Oklahoma State University Athletics
Native Texans Instrumental in Cowboy Uprising
November 08, 2014 | Cowboy Football
STILLWATER - Ask the players on the roster why they chose to play football at Oklahoma State and you'll find that the most popular answer is some version of "it feels like home."
For those who have been around Stillwater and the Oklahoma State campus, that sentiment comes as no surprise. The town and the University are as welcoming as it gets. But for a high schooler crossing state lines from Texas to attend OSU - that kind of security and feeling of home matters.
Mike Gundy and the OSU coaching staff have long made recruiting in Texas a high priority. For several years running, Oklahoma State has had more native Texans on its roster than any school in America outside of the Lone Star State. OSU's 2014 roster includes 69 native Texans. Of course, it helps that Iocated less than four hours from Stillwater, the DFW area may as well count as in-state territory for the Cowboys.
Why the strong pipeline from Texas to Oklahoma State? Several factors are in play. Among the most notable are the following:
• Oklahoma State's system, style of play and general blue-collar mindset meshes well with what is prominent in Texas high schools. Again, "it feels like home."
• In addition to its annual Big 12 slate, Oklahoma State brings its product into the Lone Star State by playing non-conference games in Texas. The Cowboys played Mississippi State in Houston, UTSA in San Antonio and Missouri in Arlington last season and played Florida State in Arlington this year.
• The sheer size of Texas makes it so that the drive time from Dallas to Stillwater is about the same as it is from Dallas to Austin and considerably less than the drive time from Dallas to Lubbock.
• I-35 connects Dallas to Stillwater, so going back and forth between the two is a convenient, one-step trip.
• Playing in the Big 12, every Oklahoma State game is televised in the DFW area.
Interestingly, the pipeline works the other way as well. A glimpse at the 2014 Dallas Cowboys roster shows five players from Oklahoma State - Pro Bowl receiver Dez Bryant, the most accurate kicker in NFL history, Dan Bailey, quarterback Brandon Weeden, running back Joseph Randle and cornerback Tyler Patmon. No team in the NFL has more players from the same school on its 53-man active roster than the Dallas Cowboys have from Oklahoma State.
In addition to those current members of the Dallas Cowboys, several other high-profile native Texans chose to attend Oklahoma State. A sampling:
Dez Bryant - Dallas Cowboys Pro Bowl receiver (Lufkin, TX)
Russell Okung - Seattle Seahawks first-round pick, 2013 Pro Bowler (Houston, TX)
Brandon Pettigrew - Detroit Lions first-round pick (Tyler, TX)
Quinn Sharp - Three-time All-American kicker/punter (Mansfield, TX)
Kendall Hunter - San Francisco 49ers running back and two-time All-American (Tyler, TX)
Perrish Cox - San Francisco 49ers cornerback and two-time All-American (Waco, TX)
Markelle Martin - Tennessee Titans safety and 2011 All-American (Wichita Falls, TX)
Grant Garner - 2011 All-America center (Mesquite, TX)
Justin Gilbert - Cleveland Browns cornerback, 2013 All-American and NFL first -round pick (Huntsville, TX)
Perhaps one of the byproducts of having so many native Texans on the roster is success against schools from Texas - something the Cowboys have enjoyed a great deal of in recent years. Oklahoma State is 22-4 in its last 26 games against teams from the state of Texas, dating back to 2009 and has won eight of its last nine matchups against Texas-based schools.
Since 2010, here is Mike Gundy's record against the top schools from Texas:
vs. Texas: 3-1
vs. Texas A&M: 2-0
vs. Baylor: 3-1
vs. TCU: 2-1
vs. Texas Tech: 3-0
Native Texans have played a significant role in many of those victories and in countless others during the Mike Gundy era at Oklahoma State.
Why?
Perhaps it's because players are comfortable at Oklahoma State.
Perhaps because it feels like home.
