Oklahoma State University Athletics
Photo by: OSU Athletics
Gundy, Cowboys Discuss Final Week of Spring Practice
April 23, 2024 | Cowboy Football
STILLWATER – Head coach Mike Gundy and several players met with the media on Tuesday to discuss the spring's conclusion with only two practices remaining. Here are some of their comments:
Head Coach Mike Gundy
On growth since the first spring practice:
"We're pretty mature on offense, so we started at a really high level and we haven't had to adjust much. Defensively, we've done a good job with different fronts. Obviously, we play a three-down but it's not any secret that we're playing some four-down with it. It's been a learning process even though we've played a lot of four-down in the past, doesn't mean you can just walk right into it. So, we've made some pretty good strides in that area."
On safety Parker Robertson:
"He obviously walked on. He's done a great job. Very football savvy, studies a lot of tape, hard worker, maximizes his body, been a great leader. He was special teams captain for us last year. It's a heck of an honor. We only name five guys a year, and he's brought a tremendous amount of our culture back to the table. Guys follow him because of what he stands for."
On what he values in a quarterback:
"Being productive. Be a winner, be successful in high school. At every position, we think you need to be productive at that level to be productive at this level. Not always, but most of the time projections don't really go far. So, a leader, a tough guy, be highly competitive and then you have to have a cerebral side of football now more so than ever to play at this level. Football has gotten very NFL-ish on offense and defense with different looks, different blitzes, different styles, different twists, different shifts, motions, unbalanced. All this different stuff, so much different than it was even four years ago. Got to be able to handle it all. It's a lot going on."
On potential strategy with the two-minute warning:
"We had that discussion this morning. There is some strategy involved in that, particularly in a two-minute (offense at the) end of the game or into the half. Basically, you get one more timeout… If you got behind by multiple scores with seven minutes to go in the game, it felt like (the clock) just never stopped. You were really in deep trouble because the clock just kept running. The other team gets two first downs, you look up, you got three minutes left in the game, it's over. If the clock would have stopped during those first downs, you would have probably four minutes."
Safety Parker Robertson
On being named special teams captain:
"It was an honor getting picked by the team to be a captain for them last year. It was just a surreal moment really. That's a once in a lifetime opportunity that you really don't have, so it felt great."
On the final week of spring practice:
"It does feel like week five. I mean, it feels like we're coming to the end, but we've got to keep pushing through. Everybody's bodies are tired. We got two more days left to practice, like four or five days left in the week. Finish strong and then we get a full month of rest… We're kind of changing up our defense a little bit. Suddenly, there's a lot of different bits and pieces that we have to learn, especially from last year coming in. Learning all the new guys and everything, and just making sure they're in the right place. It's just you've got to get all the bits and pieces together in the spring. That's what this time is used for."
Running Back/Wide Receiver Kyler Pearson
On making an impact:
"I can definitely tell there's been a mood switch on how people treat me. I'm obviously a small guy, a little bit undersized and I'm out there taking a beating, but I'm giving them a beating too. Definitely earned those defensive guys' respect, so it's awesome."
On his time as a walk-on:
"(Coach) Dunn called me and was like, 'Hey, if you want, come walk on here,' and I was like, 'Definitely I'd love to…' Love this place, love this culture. Love everybody, love the staff. Everybody welcomed me in with open arms. It's been a lot of fun."
Punter Hudson Kaak
On his move from Australia to Stillwater:
"It's been a really cool experience. Obviously, I've got to meet some really amazing people and I'm really happy that we made the decision to come here. A year and a bit in now, so I'm loving every minute of it."
On adjusting to college football:
"It's a weird thought to think that my first ever snap in football was in front of 50-60,000 people, everyone watching on TV and that sort of thing. It was kind of nerve-racking and thinking back to it, I don't think I realized the volume of people that were paying attention to it at the time. But everyone was super supportive of me and I was able to get some good reps in practice and stuff."
Kicker Logan Ward
On what's different this spring:
"I don't have any of the older guys anymore, so (I'm) kind of having to take on more of a leadership role. I like it, though. I like having guys under my wing. It makes me feel like a leader to them and hopefully somebody they can look up to."
On developments this spring:
"It's definitely been a good season for growth. I feel like I've developed and established myself pretty well. We've had tons of opportunities of pressure situations, like having to convert we're-down-three situations. It's been a good spring and I'm excited about where I've gone and what we've done as a unit."
Punter Wes Pahl
On kicker Logan Ward:
"He's one of the hardest workers I've ever been around, especially in the weight room. If you can't tell, he's really strong. In the weight room, he makes me look weak. On the field, he's always trying to find a way to get better… It's good watching him grow and get better as a kicker."
On what goes into punting for distance:
"It's all got to do with the drop, that contact off your foot and just using your body. It's just like a golf club. Sometimes, when you barely swing at it, you get that really clean contact. A lot of it is swinging smooth and letting your leg do the work. If you get it all dialed in, it'll pop off your foot just by barely swinging at it."
