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Seniors Using Last Practices to Help Younger Pokes Prepare for 2018

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Mike Gundy has mentioned this multiple times since the end of the season, but one of his favorite things about the lead in to the December or January bowl is practice time for young players. Guys who probably didn’t play much but will play a lot in the future (and maybe even next season).

“We’re looking forward to another good week and getting some quality reps for younger players,” said Gundy recently. “We’ll mix in some varsity reps and then get those younger guys some work.”

And his players have taken on that attitude as well. The seniors in Stillwater know the drill. Those who redshirted have seen OSU prep for the Cotton Bowl, Cactus Bowl, Sugar Bowl, Alamo Bowl and now Camping World Bowl. Those who didn’t like James Washington only saw the last four.

“I spend every second I have left with these younger guys just to give them as much advice as I can and to get them up to par so when me, Marcell and all the other seniors leave, they’ll be ready,” said the Biletnikoff-winning Washington.

Only four true freshmen played in 2017 for the Pokes, including fellow WR Tylan Wallace, which means that 12 others are seeing their only reps come in practices like these at the bowl game. Senior lineman Zach Crabtree said that it’s become part of the Pokes culture that they help the younger guys all season, not just at the end. There’s just more focus on it when you only have one game left.

“I don’t know if you change how you spend your time. You really try to (help the younger players) all year,” said Crabtree. “You never know when you’re going to step in. You constantly try to groom the guys younger than you and have them ready to go because if they have to step in, you want to know that he’s going to be prepared to play in a moment like that.”

For Crabtree, Washington and several other four-year stars, the end is nigh. They get 60 more minutes in a Cowboy uniform, and then it’s on to the next class trying to leave its legacy in Stillwater, USA. The opportunity in front of them? If OSU is able to beat Virginia Tech in two weeks, next year’s seniors will have a chance to become the first-ever group to win 10 games in each of their four years in Stillwater.

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