Tulsa World: Up close: Andre Sexton

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Up close: Andre Sexton

Andre Sexton tackles Washington State’s Gary Rogers during last Saturday’s victory. Sexton is expected to makethe 27th start of his career on Saturday against Houston. STEPHEN PINGRY/Tulsa World

By MATT DOYLE World Sports Writer
Published: 9/3/2008 2:27 AM
Last Modified: 9/3/2008 2:52 AM

STILLWATER — Don’t let that smile fool you.

Andre Sexton isn’t afraid to show his pearly whites. But he also won’t hesitate to knock out some teeth. He’s that hard of a hitter.

Sexton led OSU in tackles as a freshman two years ago at strong safety. Late last season, he moved to the star position, a hybrid safety/ outside linebacker. He still finished fourth in tackles.

This season, he remains at star.

Saturday, he is expected to make his 27th start (out of a possible 28 games) in OSU’s home opener against Houston. It makes him smile.

How have you matured as a player."

When I was on the plane (to Seattle) last week, I was thinking how you can never expect to play continually.

You never know what is going to happen. It’s a motto I’m taking on this year to play every snap like it’s my last one. Learning to play harder, finish out and playing with enthusiasm the whole time is something I want.

You are just one game into junior season, yet you have been viewed as a defensive leader for more than a year now. Is that pretty surprising."

It’s something I liked and wanted. In high school, I always tried to step up and be a leader and put in the extra work to lead by example. You have to try to step up the younger guys with less experience to get in the flow and help them understand what is going on. It’s something I embrace, but I’m not the only one. We need as many leaders as possible. The more leaders you have, the better team you can be.

You are one of six players on this team who committed to OSU when Les Miles was still coach. You don’t have any regrets about that decision."

I like to think that our (recruiting) class was the start of a whole new change and different outlook of the Oklahoma State program. So many things started happening then. It was the start of a whole new era. It’s something we’ve been trying to build on since then.

You always have a smile on your face.Was the only time you weren’t smiling when you broke your arm just before the 2005 season, forcing you to sit out the year."

That was pretty sad. My high school coaches were kind of happy in a way. They said redshirting that season and getting adjusted to the program and the speed of the game was better for me. It made me appreciate football more. It was a blessing in disguise.

Is there a time when you don’t smile."

I always try to smile and be happy because if an opposing player saw me smiling in the (game) program, he might think I’m soft and then I can catch them by surprise when I hit them. My mom always told me to smile and be happy. I just glad to play college football. That’s nothing to frown about.

Matt Doyle 581-8316
matt.doyle@tulsaworld.com

SEXTON FACTS

Position: Linebacker

Class: Junior

Height: 6-0

Weight: 217

Hometown: Houston

By MATT DOYLE World Sports Writer

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