STILLWATER – Apparently this is the week Oklahoma State athletic videos were made to make us emotional. First it was the video put out by Cowboy basketball on Dee Mitchell receiving a scholarship. Now, we move over to Cowboy football. While it wasn’t officially put out by the West End Zone, it was Tylan Wallace reading a letter he wrote to his twin brother, Tracin.
Hope you’ve got your tissues ready.
“Dear Tracin, we made; it’s here now. We’ve been inseparable since birth, but we knew this day would eventually come. A bitter sweet moment. We carried each other through the good, the bad and the unforeseen. We started in the backyard of our childhood home just throwing the football around with no idea of where the love of the game would take us. From Blue Raider to Wedgewood to South Hills and then Oklahoma State. Although our paths did align how we exactly thought, we embraced what life threw at us. With the support from one another, there is nothing we can’t accomplish or overcome. So, here we go brother, our paths are taking a turn. Even though we won’t be physically together, you’ll still forever be by my side. Our story will be one to remember; the Wallace brothers bonded by the love of the game. Sincerely yours, Tylan Wallace.”
As Tylan said, the two have been by each other’s side since birth and this will be the first time they’ll have been apart for an extended period as Tylan is headed to the NFL. The twin brothers from Fort Worth played football together all through their childhood and came to Oklahoma State to play together as well. However, through a cruel twist of fate, they didn’t get the opportunity to play together much as Tracin came the Stillwater rehabbing a torn ACL, then tore the same ACL a third time to effectively end his playing days.
While Tracin was on the sidelines as a student coach, Tylan was on the field becoming one of the best receivers in all of college football. He finished his career with 205 receptions for 3,434 yards and 26 touchdowns.
While Tylan was the one physically putting up the numbers, it was Tracin who was by his side helping him improve his game.
“Exactly, it is just like that. He knows what I’m capable of and what I can and can’t do,” explained Tylan of the contribution that Tracin makes coaching. “So, when he sees me on the field and sees something that I can do better or that I should have done on a play, then he coaches me up on what I should have done or what I can do better. Like you said, it is like having your own personal coach watching you play out there.”
“When I see him out there it reminds me a lot of myself,” Tracin expressed. “We’re a lot alike in a lot of different ways. Just seeing him out there reminds me of myself. I know I want to be coached too, so me out there coaching him up kind of reminds me of myself.”
Tylan will have a different coach on the sidelines in the NFL helping him improve and Tracin will have a different player on the sidelines he’ll be helping improve the game of. However, as Tylan said in the letter he wrote for Tracin, “Even though we won’t be physically together, you’ll still forever be by my side. Our story will be one to remember; the Wallace brothers bonded by the love of the game.”
