A day after Oklahoma State running back Ollie Gordon II opened up about his DUI arrest, head coach Mike Gundy made a curious comment — that he later had to clarify — about the situation.
The 20-year-old Gordon was arrested on June 30 and is facing multiple charges, including charges of DUI under 21 years of age after he had recorded a .11 blood alcohol sample.
On Tuesday, as part of Big 12 media days in Las Vegas, Gundy told ESPN that Gordon would be playing and not be suspended by the team this season, telling the outlet: “I think it’s best for Ollie to play. If there’s any punishment, it’s making him carry the ball 50 times in the first game.”
Gundy, later during a live interview with ESPN when he was asked about why he didn’t suspend Gordon, said while he didn’t excuse what Gordon did but he wanted to do what was “best” for the running back.
Nevertheless, Gundy, 56, in the way he phrased his response, appeared to make it seem like he himself had consumed alcohol and driven “a thousand times in my life.”
“I’m not justifying what Ollie did, I’m telling you what decision I made. Well, I thought I probably done that a thousand times in my life, which is fine” Gundy said. “So, I got lucky. People get lucky.”
Later, in a post on social media, Gundy attemped to clarify his words on ESPN.
“My intended point today at Big 12 media days was that we are all guilty of making bad decisions,” he wrote on X. “It was not a reference to something specific.”
Gordon also added during the live appearance that he didn’t suspend Gordon for one game — or even a hypothetical six — because he wanted to be fair to his team.
During the arrest, Oklahoma Highway Patrol pulled over Gordon for speeding at 82 mph in a 65-mph zone, according to The Athletic, which cited an affidavit.
Gordon allegedly had empty bottles of both vodka and tequila in his vehicle at the time of the arrest.
On Monday, Gordon released a statement on social media and said he was “deeply sorry” for his actions.
In Las Vegas on Tuesday, he apologized further.
“I apologize for my actions and the mistakes I made. It wasn’t good,” Gordon told reporters. “Every action has a consequence and I want to apologize. I hope I can get back on a good track with everyone. … I felt I should come (here) because it wouldn’t be fair to my teammates.”
ESPN reported Gundy and Gordon are set to meet after media days conclude.
Gordon is coming off a sophomore year that saw him rush for 1,732 yards and become a first team All-American and take home the Doak Walker Award as the nation’s top running back.
“Ollie is very fortunate that he was able to get out of that situation without anyone getting hurt,” Gundy said, according to ESPN.
