and LaBrue redshirted at Missouri State in 2007 before coming to OSU.
Chelf made a name for himself as a legitimate contributor to the dynamic Cowboy offense of 2010, making 11 catches for 200 yards, highlighted by a 62-yard touchdown reception against a ranked Baylor team. He continued to make his mark in spring ball and now into the fall.
"Colton is a quiet guy, but he's a great teammate," fellow receiver Isaiah Anderson said. "He's very competitive and just loves to play football. He gives us depth because he knows just about every wide receiver position we have. If anyone goes down, Colton can step up and fill the gap well."
Chelf said when he first arrived at OSU, then-receivers coach Gunter Brewer had him fill out a goals sheet and the first thing he wrote was that he wanted to earn a scholarship while he was playing.
With that goal now accomplished, Chelf talked about the perks of being a scholarship player at Oklahoma State.
"Eating at our training table is the best and I appreciate it so much," Chelf said, beaming. "I don't have to go out every night and spend my money or make food at the house. Money-wise, that helps everything because that's a huge chunk that I don't have to spend anymore. That helps me out a lot for this last semester that I'm here."
Similar to Hale, Chelf also got on the phone to talk to his parents after getting the news of being put on scholarship.
"The first people I called were my mom and dad. They were real excited because they knew I've been trying to get this for a long time," Chelf said. "It's so gratifying for all of us."
LaBrue is now in his fourth year on the Oklahoma State offensive line and is listed as the second-team center on the depth chart - no small feat when you consider that the Cowboy offensive line is stocked with so much talent that it's widely considered as one of the best in the college game.
Still, he has pushed around opposing defensive players from Washington State, Tulsa, Baylor, Kansas and Arizona. Putting on a Cowboy uniform and playing on the big stage is part of what drives him.
"I went to Missouri State coming out of high school and it just wasn't for me. I wanted something bigger and better and I figured if I was going to do it, I might as well try and play at a big-time program like Oklahoma State," LaBrue said.
And sure enough, he has accomplished just that by coming to OSU, where he is mentored by one of the nation's most well-regarded offensive line coaches in Joe Wickline.
"Casey wasn't highly recruited coming out of high school, but he is proof that it isn't all about five stars or four stars or any of that other junk," Wickline said. "It's about who's the toughest and who plays the hardest and makes the most of his opportunities."
Not only does LaBrue now have the satisfaction of knowing he belongs at this level as a scholarship player, but he is able to share that satisfaction with those close to him.
"I called my mom and dad, then my girlfriend when I found out I was put on scholarship," LaBrue said. "They reacted like `Oh my gosh Casey, we're so proud of you.' It just worked out and my mom was really happy."
LaBrue went on to talk about his path from walk-on to scholarship player and how others can accomplish the same goal.
"Just stay the course. Do everything that Coach Glass, your position coach and Coach Gundy ask of you and stay smart. Don't make bad decisions around here. Be a team player and good things will happen for you," he said.
Gundy echoed a similar statement when talking about Hale, Chelf and LaBrue going from walk-ons to scholarship players and how that can be a motivator for others with that same goal.
"It will certainly make the other walk-ons work harder," Gundy said. "It's a big deal to be able to call home and tell mom and dad that your school is paid for. You may not realize it at first, but if you come to Oklahoma State and you work hard and do things the right way, you'll have an opportunity to earn a scholarship.
"It gives me great joy to be able to do this for those guys," Gundy said. "They earned it and I'm just the one that's lucky enough to be able to tell them that they get their school paid for and see the smile on their face,"
Still, Chelf said earning a scholarship can't be the end goal, and he provided a glimpse into the mindset that got him to the where he is now.
"I've got to work even harder now and prove that they made a good decision by putting me on scholarship," Chelf said.
