In life there are always going to be ups and downs but it is how you get passed them that shows the kind of person you really are. And Andrew McGee, OK State alum knows all about hardships, but he also know that hard work, and faith in god pays-off.
Andrew was a starting corner for Oklahoma States football team. And once his senior season was over he was headed to play football for the Chicago Bears, a dream that every college football player has. But, that dream ended quickly for Andrew. After being flown to Chicago, meeting the team and getting acclimated as the “new-guy,” he got some devastating news. Andrew had been red flagged. Being red flagged means that during your physical things came-up and you are no longer physically able to play. In Andrew’s case he had just recently had wrist surgery, and through the last season he was having back issues, which the Bears saw as weaknesses.
At that point Andrew knew that his dreams of becoming a NFL player were gone. He says that the second he got red flagged he knew that he had to pursue another dream. With the support of Coach Gundy and Coach Jones they offered Andrew a position to be a student coach. Andrew came back to Stillwater and began helping the team practice for the upcoming year. He also was able to continue helping with sideline chapel before each game, which is when players and coaches pray before the game. That year the Cowboys went on to be Big 12 champions.
Once the season was over he was given a great opportunity. Coach DeForest offered Andrew a graduate coaching job in West Virginia, which he currently loves! He hopes to continue graduate coaching until he can a get head coach position.
In West Virginia he is still doing his sideline chapels and helping with FCA meetings, as well as team bible studies.
Even though Andrew has made new friends he said that the hardest part about leaving OSU was the people that he calls family, a few that he mentioned were Brodrick Brown, Joel Tudman, Richetti Jones and the Cochran family. Building relationships with people that close made it hard to leave, but for him it wasn’t goodbye it was see you later. He still keeps in touch with them and considers all them family.
Even though he is busy, Andrew still manages to have a girlfriend he is very proud of and who shares the same beliefs as him. His girlfriend of eight months is in Russia doing missionary work for an orphanage. When he talks about her he can’t be clearer on how amazing he thinks she is, and how proud he is of everything she is doing. He said she gets back in a month and is very excited.
With them being so far apart you would think it may make them grow apart, but for them it is the complete opposite. Andrew said that they have grown closer than ever. They have to use different types of communication though, such as Voxer and Facetime. But the distance does ruin Andrew’s ideal date of cooking his girlfriend steaks.
Through Andrew’s struggles he has become confident in the fact that he is on the right path, and the path that God wants him to be on. Andrew said the most important thing in life is, “to be different, don’t always fall into the status quo. It is OK to go the extra mile and have a strong faith.”