Ex-Cowboy Nathan Peterson now a Marine second lieutenant

BY BILL HAISTEN World Sports Writer
Monday, May 09, 2011
5/09/11 at 5:18 AM

Nathan Peterson, a former Union High School and Oklahoma State defensive end, now is a second lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps. He is stationed at Camp Lejeune, N.C., and will be sent to Afghanistan in July.

"Right now, I'm just focused on being as good as I can at my job," the 26-year-old Peterson said during a Saturday telephone interview. "The serious nature of it hasn't hit me because I'm so focused on learning my job."

Peterson played at OSU in 2004-07 and, in spite of sustaining a serious left-knee injury as a freshman, ranks among the school's leaders in career sacks. He and his wife, Meredith, a Sapulpa native who also graduated from OSU, have been married for 16 months.

"Nathan really likes what he's doing, (but) he misses football really bad," said Peterson's father, Michael Peterson. "Eventually, he wants to get into coaching."

Michael Peterson said his son entered into Officer Candidates School with 46 others.

"By the end of it, 17 made it through," Michael Peterson. "It made Nate a better, stronger person."

At OSU, Nathan Peterson played at 250 pounds. During OCS training, he dropped to 195.

"My football background helped me in the physical part - being able to put my body through a physical strain," he said. "But I had never done a 5-mile run before. I was the biggest guy there and wasn't built for that."

Original Print Headline: Ex-Cowboy now a Marine second lieutenant

Bill Haisten 918-581-8397
bill.haisten@tulsaworld.com

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Peterson