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![]() It’s hard to imagine John Smith will never put together another lineup for Cowboy Wrestling. Smith retired after leading Oklahoma State for 33 seasons. During his tenure, Smith coached 153 All-Americans, 33 individual NCAA champions and two Dan Hodge Trophy winners. Since those numbers will no longer be added to, I thought it was a perfect time to create an all-time lineup from the John Smith era. Here’s how it worked: I filled out a lineup just like a coach would for a dual using 10 of the greatest wrestlers to compete under Smith. However, weight classes have fluctuated since Smith started his three-plus decade coaching career, so I used modern-day weight classes and used the weight that was closest to where that wrestler found the most success. Below is the full lineup, followed by an explanation of why I chose who for each weight. 125: Eric Guerrero 125: Eric GuerreroGuerrero would be the first to step on the mat for this lineup in a dual, and, boy, what a start. Speaking of duals, Guerrero has the fourth-most dual wins in OSU history with 69. Overall, he was 117–13 in his career as a four-time All-American. He placed fifth as a freshman before finishing his career with three NCAA titles in a row. Guerrero was dominant during that stint, too, with 74 bonus-point wins (10th-best all-time), 28 of which were technical falls (second-most all-time). In this theoretical dual, it’s almost a lock the Pokes would start this thing with more than three points. 133: Johnny ThompsonThe recency bias urged me to put Daton Fix here, but at the end of the day, Thompson won a pair of NCAA titles while losing only once in the finals. Thompson was a four-time All-American, reaching the NCAA finals every season but his last, during which he placed third. He’s tied in eighth for most wins OSU history with 125. Thompson was also responsible for the fourth-most dual points in a season with 102, which was the second-best during the Smith era. 141: Dean HeilThere tends to be a knock on Heil for not being as dominant as these other Cowboy wrestling greats, but the dude won a lot. And more than anyone else at this weight. Heil struggled at first as a 133-pounder, but then Smith once told me of Heil, “That’s the difference in an extra sandwich.” Heil emerged as an All-American after bumping up and placing fourth at NCAAs. He then won back-to-back NCAA titles in 2016 and 2017. He did fail to reach All-American status as a senior but ran into a young Yianni Diakomihalis in the quarterfinals and suffered from the NCAA adding the neutral danger zone. Heil ultimately finished his career with 116 wins, 55 of which came in a row to tie for the eighth-longest winning streak in OSU history. 149: Jordan OliverIt’s a bold statement, but Oliver is one of the most dominant wrestlers in Cowboy history, regardless of era. He was a four-time All-American with three NCAA finals appearances and a pair of national titles, but how he accomplished that was most impressive. He’s tied for fifth in OSU history with 127 wins. Of those 127 wins, 98 earned bonus points. Only Smith has more bonus-point wins than Oliver in OSU history. No one, though, that’s worn an orange singlet has more falls than Oliver, who pinned 54 opponents during his career. He pinned 42.5% of the opponents he wrestled. And his 77.2 bonus-point win percentage is best in OSU history. He also accounted for more dual points than anyone else under Smith with 334. 157: Pat SmithIt’s hard to imagine John Smith wasn’t even the best college wrestler from his family. Pat Smith isn’t just the best athlete from the John era after wrestling for his older brother, but he’s one of the greatest college wrestlers of all-time. The only argument here would be that Pat didn’t start his career wrestling for John, as John was hired toward the end of Pat’s career. Regardless, Pat was the only wrestler under John to win four individual NCAA titles and the first to accomplish that feat ever. He was 121-5 in his career with a 98-match winning streak, which is still the longest in OSU history. 165: Alex DieringerCowboys who wrestled at 165 for Smith could make their own lineup by themselves and win a natty. This weight was loaded with other names like Mark Branch and Johny Hendricks, but Dieringer is in another tier as a three-time NCAA champion. He was a four-time All-American and four-time Big 12 champion. He had a 133-4 career record, going undefeated during his last two seasons while stringing together 82 straight wins, which is the second-longest winning streak from the Smith era. His 133 wins are also the second-most in OSU history, behind only John Smith. At 97.08%, he also has the best wining percentage from the Smith era and fourth all-time. Most impressively, of all those greats to wrestle for Smith, Dieringer was one of only two to win the Dan Hodge Trophy. 