Former Oklahoma State Stars Eliminated From NFL Playoffs
In this story:
Some of Oklahoma State’s former stars didn’t have luck on their side over the weekend.
On Saturday and Sunday, the NFL’s divisional round took place, with four teams being eliminated to set up next weekend’s conference championship matchups. Among the four teams eliminated were the two with former OSU players on the roster.
The first Cowboy to be eliminated did not play, and his absence might have contributed to his team’s early exit. The Detroit Lions lost to the Washington Commanders on Saturday despite playing at home as the NFC’s top seed. Of course, the Lions have former OSU fan favorite Malcolm Rodriguez on the squad, who has grown into a key contributor for the team over the past few years.
While his team’s season ended on Saturday, Rodriguez’s season came to an end after he tore his ACL in the Thanksgiving game. Although there is no way to know if he could’ve made any difference in his team’s quest for a title, he had an interception in the NFC Championship last season and may have been in for another big playoff moment.
Meanwhile, another two Cowboys were taken out of the playoffs on Sunday when the Baltimore Ravens fell to the Buffalo Bills. Although former Oklahoma Sooner Mark Andrews’ dropped two-point conversion stole the headlines, a couple of Cowboys were also on the wrong side of his performance.
Justice Hill and Tylan Wallace have each played their entire NFL careers in Baltimore and could’ve played important roles in a title run, but they couldn’t escape Buffalo with a win. Hill finished the game with six rushes for 50 yards and had another two catches for 7 yards. Meanwhile, Wallace had one catch for 27 yards.
The former OSU duo helped Baltimore throughout the season on its way to a 12-5 record. While they didn’t have enough to go further in the postseason, Hill and Wallace represented OSU well and have proven just how important Cowboys can be when they get to the NFL.
OSU won’t have any players competing for a Super Bowl this season, but the program can’t be disappointed with how its former stars performed.
Want to join the discussion? Like Oklahoma State Cowboys on SI on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Cowboys news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.
Ivan is a sports media student at Oklahoma State University. He has covered OSU athletics since 2022 and also covers the OKC Thunder for Inside The Thunder and Thunderous Intentions.