Why Ollie Gordon decided to face music at Big 12 media days

Bad decisions led to OSU RB's recent arrest, but this was a good choice.

Coverage of Big 12 football media days brought to you by Visit Stillwater.

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Ollie Gordon answered questions, many about his recent arrest, for the better part of seven hours during Tuesday’s Big 12 football media days. (Jenni Carlson)

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LAS VEGAS — Nothing about what Ollie Gordon did two Sundays ago was good.

Drinking under age.

Driving under the influence.

Speeding and swerving and putting himself and lots of other folks on Interstate 35 at risk.

Yes, young people make mistakes, but because of the severity of the arrest details — open bottles of vodka and tequila in the car? — I'm guessing this wasn't a first sin. What the Oklahoma State tailback did was likely the escalation of other bad decisions.

Tuesday, Gordon made a good decision: he appeared at Big 12 football media days to face the music.

For the better part of seven hours Tuesday at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Gordon answered questions, many of which were about the arrest, the fallout and the repercussions.

And he didn't just do one or two interviews about what happened. He granted pretty much every request. National media. Regional. Broadcast. Print. Gordon faced tough questions, and while he didn't answer all of them — he cited his ongoing legal situation, for example, as grounds not to answer when I asked what went through his mind the night of his arrest — he didn't shirk what he felt like was a responsibility.

"It was my decision if I wanted to come," Gordon said. "I felt like I should've come because it wouldn't be fair to my teammates or my coaches to come up here and answer questions when I could."

Listen, I'm no public relations expert, but what Gordon and OSU did feels like a good example of crisis management. Get out in front of the story. Don't let it linger for months.

Frankly, it's what OSU did in 2014 after Marcus Smart shoved a fan during a Cowboy basketball loss at Texas Tech. The incident, spurred by the fan's inappropriate comment to Smart happened on a Saturday night, and on Sunday afternoon, OSU held a press conference.

Less than 24 hours after the shove!

It wasn't a let's-read-a-statement-and-get-outta-here type of event either. Smart did read something prepared at the start, but then along with athletic director Mike Holder and men's basketball coach Travis Ford, they took questions for almost an hour.

The speed and transparency with which they approached the situation was shocking.

Or at least it was shocking in an era when situations like that are most often met with stone walls and no-comments. And what do you know? It quickly put the whole situation behind Smart and the Cowboys.

When he was going through the pre-draft process a few months later, a process that would ultimately end with him being selected with the sixth overall pick, I don't even remember it being mentioned.

Perhaps Gordon's appearance at Big 12 media days will have a similar impact.

His case must still work through the legal system, so there will be more to sort out. But after making an extremely immature decision a couple of Sundays ago, Gordon made a mature one by taking his medicine and appearing at Big 12 media days.

"I apologize for my actions, the mistakes I made," Gordon said. "It wasn't good."

He shook his head.

"Every action has a consequence," he continued, "and I just want to apologize to my family, my teammates for my actions. I just hope I can get back on good tracks and good terms with all of them."

Gordon said those words late Tuesday afternoon. His interview during the team-breakout portion of the day was among the last things he did during media days. He'd probably said something like that numerous times already.

Still, as he talked, he glanced over repeatedly to teammates Alan Bowman, Nick Martin and Collin Oliver. Gordon seemed to be mindful of them, and it sure sounded like he understood how his actions have implications.

Maybe I'm reading too much into that, but here's what I know for certain: Ollie Gordon didn't have to come to Big 12 media days to answer questions about his arrest. He could've left Las Vegas. But he knew skipping out would be another mistake.

This good choice doesn't erase the awful ones he made the night he was arrested.

It is, however, a step in the right direction.