From OBA to OSU, Bodie Boydstun’s Path to Stillwater

An athlete’s path can be straight forward with no twists and turns, or it can meander to city to city until they finally land exactly where they are supposed to be. That can be said for former Oklahoma Bible Academy standout Bodie Boydstun.

Boydstun started his football journey at the prep level as a standout player for Oklahoma Bible Academy, which is where the foundation for his football life was laid.

“Lessons I learned at OBA that help me through my journey were the importance of hard work, discipline and commitment even when things were hard. I also learned how to overcome challenges and became mentally tough through the challenges not letting myself get too high or too low,” said Boydstun. “Playing quarterback in high school helped me become a leader trying to be a positive example and encouraging my teammates when times were tough.”

As his time at OBA was coming to an end, there were decisions to be made. Playing at the next level was always the goal for Boydstun.

“I didn’t really pick SWOSU coming out of high school, honestly it was more of a last resort option because I had one offer to UCO, but due to coaching changes, I lost that offer in February when I was going to sign,” said Boydstun. “But at the time my sister went to SWOSU and knew one of the coaches and she talked to him, and they let me come on a visit and walk on to the team.”

While at Southwestern Oklahoma State University, Boydstun battled through a chaotic first season as a walk-on quarterback. In fact, he was last on the depth chart but started two games due to injuries. Despite going winless that season, Boydstun continued to grind and make the most of his opportunities.

“After that season we got a whole new coaching staff and they decided to move me to tight end and I honestly hated it at first but then I put on some weight and kept working and trying to get better and I started to get the hang of things and eventually earned a scholarship there,” said Boydstun. “The biggest lessons I learned from that process was to work hard, be consistent, never give up and keep a positive mind set because you never know where opportunities will take you. These lessons helped prepare me for OSU because I’m in a position where I need to continue to prove myself and make myself better to show I can play at this level.”

Despite being a Sooners fan as a kid, Boydstun admitted he would cheer for OSU when they played anyone but OU. Now a member of the Cowboys, Boydstun said they have shown him nothing but love since entering the portal and making his way on campus.

“When I entered the portal, they showed lots of interest almost immediately and I was very excited because OU and OSU were always the two schools I wanted to play for growing up. I knew I was going to go to OSU as soon as they showed interest because is close to home, so I get to stay close to friends and family which is important to me,” said Boydstun. “Since transferring here in the spring I have spent lots of time with the team. It’s been great getting to know the players and the coaches on this team and we’ve already made some good memories together. I was most excited about being in an elite program like OSU.”

Boydstun offers some advice to high school players facing the same decision he faced as a prep player.

“Go to the college where you think you will be able to get the most experience and playing time. Especially with the transfer portal you can go to any school for a couple of years to develop as a player, get playing time and experience in college games and then transfer to a better school. One thing I’ve noticed since being in college is everyone ends up at the level they were supposed to be at despite where they may have started.”