Posted: Sunday, August 16, 2015 12:00 am | Updated: 1:58 am, Sun Aug 16, 2015.
By BILL HAISTEN World Sports Writer | 2 comments
STILLWATER — Over the last eight football seasons, J.W. Walsh has played for two head coaches.
One was his father, John Walsh, the head man at Guyer High School in Denton, Texas. The other is Oklahoma State’s Mike Gundy.
Gundy and John Walsh both were witnesses to J.W. Walsh’s outstanding scrimmage performance on Saturday at the Sherman E. Smith Training Center.
Gundy’s reaction: “When he gets going, he’s a lot like a (hot hitter in baseball). He certainly got hot today.”
John Walsh’s reaction: “I picked a good day to come up here.”
Surfing the momentum of last year’s Bedlam and bowl-game experiences, sophomore Mason Rudolph is the Cowboys’ No. 1 quarterback. As a hard-luck, fifth-year senior who sustained injuries during the 2012 and 2014 seasons, J.W. Walsh is the backup but isn’t expected to have the typical role of a backup.
Gundy and offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich aren’t divulging the exact nature of Walsh’s involvement. The coaches still have 18 days to consider possibilities and formulate situations. The Cowboys open the season at Central Michigan on Sept. 3.
What Gundy does say is that Walsh is too good a football athlete to languish on the sideline.
“J.W. made a lot of plays,” Gundy said after OSU’s 74-play scrimmage. “There aren’t really any secrets with him. He’s going to play. We’re going to use him.
“We have a spot for him. We felt the same way in the spring. We’re very fortunate that we have him.”
The 6-foot-2, 215-pound Walsh seems to have recovered fully from a 2014 foot injury that required surgery and left him inactive for 11 games. As OSU’s starting QB, he has a career record of 7-3.
“You just go in and you treat every situation like you’re the starter because you never know what’s going to happen,” Walsh said. “The past couple of years, there’s been all kinds of crazy things (a reference to OSU having had three starting quarterbacks in 2012, two in 2013 and three in 2014). You’ve got to be ready for whatever happens.”
While the top two quarterbacks compete for the starting job, Rudolph says the 23-year-old Walsh is generous with sharing information and advice.
“He’s kind of like an older brother, I’d say,” Rudolph said. “J.W. is one of the best people I’ve ever met in my life. He’s been a tremendous help.”
His father is considered to be among the elite high school coaches in Texas, and Walsh himself seems destined for a career in coaching.
“My dream job would be to be a coach (at Oklahoma State),” Walsh said recently. “That’s the plan. I’m going to do whatever I can to become a coach and stay a Cowboy for as long as possible.”
By BILL HAISTEN World Sports Writer | 2 comments
STILLWATER — Over the last eight football seasons, J.W. Walsh has played for two head coaches.
One was his father, John Walsh, the head man at Guyer High School in Denton, Texas. The other is Oklahoma State’s Mike Gundy.
Gundy and John Walsh both were witnesses to J.W. Walsh’s outstanding scrimmage performance on Saturday at the Sherman E. Smith Training Center.
Gundy’s reaction: “When he gets going, he’s a lot like a (hot hitter in baseball). He certainly got hot today.”
John Walsh’s reaction: “I picked a good day to come up here.”
Surfing the momentum of last year’s Bedlam and bowl-game experiences, sophomore Mason Rudolph is the Cowboys’ No. 1 quarterback. As a hard-luck, fifth-year senior who sustained injuries during the 2012 and 2014 seasons, J.W. Walsh is the backup but isn’t expected to have the typical role of a backup.
Gundy and offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich aren’t divulging the exact nature of Walsh’s involvement. The coaches still have 18 days to consider possibilities and formulate situations. The Cowboys open the season at Central Michigan on Sept. 3.
What Gundy does say is that Walsh is too good a football athlete to languish on the sideline.
“J.W. made a lot of plays,” Gundy said after OSU’s 74-play scrimmage. “There aren’t really any secrets with him. He’s going to play. We’re going to use him.
“We have a spot for him. We felt the same way in the spring. We’re very fortunate that we have him.”
The 6-foot-2, 215-pound Walsh seems to have recovered fully from a 2014 foot injury that required surgery and left him inactive for 11 games. As OSU’s starting QB, he has a career record of 7-3.
“You just go in and you treat every situation like you’re the starter because you never know what’s going to happen,” Walsh said. “The past couple of years, there’s been all kinds of crazy things (a reference to OSU having had three starting quarterbacks in 2012, two in 2013 and three in 2014). You’ve got to be ready for whatever happens.”
While the top two quarterbacks compete for the starting job, Rudolph says the 23-year-old Walsh is generous with sharing information and advice.
“He’s kind of like an older brother, I’d say,” Rudolph said. “J.W. is one of the best people I’ve ever met in my life. He’s been a tremendous help.”
His father is considered to be among the elite high school coaches in Texas, and Walsh himself seems destined for a career in coaching.
“My dream job would be to be a coach (at Oklahoma State),” Walsh said recently. “That’s the plan. I’m going to do whatever I can to become a coach and stay a Cowboy for as long as possible.”
