The Top 5 Quotes from Doug Meacham’s Pre-Iowa State News Conference

STILLWATER — Doug Meacham held court at Oklahoma State’s weekly media luncheon for the final time on Monday.

Oklahoma State closes its 2025 season this weekend by welcoming Iowa State to town for a game at 11 a.m. Saturday. Here are five things Meacham said at the Monday news conference.

More from Monday:
Meacham on the No. 1 thing OSU’s next coach needs to be successful
What’s next for Meacham?

1. On Senior Day

There’s a lot of big picture change going on within the Oklahoma State football program right now, but one of the signs of year-over-year change will take place this weekend: Senior Day.

OSU released a list Monday of 20 Cowboys on Monday who intend to walk on Senior Day. The list includes Sam Jackson, Aden Kelley, Parker Robertson, Cam Smith and others.

“It’s the thing you say — it’s like all the guys who aren’t seniors, at one point you’re gonna be a senior, and you’re gonna rely on everyone else to give it your all to try to go out the right way,” Meacham said. “So, my message has been it’s gonna be a collective effort. Play like like there’s no tomorrow and send them out with a memory that will last forever.”

2. On His Own Senior Day

Back in 1987, Meacham made a walk similar to the one the senior Cowboys will make Saturday, as he played in his last game at Lewis Field.

Funnily enough, it was also against Iowa State. The Cowboys won that game 48-27.

“I think Thurman (Thomas) rushed for 300,” Meacham said. “And once again, I didn’t block anybody. That’s why he was such a good player. I think he did rush for like 300, Iowa State, yeah, I remember it.”

3. ‘Classic Iowa State’

After starting the season 5-0, things haven’t gone so smoothly for the now 7-4 Cyclones.

Injuries played a big part in that, as the 5-0 Cyclones then went on a four-game losing streak. But they’ve bounced back a bit of late, beating TCU and Kansas in their two games in the month of November.

“Classic Iowa State,” Meacham said. “I know they’ve got a lot of injuries on defense, but their scheme gives them a chance because it’s just so difficult. They definitely evolved back there on the back end of what they do. You used to could kind of see what they were doing. It’s so much different now. They kinda unfold into the same things, but it’s hard to tell in presnap. But they’ve had a lot of injuries on D. I think they’re light.

“I think they do it old school. If you try to go big on them on defense, they’re gonna split out those big tight ends and mismatch your nickels and your guys inside. And if you play normal, they’re just gonna ram it up your tailpipe.”

4. ‘Some Surfing Sounds Good’

We’ve already written a more filled out article on this topic, but this quote was too fun to ignore.

With this season and OSU’s coaching search entering its end, Meacham’s future is uncertain. He was asked what his plans were for after the season.

“Some surfing sounds good, golf,” Meacham said. “No, I don’t know. The thing about all these coaches, me included, is when it appears that you’re going to have to move on, which none of us really know that for sure. Because I’ve been fired three other times or let go three other times. I got kept twice. So you don’t know. You don’t know who they hire, who knows you, or who you know whatever or what they need, or how it unfolds.

“I don’t think anybody’s totally counting themselves out of not being here, but they can’t keep us all.”

Where does Meacham like to surf?

“Anything below six feet,” Meacham said. “Anything above my head, I’m out. Anything below my head, I’m probably good. I’ve surfed the strand for a while. Costa Rica is my home base, probably Jaco. But I’m a horrible surfer. Don’t get it twisted. I’m not any good. I just like doing it. It’s a great workout. I love to play golf, mountain bike, jog, and train, I stay pretty active. I get bored real easily, and I don’t sit still very well. I was hell for elementary school teachers. They didn’t like me because I couldn’t sit still. So I’ll stay busy. I’m not gonna have a problem finding something to do, I promise you that.”

5. Robertson a Modern Day Rick Antle

Over the past few weeks, former walk-on safety Parker Robertson has corned himself a spot in OSU fans’ hearts. It sounds like he’s done the same to Meacham.

Robertson, listed at 5-foot-11, 185 pounds, enters the final week of the season as the Cowboys’ leading tackler with 70 takedowns this season. He’s tied for the team lead in interceptions at two with LaDainian Fields, and Robertson’s 8.5 tackles for loss trail only Wendell Gregory.

“The Robertson kid, you know, I watched him in camp like what? He’s on the team? That’s what we got?” Meacham said. “Because he’s gonna go out for the coin toss and nobody’s gonna be afraid at all, you know what I’m saying? They’re gonna ask if he’s the kicker. But man, what a ballplayer.

“That kid, I know I’m beating him into the ground with how proud I am of him. Did y’all see the play he broke up on that deep ball at the last minute? With his eyes away from the ball and timed. I mean, the guy’s just instinctive. … He needs to get the Rick Antle Award if there was such a thing. That’s what that guy is to me. A walk-on that made it the hard way. I don’t know if any of you guys know who Rick ‘Cowboy’ Antle is, but that’s a bad piece of meat now. That kid, I’m super-proud of that kid.”