174: Chris PerryThis was the biggest toss-up in the lineup and nearly came down to a tie between Perry and Chris Pendleton. I struggled with this one so much that I took it to the PFB editors Slack, the Chamber and even my wife. Both were three-time All-Americans who placed third before finishing their careers with back-to-back NCAA titles. It ultimately came down to career records. Pendleton was 118-12, while Perry just edged him at 122-11. Pendleton was on better teams, but this was based solely on individual success and stats to make the best lineup. 184: Daniel CormierNo disrespect to DC, but this was the thinnest weight from the Smith era. In fact, Cormier is the only wrestler in this lineup without a national title. However, he did finish second in both of his only two seasons at OSU, and he unfortunately shared a weight at the same time with probably the greatest college wrestler ever, Cael Sanderson. Cormier lost only 10 matches as a Cowboy and six were to Sanderson, who also wrestled in the same conference at Iowa State. Sanderson was a four-time NCAA champion and never, never lost a match while in college. Had Cormier been at a different weight or time, I truly believe he’d have a pair of NCAA titles to go along with his two NJCAA championships. 197: Jake RosholtRosholt showed up when it mattered most, becoming a four-time All-American and three-time NCAA champion. He placed third as a sophomore. Rosholt was 105–20 in his career. He also won a team title every season of his career as the Cowboys won four in a row between 2003-06. 285: Steve MoccoMocco made the absolute most of only two seasons in the Cowboy wrestling room after transferring from Iowa and before using his final year of college eligibility to play on the Cowboy football team. In his first season in Stillwater, Mocco won an NCAA title while going 36-0 and became the first wrestler under Smith to win the Dan Hodge Trophy. Mocco then lost in the finals as a junior and in his final season of college wrestling. He was 137–6 in his college career, and had all those wins been in Stillwater, he’d be second in OSU history for wins. He most likely would have past John Smith’s 152 wins if he wrestled his senior season. ![]() Read this original article at Pistols Firing Blog.
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![]() Daniel Cormier will be part of another Hall of Fame. A Lafayette, Louisiana native, Cormier this weekend will be inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame. He is also already a member of the UFC Hall of Fame, National Junior College Athletic Association Hall of Fame and Louisiana High School Sports Hall of Fame. Cormier made his mark early in the Louisiana sports world, even before getting to Oklahoma State. He was a three-time state champion for Northside High School, then went to Colby Community College, where he won a pair of NJCAA titles and was 61-0. Once at OSU, Cormier immediately cracked the starting lineup at 184 pounds in 2000 and 2001. He was 52-10 as a Cowboy, qualifying for the NCAA Wrestling Championships both seasons. Cormier was an NCAA runner-up in 2001, losing to Cael Sanderson in the finals. He also lost to Sanderson twice in the Big 12 finals. Of Cormier’s 10 collegiate losses, six were to Sanderson. Cormier achieved most of his success after leaving Stillwater, first on the international wrestling circuit. He qualified for the Olympics as a member of Team USA in 2004 and 2008, placing fourth at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games. Cormier didn’t get to compete in 2008 after having to drop out of the tournament because of illness. He also earned a bronze medal at 96 kilograms at the World Championships in 2007. Cormier started his mixed martial arts career in 2009 with Strikeforce, becoming the King of the Cage heavyweight champion and winning the 2012 Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix. He then joined the UFC and became the second fighter in UFC history to hold belts in two weight divisions at the same time as the champion at light heavyweight and heavyweight. He was the first to have title defenses in two divisions. Cormier was 22-3 in his MMA career. The 2024 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Class features eight other inductees, including former New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees. ![]() Read this original article at Pistols Firing Blog.
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![]() The greatest running back of all time is on the mends after a health scare over Father’s Day weekend. Barry Sanders on Friday announced he had a heart-related health scare over the weekend. He used his platform to bring awareness to people staying on top of their health while also thanking the healthcare professionals who helped him out in an X post.
