Tragedy brings perspective to Cowboys
— -- STILLWATER, Okla. -- It looks like just another Monday in Stillwater.
Cars buzz by and pedestrians walk through the intersection.
But in the southwest corner of the intersection at Main Street and Hall of Fame Avenue sits a reminder of the pain and agony that unfolded here 30 days ago. Sitting underneath a sign which reads "Stillwater Strong" is a bright orange cross featuring the "#StillwaterStrong" hashtag and "God bless." The crosses, flowers and messages are a memorial of the four people killed and 46 injured, many of whom were children, when a motorist crashed into a crowd during Oklahoma State's homecoming parade on Oct. 24.
The Cowboys played that night and beat Kansas 58-10 in a game that the school considered not playing. Ultimately, though, officials decided that the best way to honor the victims would be to play the game.
"I do want to reiterate that this one incident cannot take away from Oklahoma State University, and it cannot take away from homecoming and the celebration," Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy said afterward. "That's something that's very important to us and to me, to make a point that it is a great time of the year."
Now, just over a month since tragedy rocked the Oklahoma State campus, the healing process remains a daily endeavor.
"Everybody comes together and helps each other. That's what we do," said Dave Hunziker, who is in his 11th season as the play-by-play voice for Oklahoma State football and basketball. "That's what's always been done. There's not only physical healing to be done but emotional healing. It's just going to take time ... This community comes together and supports each other. We've been down this path before. It's going to take some time... it just will."
Tragedy is nothing new to Oklahoma State.
The university saw plane crashes take the lives of 10 members of the Cowboys men's basketball traveling party in 2001 and four members of the women's basketball program in 2011.
"We've had terrible things happen here," Hunziker said. "And here we are again. This was a little different though because, while the other things were tragic and affected everybody as such terrible, terrible things, this affected kids."
Homecoming is a special time at Oklahoma State. Friday night's "Walkaround" -- Oklahoma State's biggest homecoming event where members of the Greek community build house decorations for current students and alumni to enjoy -- and Saturday's homecoming parade highlight the weekend each year.
Hunziker says he barely recalls Oklahoma State's 58-10 win against Kansas, but one of the lingering memories for the "Voice of the Cowboys" was a midgame radio announcement imploring students to contact their families.
"I hope I never have to do that again, that definitely stood out," he said. "It was like, 'Oh my gosh, I can't believe I'm having to say this.' That was later in the day but it was a snap back into the reality of the situation."
Before and after the game, support from the rest of the Big 12 came almost immediately with coaches around the conference, including Kansas' David Beaty and Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops, expressing condolences on social media. Oklahoma's band made sure the nation knew its in-state rival was on its mind, carrying an Oklahoma State flag when the Sooners played Texas Tech that afternoon. The show of support has been endless.
"That's the thing about our league," Hunziker said. "We certainly have a fierce level of competition. We kind of just take care of each other, it's what we do. It's part of living in this part of the country. We have agricultural states, farmers, ranchers. Those people are hardy good folks, they watch out for their neighbor.
"It meant a lot to everybody."
When Oklahoma State returned to the field, traveling to Lubbock, Texas, the following week, the Red Raiders went out of their way to show their concern. The football team was met by the Stillwater Strong ribbon, which has come to represent the healing process, on the jumbotron when it took the field for its walkthrough, and stickers with the logo were distributed as attendees entered the stadium. The Red Raiders also opted to refrain from the term "Wreck 'em" against Oklahoma State that weekend.
And within the Cowboys' locker room, there was an understanding that the football team could play a critical role in helping the community work through such a tragedy. Several members of the Cowboys athletic teams, including redshirt senior quarterback J.W. Walsh, visited victims in the hospital on the following Monday, Oct. 26. Walsh says he'll never be the same.
"I've been on hospital visits, kids with terminal cancer, just terrible situations," Walsh said. "This was people whose parents, wives, husbands were dying. So we went in there to maybe have an impact on some lives for whatever reason. And we helped them, you could tell we were helping them, there were smiles on their faces, taking their minds off of it for a little bit."
In the days that followed, Walsh has seen the impact of their actions paying dividends.
"There have been a few incidents you run into somebody and they say 'Hey, we appreciate everything you've done. you've really helped us get through this, we're happy for you guys and we have so much respect for how y'all have handled everything,'" Walsh said. "It makes us realize, everything you're doing, it's worth something. It's not just talking about making a difference or talking about making an impact on people's lives. It makes it all real."
On the field, the Cowboys were still in the thick of the CFP title hunt as one of the remaining unbeaten teams. But players commonly use the word perspective when discussing playoff berths and what they saw on Oct. 24.
"You definitely have to put that in perspective," safety Jordan Sterns said. "Life is bigger than this game of football. We're blessed to be able to play it and motivate people. You get to take their minds off things a little bit. There's a bigger picture than the game of football. It's a great feeling for people to turn to you, lean on you to take away some of that sorrow."
Walsh drove by the memorial Monday, two days after Oklahoma State suffered its first loss against Baylor. How could he let one loss feel like the end of the world when other members of the Oklahoma State family were dealing with real pain, both physical and emotional?
"We're just playing a game," Walsh said. "Seeing Stillwater Strong, seeing all of it makes you realize, especially after the loss, there are much bigger things out there."
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