Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy clarifies viral comments about RB Ollie Gordon II

Oklahoma State Cowboys

Published Jul. 9, 2024 10:15 p.m. ET

Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy said Tuesday that NCAA rushing champion Ollie Gordon II will not miss any games because of his recent arrest for suspicion of driving under the influence, then later had to clarify what he meant when discussing his decision.

Gundy told reporters at Big 12 football media days that he made decisions based on what he thought was best for Oklahoma State, the football team and Gordon.

When talking with ESPNU after his remarks on the main podium, Gundy said drinking two, three or four beers could put someone around the legal limit.

“I’m not justifying what Ollie did,” he said during the network segment, adding that no one got hurt. “I thought, I’ve probably done that a thousand times in my life and, you know, which is fine, so I got lucky. People get lucky. Ollie made a decision that he wishes he could have done better.”

The coach later in a post on his X account, formerly Twitter, tried to clarify what he meant by that.

The 20-year-old Gordon was arrested June 30 after a state trooper in Cleveland County, Oklahoma, reported seeing a black 2024 Cadillac swerving on an interstate highway. The vehicle was clocked at 82 miles per hour in a 65 mph zone, according to a probable cause affidavit.

After pulling the vehicle over, the trooper smelled alcohol and found half-full bottles of vodka and tequila inside of it, according to the affidavit. Gordon was arrested and registered breath alcohol content levels of 0.11 and 0.10 at the Cleveland County jail.

Online records show that Gordon was charged with driving under the influence by a person under 21 and transporting an open container of an alcoholic beverage.

Gordon, voted by media as the league’s preseason offensive player of the year, attended media days as scheduled after being asked by his coach if he still wanted to be there. That came a day after the running back posted a public apology on social media.

“You know, just showing maturity being here and being able to face everything that’s going on instead of ducking and running,” Gordon told reporters Tuesday. “I felt like it would have been disrespectful to leave my teammates and my coach up here and have them answer the questions when I can be here to answer them. I just felt like I would have left them in the dust if I just wouldn’t have shown up at all.”

Gundy said at the main podium that he met with Gordon multiple times over the past week, including an hour-long conversation Monday.

“It was the first time that he smiled,” Gundy said. “I think that it affected him like it would most people.”

Gordon ran for 1,732 yards and 21 touchdowns last season, when was named to the AP All-America team and won the Doak Walker Award as the nation’s best running back.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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