The day after Oklahoma State running back Ollie Gordon II revealed he had been arrested for DUI, head coach Mike Gundy made some bizarre comments about the situation that he later had to clarify.
Gordon, 20, was arrested June 30 and faces several charges, including a charge of driving while under the age of 21 after his blood alcohol content was 0.11.
On Tuesday, as part of Big 12 media day in Las Vegas, Gundy told ESPN that Gordon will not be suspended this season and will not be suspended by the team. Tell the outlet“I think it’s best for Ollie to play and if there’s a punishment it’s to make him carry the ball 50 times in the first game.”
When Gundy was asked later in a live interview with ESPN why he didn’t suspend Gordon, he said he didn’t condone Gordon’s actions but just wanted to do what was “best” for the running back.
However, the way Gundy, 56, phrased his response made it seem as if he had drunk driving “1,000 times in his life.”
“I’m not justifying what Ollie did, I’m just saying the decision I made. Well, I’ve probably done that 1,000 times in my life, but that’s OK,” Gundy said. “So I was lucky. People get lucky.”
Gundy later attempted to clarify his ESPN remarks in a social media post.
“My point at Big 12 Media Day today was that we are all guilty of making poor decisions,” he wrote to X. “I was not referring to anything in particular.”
Gordon also added during the live broadcast that he didn’t suspend Gordon for one game, or even six games, because he wanted to be fair to the team.
During the arrest, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol pulled Gordon over for speeding 82 mph in a 65 mph speed zone. According to The AthleticHe cited the affidavit.
Gordon allegedly had empty vodka and tequila bottles in his vehicle at the time of his arrest.
Gordon released a statement on social media on Monday saying he was “deeply sorry” for his actions.
On Tuesday in Las Vegas, he offered further apologies.
“I apologize for my actions and my mistakes. It wasn’t good,” Gordon told reporters. “Every action has a consequence. I want to apologize. I hope I can get back on good terms with the guys. … It’s not fair to my teammates, so I felt like I should be here.”
ESPN reported that Gundy and Gordon are scheduled to meet after media day.
Gordon rushed for 1,732 yards as a sophomore, was named a first-team All-American and won the Doak Walker Award as the nation’s top running back.
“Olie was very fortunate to come out of that situation without anybody getting hurt,” Gundy said, according to ESPN.
