Parker Robertson Gets His Well-Earned Scholarship

DALLAS, Texas – He has been the Walk-on of the Week on the Cowboys Radio Network every season since he arrived. Last fall he not only made such a profound difference on special teams cover and return units, but he also found his way on the field at safety. His teammates voted him the special teams captain for the 2023 season. Parker Robertson doesn’t need any vindication.

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Robertson congratulated after the fumble reocivery.

The 5-11, 180-pound redshirt junior from Dallas (TX) Christian Academy has played in 26 games for Oklahoma State. He has 19 career tackles and 14 of those are unassisted. He also has forced a fumble and recovered a fumble, actually he did that all on the same play. It came at West Virginia last season and the turnover on a muffed punt that Parker forced with his coverage set up the tying field goal in the game for Oklahoma State in the fourth quarter of the 48-34 win. It was a huge play in a season where a lot of plays like that made the difference in wins and losses. 

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Parker Robertson in practice last season.

Parker Robertson comes out every day and gives everything he has on the practice field. That is why the head coach, and the entire coaching staff loves the young man. He is a walking, talking, breathing example of the Cowboy culture that has been the backbone for what is accomplished by the football team.

He said he was originally talked into coming to Oklahoma State by a friend that was going to OSU. His friend encouraged him to walk-on and when Oklahoma State offered him a preferred walk-on invite he was good to go.

“He's done a great job,” Gundy said this spring of Robertson. “Very football savvy, studies a lot of tape, hard worker, maximizes his body, been a great leader. He was special teams captain for us last year. It's a heck of an honor. We only name five guys a year, and he's brought a tremendous amount of our culture back to the table. Guys follow him because of what he stands for."

Robertson told me that it was a kickoff against Texas on homecoming in 2022 that convinced him he could get to where he wanted to be. I ran down and made the hit with several teammates and I remember thinking, ‘so this is what college football is,’ and then thinkin that I could do that.”

“He is such a great kid, works so hard every single day,” said Robertson’s position coach at safety Dan Hammerschmidt.

The Oklahoma State coaches are out on the road recruiting and Dan Hammerschmidt was down in East Texas and told me on Tuesday afternoon that he was on a special mission. I knew he was. “Hammer” was on his way to Robertson’s house. Robertson is not a recruit; he’s been on the field for the Cowboys every season he has been in Stillwater. 

“I was a little surprised,” Robertson said when he first heard about it. “They were asking me where I was going to be and said that Coach was coming by to bring me a playbook I needed to study before coming back for the summer. I knew that was weird because I know all the plays. Then when I got home all of my brothers were over there and I had a feeling.”

The home visit to the Robertson’s where Parker is back for some down time before reporting for the summer program and summer school was the mission. Dan Hammerschmidt had a special message for Parker and his family. Don’t worry about expenses this summer, this fall, next year or the next. Parker Robertson is not only a captain from last season, but he is now a scholarship player for the Oklahoma State Cowboys.

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Robertson reaches up for an interception this spring in his new jersey No. 8.

“It was cool because Coach said he had a video that he had to show me that it was a video for us this season and they wanted the players to approve it,” Robertson explained as to how they told him. “It was a hype video but then it was all my highlights and Coach Gundy comes on and says that they are putting me on scholarship and that I earned it. I really deserved it and everything.”

I had to ask who cried, because I would have cried.

“Oh, my dad, he’s emotional,” Parker said. “He told us when Coach (Todd) Bradford called him this afternoon to tell him that he cried before he called everybody to be here.”

Robertson took a new number this spring going from No. 39 to No. 8 and now he has a new designation: walk-on to scholarship. It’s far from just being the bill you have to pay to the bursar. It is proof that you belong. You are one of the 85 chosen by Oklahoma State and worthy of having your tuition, room, board, books and fees paid. It’s hard actually to put into words.