Oklahoma State star running back Ollie Gordon II will not miss any playing time, head coach Mike Gundy said at Big 12 media day Tuesday in Las Vegas.
Gordon, who is now “less tied down,” also hung out with Gundy and the Cowboys delegation in Las Vegas this week, which was part of his punishment. Because of the way college football works now, with Gordon and others being “essentially employees,” Gundy felt that was the right decision.
“Your punishment will be to face the facts,” Gundy told Gordon. “That’s why we brought him here today… I said to him: ‘You’re not going to hide. You’re going to face the music, you’re going to have to stand up and talk to people and answer questions. And hopefully, more than football, you’ll be able to learn from the situation you’ve found yourself in.’ Because if not, then we’ve got a real problem.”
Gordon was pulled over south of Oklahoma City for driving under the influence while under 21, transporting an open container of alcohol, failure to maintain a single lane of traffic and speeding. He was pulled over south of Oklahoma City after he was seen swerving and speeding on Interstate 35, and the officer said he later found two open bottles of liquor in the vehicle. Gordon, after reportedly refusing to take a field sobriety test multiple times, tested .11 and .10 at the Cleveland County Jail.
Gordon apologized in a statement on social media Monday. While he did not go into details about his arrest in Las Vegas, he said he has a meeting with Gundy about his punishment when they return to Stillwater, and said he will support “whatever he decides.”
“He’s going to play,” Gundy said. “I’m going to do what I think is best for Oklahoma State football. And I think what’s best for Ollie is to play. If there’s any punishment, it’s going to be forcing him to carry the ball 50 times in the first game.”
Gordon had 1,732 rushing yards (most in the FBS) and 22 total touchdowns last season in his breakout campaign with the Cowboys. He led the team to a 10-4 record and the Big 12 championship game while earning Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year honors. He also won the Doak Walker Award, given to the nation’s top running back each season, and finished seventh in Heisman Trophy voting.
The Cowboys will open their season against South Dakota State on August 31.