Celebrating Cowboy Football Graduates

STILLWATER – In 2016, the Oklahoma State football team won 10 games, capped by a thunderous 38-8 win over No. 10 Colorado in the Valero Alamo Bowl. By the end of this weekend, 25 members of that team will have graduated, either by earning their degree in 2016 or by earning their degree in May of 2017, and that total does not count Barry J. Sanders, who graduated from Stanford and Lenzy Pipkins, who graduated from Louisiana Monroe before enrolling at OSU as graduate transfers.

Including this year's group, more than 265 football players have earned their degree since Mike Gundy took over as head coach in 2005.

The graduates from last year's team:

December, 2016 Graduates
Devante Averette – University studies/education (actually graduated in May of 2016)
Jordan Burton – University studies/education
Austin Hays - Marketing
Victor Irokansi – Secondary education/social studies
Blake Jarwin - Management
Ashton Lampkin – University studies/business administration
Keegan Metcalf – University studies/education
Derrick Moncrief – University studies/education
Grant Newell – University studies/education
Kaleb Smith – University studies/business administration
Zac Veatch - Management
Chad Whitener – Management

May 2017 Graduates
Chris Carson – University studies/education
Rennie Childs – University studies/business
Trace Clark – Mechanical engineering
Eric Davis – University studies/educational psychology
Melvin Gilliam - Management
Jack Kurzu –Marketing
Vili Leveni – Management
Paul Lewis – University studies/agricultural sciences
Matthew Mucha - Management
Brandon Pertile – Political science and economics (two degrees)
Victor Salako - Sociology
Vincent Taylor – University studies/education
Michael A. Wilson – Sociology

In addition to graduating a high volume of players, it should be noted that the last two Oklahoma State football teams that played in the 2016 Sugar Bowl and the 2016 Alamo Bowl produced a combined total of 41 Academic All-Big 12 performers – a program-record 22 in 2015 and 19 in 2016.

Additionally, the Cowboy football program's 2015-16 rate of 974 and its multi-year rate of 953 both represent the highest it has achieved since the APR was implemented in 2003. This year's multi-year rate was an improvement over the previous year for the fourth consecutive year.

More academic notes from Oklahoma State football during Mike Gundy's tenure as Oklahoma State head coach:

Three Cowboy football players have been honored as Outstanding Seniors of Significance by the OSU Alumni Association (top one percent of their graduating class) - Darnell Smith in 2006, B.J. O'Connor in 2007 and Seb Clements in 2008.
In 2017, Brad Lundblade was selected to serve a three-year tenure as a Big 12 representative for the Division I autonomy governance.
Since the National Football Foundation created the Hampshire Honor Society in 2007 to recognize college football players with a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or better for the duration of their collegiate career, nine Cowboys have earned that recognition, with four being honored in 2014 (Clint Chelf, Caleb Lavey, Charlie Moore and Connor Sinko).
A pair of Cowboy football players have earned the Big 12 Dr. Gerald Lage Academic Achievement Award (minimum of 100 hours of class credit with a cumulative grade point average of 3.80 at the time of the nomination) – Jared Glover in 2011 and Ryan Lester in 2015.
In 2007, Darnell Smith earned a Big 12 postgraduate scholarship. Anthony Hill secured that same scholarship in 2011.
Three times since 2005 has a football player been honored as OSU's Male Student-Athlete of the Year. In 2007, it was Darnell Smith. In 2011, it was Brandon Weeden and in 2013, it was Clint Chelf.
In 2006, Darnell Smith earned CoSIDA Academic All-America recognition. Caleb Lavey secured CoSIDA Academic All-America accolades in 2013 and Brad Lundblade was a 2016 selection.
Since 2005, 148 players have earned Academic All-Big 12 recognition, including a school-record 22 honorees in 2015 and 19 in 2016.
In 2006, Donovan Woods was chosen to represent Oklahoma State at the NCAA Foundation Leadership Conference. In 2011, Richetti Jones participated at the NCAA Regional Leadership Conference.
Since 2005, the OSU football team has produced 33 Arthur Ashe Sports Scholars, an award which honors student-athletes of color with a grade point average of 3.2 or higher, including six Arthur Ashe scholars in 2016.
OSU has had three winners of the Chick-Fil-A Community of Champions Award – Darnell Smith in 2006, Andrew Lewis in 2009 and Brandon Weeden in 2011. The award honors student-athletes with a minimum 3.0 grade point average who are also active in helping their community and in leadership/sportsmanship.
Five Gundy-era players earned national recognition for significantly improving their grade point average, as Demarcus Conner (2007), Jeremy Smith (2012), Desmond Roland (2015) Marcell Ateman (2016) and Vincent Taylor (2017) were all presented with the National Academic Momentum award.

Oklahoma State University Athletics

Players Mentioned

Devante Averette

Jordan Burton

Chris Carson

Rennie Childs

Eric Davis

Melvin Gilliam

Austin Hays

Blake Jarwin

Ashton Lampkin

Vili Leveni

Paul Lewis

Brad Lundblade

Keegan Metcalf

Derrick Moncrief

Matthew Mucha

Grant Newell

Brandon Pertile

Lenzy Pipkins

Victor Salako

Barry J. Sanders

Kaleb Smith

Vincent Taylor

Zac Veatch

Chad Whitener

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