Oklahoma State Football: OSU Scandal Update

Jan 1, 2013; Dallas, TX, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys head coach Mike Gundy celebrates a victory with defensive end Cooper Bassett (80) against the Purdue Boilermakers at the Cotton Bowl. The Cowboys beat the Boilermakers 58-14. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

The dark cloud of scandal continues to loom over Stillwater.

Sports Illustrated has released the first part of a five-part series titled “The Dirty Game” alleging improprieties at Oklahoma State University from 2001 to as recent as 2011.

Former Oklahoma State cornerback, Calvin Mickens, claims he was paid $200 based on his performance in his first game as a Cowboy in 2005. He also claims he received more payments as the season continued, specifically $800 from a booster after another game, and witnessed other players being paid as well.

Seven other former Cowboys have also claimed they received payments, and 29 different players have been mentioned as being involved in the scandal.

Former Oklahoma State wide receiver Artrell Woods claims that Bobby Reid, former OSU quarterback from 2005 to 2007, was paid as a starter. Reid denied these claims.

Brad Girtman, former Oklahoma State defensive tackle from the 2003-2004 season, says former OSU assistant Joe DeForest paid players based on statistics, and that he personally received $50 for quarterback hurries, around $100 for tackles, and anywhere from $200 to $250 for quarterback sacks.

Larry Porter, former assistant coach at OSU from 2002-2004, is also accused of paying players. Porter is currently coaching running backs at Texas University. The report alleges Porter, along with DeForest and boosters, paid players for jobs that were never even done. These are called “scam-jobs”.

The report states that DeForest said he paid players who worked at his house, but always at “fair market value based on services rendered.” The report also states that Oklahoma State’s compliance office possesses no record of clearing a player to work for DeForest.

Joe DeForest was an assistant at OSU from 2001-2011, he is currently employed at West Virginia as the special teams coordinator. He is said to have been in charge of the majority of the alleged system that paid players during his time at OSU. He has denied these claims.

We’ll keep you updated here at Pokes Post as this story further develops.