Oklahoma State Football: Comparing Each Current Cowboy Star to a Past Great

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The Oklahoma State Cowboys have many very good players heading into the 2012 college football season, but how do those players compare with the great Cowboy footballers of the past?

Believe it or not, each of the stars on this current Pokes squad has a great player that they compare to. However, just because they play like them does not mean that they will end up being as good as they were.

Here, we'll compare each Cowboy star to a past player whose style of play was similar. So, sit back, relax and enjoy a nostalgic connection between Cowboys past and present.

Joseph Randle, RB

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Great Cowboy Comparison: Thurman Thomas

It's high praise for a player when you compare them with Thurman Thomas, no matter who the player is. However, Randle still has a long way to go to be as good as the NFL Hall-of-Famer, Thomas.

Both of these players have good vision and patience. Thomas was incredible when it came to finding the best lane to run through and using his vision to keep defenses off balance. That is an ability that Randle has shown and continues to improve in.

Wes Lunt, QB

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Great Cowboy Comparison: Mike Gundy/Brandon Weeden

There are a couple of different great Cowboys that Wes Lunt compares to in Gundy and Weeden. He compares to both for very different reasons.

What Gundy and Lunt have in common is the fact that both were talented enough to come in as true freshmen and win the starting job. One other thing he could end up having in common with Gundy is being a four-year starter. But we’ll have to wait on that one.

Weeden was a tall, stand-up fire-it-all-over type of quarterback, and that’s what Lunt is as well. Size-wise there is little difference and both are tailor-made for this pass-happy offense the Cowboys now run. The only major difference is age; the two are separated by a decade.

Justin Gilbert, CB

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Great Cowboy Comparison: Darrent Williams

The late Darrent Williams was one of the best corner backs/return men in the game during his time at Oklahoma State. He went on to have a promising NFL career before being killed as an innocent bystander in a shooting outside a nightclub New Year’s Day of 2007.

Justin Gilbert has shown similar skills to those that Williams had, and he has a chance to be one of the best return men and defensive backs in college football this season. His performance as the Defensive MVP of the Fiesta Bowl back in January was just a preview of what he could become.