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Gundy tags Brandon Pettigrew as player who changed OSU football
From a talent standpoint, star players like Dez Bryant, Justin Blackmon, and Brandon Weeden altered the course of Oklahoma State football. However, head coach Mike Gundy lists another player as the primary tailor who altered OSU's football program during his tenure.
"The one player who changed this program was Brandon Pettigrew," Gundy says in an interview with the Tulsa World. "People know Dez (Bryant), (Justin) Blackmon, (Brandon) Weeden and Kendall (Hunter), but Pettigrew (was important) because of his temperament and attitude and willingness to work. He never said it, but he wanted to lead."
Gundy then recalls a particular practice in which the tight end, who played for OSU from 2005 to 2008 before becoming a first-round pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, asserted himself as a leader.
Sensing that the Cowboys were losing focus, Gundy estimates he made them run 37 150-yard sprints, which had some of the players "crying and puking."
Pettigrew approached Gundy afterwards, saying, "You'll never (bleeping) break me. I'm the toughest (bleep) out here," and passed on the message to his teammates, telling them, "He ain't breaking us."
"Two things happened," Gundy said. "The players never challenged our authority or (lost focus) in meetings ever again, and he established himself as the leader. He took this place to a different (level)."
(h/t Tulsa World)
Photo credit: Ronald Martinez/Getty Images
