Next week, I will be unveiling my list of top-10 embarrassments to Oklahoma State University. In the meantime, a recent event has occurred which may or may not belong on the aforementioned list.
Earlier this week, the Cincinnati Bengals made their final cuts for the regular season. One of those cuts was starting running back and perpetual fantasy football disappointment Rudi Johnson. Unhappy with their running back situation, the Detroit Lions decided to give Johnson a shot at being their feature back. To make room for him on the roster, the Lions dumped former OSU Heisman hopeful Tatum Bell.
While cleaning his locker out, Bell saw the man who replaced him show up, drop his duffel bags, and enter the coaching office. Summoning the level of maturity he learned under the tutelage of Les Miles, he did what any spurned NFL player would do. He stole Rudi Johnson's personal belongings, an act that was caught by the team's security cameras.
A harmless prank, one would surmise, right? Rudi would come out of the coaches office and see that his bags had been misplaced, and head out to the field where his skivvies would be hanging the goalposts or icy hot smeared inside his jock strap, Bell would get some retaliation for being cut, everyone would have a laugh, and Johnson would be welcomed as a new member of the team. Unfortunately, that is not how it played out.
According to the former Bengal runner, his bags were quite a bit lighter when they were located.
The two bags, which Johnson got for appearing in the Pro Bowl, were taken to a woman's house and she returned them to Johnson, but most of his belongings were gone.
"There were no clothes, just underwear, socks and tank tops," Johnson said.
Also missing were Johnson's credit cards, which he has since cancelled, his personal identification and a money clip containing about $200. He got the clip back, but not the money.
"He should have took the clip, too," Johnson said.
As weird as one millionaire stealing clothes and petty cash from another millionaire sounds, it gets weirder and more embarrassing for OSU:
The Detroit Free Press reached Bell by phone and he said it was an honest mistake.
He said he thought he was grabbing bags belonging to former Lion teammate Victor DeGrate, who had also been cut.
He had just dropped them off at someone's house at DeGrate's request.
Victor DeGrate? This Victor DeGrate? That means not only is one of Tailback U's great line of running backs likely a thief, he is involved in an OSU run cartel of locker room thieves.