Head Coach Mike Gundy
On growth since the first spring practice:
"We're pretty mature on offense, so we started at a really high level and we haven't had to adjust much. Defensively, we've done a good job with different fronts. Obviously, we play a three-down but it's not any secret that we're playing some four-down with it. It's been a learning process even though we've played a lot of four-down in the past, doesn't mean you can just walk right into it. So, we've made some pretty good strides in that area."
On safety Parker Robertson:
"He obviously walked on. He's done a great job. Very football savvy, studies a lot of tape, hard worker, maximizes his body, been a great leader. He was special teams captain for us last year. It's a heck of an honor. We only name five guys a year, and he's brought a tremendous amount of our culture back to the table. Guys follow him because of what he stands for."
On what he values in a quarterback:
"Being productive. Be a winner, be successful in high school. At every position, we think you need to be productive at that level to be productive at this level. Not always, but most of the time projections don't really go far. So, a leader, a tough guy, be highly competitive and then you have to have a cerebral side of football now more so than ever to play at this level. Football has gotten very NFL-ish on offense and defense with different looks, different blitzes, different styles, different twists, different shifts, motions, unbalanced. All this different stuff, so much different than it was even four years ago. Got to be able to handle it all. It's a lot going on."
On potential strategy with the two-minute warning:
"We had that discussion this morning. There is some strategy involved in that, particularly in a two-minute (offense at the) end of the game or into the half. Basically, you get one more timeout… If you got behind by multiple scores with seven minutes to go in the game, it felt like (the clock) just never stopped. You were really in deep trouble because the clock just kept running. The other team gets two first downs, you look up, you got three minutes left in the game, it's over. If the clock would have stopped during those first downs, you would have probably four minutes."
Safety Parker Robertson
On being named special teams captain:
"It was an honor getting picked by the team to be a captain for them last year. It was just a surreal moment really. That's a once in a lifetime opportunity that you really don't have, so it felt great."
On the final week of spring practice:
"It does feel like week five. I mean, it feels like we're coming to the end, but we've got to keep pushing through. Everybody's bodies are tired. We got two more days left to practice, like four or five days left in the week. Finish strong and then we get a full month of rest… We're kind of changing up our defense a little bit. Suddenly, there's a lot of different bits and pieces that we have to learn, especially from last year coming in. Learning all the new guys and everything, and just making sure they're in the right place. It's just you've got to get all the bits and pieces together in the spring. That's what this time is used for."
Running Back/Wide Receiver Kyler Pearson
On making an impact:
"I can definitely tell there's been a mood switch on how people treat me. I'm obviously a small guy, a little bit undersized and I'm out there taking a beating, but I'm giving them a beating too. Definitely earned those defensive guys' respect, so it's awesome."
On his time as a walk-on:
"(Coach) Dunn called me and was like, 'Hey, if you want, come walk on here,' and I was like, 'Definitely I'd love to…' Love this place, love this culture. Love everybody, love the staff. Everybody welcomed me in with open arms. It's been a lot of fun."
Punter Hudson Kaak
On his move from Australia to Stillwater:
"It's been a really cool experience. Obviously, I've got to meet some really amazing people and I'm really happy that we made the decision to come here. A year and a bit in now, so I'm loving every minute of it."
On adjusting to college football:
"It's a weird thought to think that my first ever snap in football was in front of 50-60,000 people, everyone watching on TV and that sort of thing. It was kind of nerve-racking and thinking back to it, I don't think I realized the volume of people that were paying attention to it at the time. But everyone was super supportive of me and I was able to get some good reps in practice and stuff."
Kicker Logan Ward
On what's different this spring:
"I don't have any of the older guys anymore, so (I'm) kind of having to take on more of a leadership role. I like it, though. I like having guys under my wing. It makes me feel like a leader to them and hopefully somebody they can look up to."
On developments this spring:
"It's definitely been a good season for growth. I feel like I've developed and established myself pretty well. We've had tons of opportunities of pressure situations, like having to convert we're-down-three situations. It's been a good spring and I'm excited about where I've gone and what we've done as a unit."
Punter Wes Pahl
On kicker Logan Ward:
"He's one of the hardest workers I've ever been around, especially in the weight room. If you can't tell, he's really strong. In the weight room, he makes me look weak. On the field, he's always trying to find a way to get better… It's good watching him grow and get better as a kicker."
On what goes into punting for distance:
"It's all got to do with the drop, that contact off your foot and just using your body. It's just like a golf club. Sometimes, when you barely swing at it, you get that really clean contact. A lot of it is swinging smooth and letting your leg do the work. If you get it all dialed in, it'll pop off your foot just by barely swinging at it."
Players Mentioned
P
/ Cowboy Football
P
/ Cowboy Football
WR
/ Cowboy Football
S
/ Cowboy Football
K
/ Cowboy FootballFriday, June 05
Friday, May 29
Wednesday, May 27
Monday, May 18