Sanders wrote: “To all of my supporters, “Over Father’s Day weekend, I experienced a health scare related to my heart. It was unexpected and served as a reminder of the importance of staying vigilant about our physical well-being, even when we are feeling fine. “I am grateful for the amazing doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals for providing me with needed care. My family and I are thankful for your prayers and support during this time. “Per my doctors’ recommendation, I am taking this opportunity to prioritize my health and well-being. I appreciate your understanding and continued support.” Sanders won the Heisman Trophy at Oklahoma State for the 1988 season — one of the most impressive seasons for an athlete regardless of sport. He ran for 2,850 yards and 42 touchdowns that year — by far the most in program history in both categories. OSU running backs have ran for 300 yards in five games, with four of those instances coming from Sanders in that 1988 season. Despite being the starter for only one year after serving as Thurman Thomas’ backup, Sanders ranks fifth in program history in career rushing with 3,797 yards. He is the program’s all-time leader in rushing touchdowns with 53. The Detroit Lions took Sanders third in the 1989 NFL Draft. He spent 10 seasons in the NFL and ran for 15,269 yards and 99 touchdowns. That yardage total is good for fourth in the history of the league behind only Emmitt Smith, Walter Payton and Frank Gore. Sanders’ 99.8 rushing yards a game ranks second in NFL history behind only Jim Brown. Sanders was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2003 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2004. ![]() Read this original article at Pistols Firing Blog. ![]() The Big 12 on Friday announced Oklahoma State’s nominees for Big 12 Athlete of the Year: Ollie Gordon and Lexi Kilfoyl. Gordon was a star on the football field this past year while Kilfoyl shined on the softball diamond. Gordon became the first Cowboy to ever win the Doak Walker Award, given to the best running back in the country. He was also an unanimous All-American and has already received some hardware from the conference as the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year. Gordon led the nation with 1,732 rushing yards, as well as yards from scrimmage (2,062), 100-yard games (nine) and carries of at least 20 yards (21). He was second in the country with 21 rushing touchdowns. Kilfoyl has also already received national and conference accolades as the Big 12 Pitcher of the Year and one of three finalists for USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year. She was also a consensus First Team All-American by NFCA, Softball America and D1Softball. Kilfoyl finished her senior season with a 1.20 ERA, which was the best in the Big 12. She also had a conference-leading 26 wins in the circle. Friday was a big day for Kilfoyl, who also signed with Athletes Unlimited Pro Softball for the 2024 Championship season in Rosemont, Illinois. Kilfoyl concluded her college career with a 1.70 ERA and 70-21 record after starting her career at Alabama before transferring to OSU. Although Kilfoyl’s days of competing in Stillwater are over, Gordon will return for his junior campaign this upcoming season. Gordon has already been named a preseason First Team All-American by Phil Steele early into preseason award season. Fouad Messaoudi and Maddison Hinson-Tolchard were OSU’s nominees last year for Big 12 Athlete of the Year. Here’s the list of all of this year’s nominees announced so far. Baylor – Johnny Keefer and Alexis Brown The rest of the nominees will continued to be announced, as they’ve been released in alphabetical order by school since Monday. All 14 institutions that competed in the Big 12 during 2023-24 are eligible, including Oklahoma and Texas, which will join the SEC on July 1. Each institution nominated one male and one female athlete that competed in a league-sponsored sport and were in good academic standing. The winners of the award will be announced Wednesday. ![]() Read this original article at Pistols Firing Blog. ![]() When reminiscing about being a two-sport athlete at the Division-I level, Gabe Simpson is still more frustrated he never got a bullpen to play a third sport. Simpson was a member of Oklahoma State’s football and basketball teams as a walk-on his first year on campus in 2018-19. He played football, basketball and baseball at Jay High School before going to OSU in 2018 to walk onto the football team. But after playing as a defensive back on OSU’s scout team while redshirting, the Cowboy basketball team needed reinforcements that January once football season had ended. “I just had full faith in myself that I could have went and played college basketball as well, so I just figured, ‘Well if there’s a tryout I may as well go try and see,'” Simpson told PFB. Mike Boynton’s squad was gutted when four players were dismissed from the team in January, prompting Boynton to host a walk-on tryout midseason to add depth to his roster. Simpson stepped into the gym with the advantage of already having a physical and being eligible to compete as a student-athlete, but he was also listed at 6-foot-3 and 208 pounds. Then, during the 3-on-3 portion of the workout, Simpson remembers dunking it on another hopeful. Then he hit a 3 the next possession. Boynton had seen all he needed to and told Simpson he could step off the court. Simpson played only three minutes and recorded a rebounded in his lone season of college basketball, primarily serving on the scout team. He finished his football career in 2021 as part of the team that won Bedlam and beat Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl. Simpson was honored with the coaches’ outstanding walk-on award in 2019, and saw late game action against McNeese that season and against Kansas in 2021. Simpson never made a significant impact during a game for either program, nonetheless, he played not just one, but two sports at the Division-I level. And he still swears he could have played three. Simpson says baseball was actually his best sport as a pitcher. “Yes (I understand the significance of playing two Division-I sports), but I was also upset I never got a bullpen because I thought pitching was my best thing,” Simpson said. “So I thought there was a chance I was gonna get to do three of them. … “I’m just a little upset I never got the chance to be the three[-sport athlete] because I think I could have been a P.O.” After playing three sports in high school and two at the college level, Simpson, today, uses that experience and coaches a sport year around at Edmond Memorial High School. He coached girls’ basketball and baseball his first year in education, but this year he’ll also add football to the mix. “Sports is the main thing that drew me back to it because I wanted to coach,” Simpson said. Next summer, Simpson plans to enroll into the physician assistant program at OU. He’s already shadowing and getting patient care hours in preparation for that next career move. That’s on top of running a marathon and competing in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. ![]() Read this original article at Pistols Firing Blog.
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Gundy's OSU Keeping up with Head Coach Mike Gundy and the OSU football team. Archives
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