Former Oklahoma State receiver Artrell Woods was a central figure in Sports Illustrated’s final chapter of “The Dirty Game.”
Woods, during a Monday telephone interview, said he hasn’t read any of the five-part investigative series. He didn’t know the final chapter was published until he was informed of it during the telephone interview. That, he concluded, must be why his cell phone has been blowing up.
But Woods doesn’t care about any of that. He doesn’t care how he was portrayed in the story. He just wants to get paid.
Echoing comments made last week during an interview with OSU’s student newspaper, the Daily O’Collegian, Woods said he wants money.
“Bottom line. That’s all,” he said. “For pain and suffering. For me taking a whole semester off after breaking my back and me ending up with a General Studies degree... Can somebody please tell me what the (expletive) that is?”
Woods sustained a spinal injury during a weightroom accident in July of 2007. He made a comeback and was given a standing ovation by fans when he caught a pass in a 2008 game against Iowa State.
That could have been a happily-ever-after moment, but -- five years later and a transfer to Central Oklahoma later -- Woods sounds like an angry young man.
Woods said he tells every reporter who calls him that he isn’t interested in what is going on at OSU or what SI writes. He just wants a judge or a lawyer to call and tell him he is either owed -- or not owed -- money and he hasn’t gotten that call yet.
“I don’t give a damn about who was getting paid,” he said. “I don’t care about who might have been paying them. I could care less about any of that.
That’s my main point I try to get across to everybody, because I’ve got people jumping on my Facebook and jumping on me like ‘stuff happens to everybody.’
“Well, (expletive) not everybody breaks their back and gets paralyzed. (Stuff) happens to everybody, but if that doesn’t happen to you, then don’t tell me how I should feel afterwards, especially when I’m doing something I don’t want to do in the first place.”
Later during the interview, Woods said he “doesn’t even want that money.” He said all he ever wanted to be was a video game developer and he wants to find a way to make that happen.
“Name one D-I school that is going to let one football player take those type of classes,” he said, adding that he needs over $100,000 to start a business.
“I don’t need their money. I can make my own (expletive) money. I just need the opportunity to make money like everybody else has. I didn’t have that opportunity, I feel like.”
Added Woods, “All I want is my opportunity. The only way I see that happening is you all writing me a check. It could be for $300,000 or $3,000,000. It’s about three dollars out of their pocket at the end of the day.”
Marilyn Middlebrook, who is responsible for administration of the academic support program for OSU student-athletes, said in an interview last week that student-athletes are not denied the opportunity to pursue degree programs of their choice.
Woods was asked if he would be satisfied if someone would pay for him to go back to college.
“Absolutely not,” he said. “I spent six years in school because of them. I’m not going to go to school some more. Are you kidding me?”
Woods could have stayed at OSU to complete coursework. He was placed on a medical scholarship after his “comeback” season, but wanted to continue to play football. He transferred to UCO and battled through other other injuries during two seasons there, catching four passes in 2010 and 30 in 2011.
After the transfer, OSU was no longer permitted to pay for Woods’ education.
A source close to the OSU football program suggested that coach Mike Gundy feared for Woods’ safety if he had continued playing for the Cowboys post-injury. The source said Gundy, given the severity of Woods’ injury, would have been uncomfortable letting one of his own sons play under the same circumstances.
Woods said he believes he was placed on medical scholarship so that he wouldn’t count against the scholarship allotment.
Now? Woods said he could care less what SI writes or what anybody thinks because “there aren’t any repercussions for me. I’m not scared of anybody, so I could care less about that (stuff).”
Tracy Holland, who was Woods’ coach at UCO, provided a statement Monday to the Tulsa World.
Said the statement, “I have had a unique experience with Oklahoma State football and have been able to see the program run by coach (Les) Miles and later coach Gundy in a variety of ways. First, as a father, my son (Chase) played for these men... and was special teams captain his senior year. I can’t be more proud of the type of man he is and how he turned out. I am very grateful for the influence these coaches had on his life.
“Second, I experienced their program as a high school coach and how they supported our program and how they recruited our kids.
“Finally, I experienced their program as a head college coach in this state and (saw) their staff at conferences and out on the recruiting trail. We also took several of their players as transfers and even hired one former OSU (graduate assistant) on our staff. I never saw or experienced anything but integrity and class from all members of their staff, especially coach Gundy.
“As far as our OSU transfers, practically all were excited about their opportunity to continue to play, but were also grateful for their time at OSU. That is not always the case with transfers, but our OSU kids were great to have. I have always had nothing but the utmost respect for coach Gundy and his staff and felt like they did a great job with and for their players.”
OSU
It's not yet known how long Weeden will be sidelined. He has already been sacked 11 times this season.
Browns third-string quarterback Brian Hoyer will start Sunday against Minnesota in place of Brandon Weeden, who sprained his right thumb last week.
