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What I think happened with Wes Lunt

Some really interesting comments from Wes Lunt on Mike Gundy and OSU.

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First of all, how is nobody talking about this interview? There’s so much good stuff in here about the Gundy/Lunt relationship, what Lunt was trying to do, and why he left. Watch and/or read my thoughts below…

I honestly think it was always going to be Illinois for Lunt, blocked schools or not. I got an email from somebody in Rochester who knows him at some point in this process and this person said the whole deal was simple: he was homesick, that’s it.

In fact, I’m not sure he ever really even wanted to go to Oklahoma State to begin with.

One thing fans, especially fanatics, don’t realize is that most kids who play sports in college don’t usually actually (gasp) love that college.[1. One thing that shocked me when I was on the OSU baseball team for the three months I played was how little everybody there cared about Stillwater, OSU, etc. Those were things that meant something to me and everybody else was just there because this was the best scholarship situation for them. No other reason at all. It legitimately stunned me. I know you have your outliers (Zac Robinson comes to mind for some reason) but they aren’t as prevalent as you might think.]

I know that’s difficult for some people to fathom (A&M fans are still reeling from that Johnny Football tweet about College Station the other night) but frankly, most athletes could give two craps about historica Gallagher-Iba Arena, orange power, and so on. I really believe that.

I also think it provides a different lens through which to view Lunt’s decision, and any other decision like this that OSU athletes make in the future.

The whole “I’m 18 and the starting QB for a top 20 team” thing took a toll on him. That’s an overwhelming thing (his words in the video) for a kid and, combined with the fact that halfway into his senior year of high school he’d probably thought about the words “Oklahoma” and “State” three times ever, I mean, that’s a thing…

And how about this:

When did you realize OSU wasn’t the right fit for you?

It kind of happened during the season when I didn’t go back in again and wanted to play it out through spring ball because I just loved it there, I didn’t want to leave. And after spring ball, talking with Coach Gundy, it was just the right thing to do for me.

So basically you would have stayed if you were going to be the starter…

Gottlieb mentioned this to me one day, not sure if it was on his radio show or where it was, but he said “you can’t give the reins to a dude his freshman year then take them away after that without there being problems.” I totally agree.

It sounds to me like he didn’t think Stillwater was as cool when you’re holding a clipboard instead of holding the rock for the Big 12 favorite.

Also, Lunt and Gundy? Not boys from what Lunt says at 1:45.

Then at 2:25 Lunt says Gundy un-blocked him from Vandy, Bama, Notre Dame etc.

WAIT, WHAT?!

How was this not a thing? And if you’re Gundy don’t you hold a press conference, bring in the ESPN cameras, fly Tom Rinaldi in on Boone’s jet and say “I AM RELEASING WES LUNT, I SCREWED UP!” Isn’t that the PR play here rather than an under-the-radar call to Lunt’s HS coach?!

I don’t understand Gundy sometimes.

This whole thing, in the end, seems to be much ado about nothing. Gundy turned it into a way bigger deal than a third string QB transferring to a Big 10 school should have been made into.

And Lunt, he’s bailing on the school that it seems like he never really wanted to go to but couldn’t help himself because Monken enticed him with a starting role (should be noted that Monken could probably convince me to be an OU fan if he tried hard enough, he’s a scary dude).

It seems like a matter of convenience more than anything else. He knew he was going to sit a year either way and even though all of us would have chosen to sit at OSU over sitting at a school that plays in a conference that frowns upon the forward pass, that was what he wanted. Illinois is where he grew up, his state, his stomping grounds.

And you know what, that’s fine. Go home, kid, go win a Rose Bowl against SC in a couple years. Enjoy college.

I just wish this whole thing didn’t make Gundy look so foolish.

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