•OSU coach Mike Gundy addresses Stillwater Board of Education, offers to pay to make schools safer.

STILLWATER — Amid a quiet Sherman E. Smith Training Center, with the only clear sounds being the hurried footsteps and heavy breaths of young men running 40-yard dashes, Boone Pickens made a relatively grand entrance.

In the middle of Oklahoma State’s Pro Day, a door rose, and a golf cart strolled in, Pickens among its passengers. Recently, the 89-year-old megadonor hasn’t been able to make as many trips to Stillwater as he would like, but he was there Thursday to see off a senior he has bonded with in quarterback Mason Rudolph.

“Big Hoss was in the house today,” Rudolph said. “He’s the man. … Blessed to have gotten to know him throughout my career and develop a friendship.“

Rudolph, Pickens, Cowboys coach Mike Gundy and university president Burns Hargis formed a collection of impactful OSU alums in attendance, chatting and posing for photos. Gundy, who has had a strenuous relationship with Pickens in the past, stood by his side the longest.

“It was cool to have all those big names in the building,” Rudolph said.

Rudolph pleased with Pro Day performance, set to meet with teams

Rudolph entered Thursday feeling he had already shown what he was capable of. That didn’t make his day any less impressive, when he accurately slung a variety of passes around the Sherman E. Smith Training Center.

“Even though it matters, you’ve got to kind of take it with a grain of salt,” Rudolph said. “Whether I came out there and did a poor job, or whether I killed it — which I did — I feel like it’s all about what you’ve already put on film and what you are when you strap the pads on.”

The NFL Draft begins April 26, and Rudolph has four private workouts and two visits to NFL teams scheduled in the upcoming weeks, though he declined to name the organizations he’ll meet with. The Pittsburgh Steelers had six representatives at OSU’s Pro Day, including coach Mike Tomlin, who spoke with Rudolph at the end of the day’s events.

Rudolph is unsure whether he’ll attend the draft at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, or watch it from home in Rock Hill, South Carolina.

“I think Mama Rudolph may be the one that’s gonna make that decision,” Rudolph said.

Lacy improves 40-yard dash time

After Chris Lacy ran the 40-yard dash Thursday, he found fellow receiver Marcell Ateman, who was using his phone to keep times.

When Ateman told him his time was 4.38 seconds, Lacy felt no need to do a second run.

“I’m done,” he said passionately.

Lacy ran a 4.51 at the NFL Combine and came into Pro Day with the goal of improving his time. Although Ateman’s tracking was unofficial, Lacy said most scouts in attendance had him with a high 4.3 or a low 4.4.

“Did everything I wanted to do,” Lacy said.

Extra points

Receiver Brandon Sheperd, who last played for OSU in 2015, and running back Rennie Childs, whose senior season was 2016, also participated in Pro Day. … Defensive tackle Ben Hughes did 37 reps on the bench press, which would’ve tied for the third most of any player at the NFL Combine.