War Pigs reunite to clear path for Barry Sanders
STILLWATER — Jason Kidder still laughs when he hears the nickname, all these years later.
A couple others were unsure where the name even came from.
Regardless of how they got it, or what it meant, the War Pigs are coming back.
The Oklahoma State blockers who opened holes for Barry Sanders in the greatest single season ever by a college football player will reunite for the first time since that spectacular season of 1988 when they clear Sanders’ path once again at OSU’s homecoming parade. Sanders and the War Pigs will serve as grand marshals of the parade Saturday morning before the Cowboys take on Texas at 7 p.m.
Doug Meacham, an OSU offensive lineman through the 1987 season, gets official credit for coming up with the War Pigs nickname. It carried over to the 1988 group, which included five seniors, four of whom had come into the program together as part of the 1984 recruiting class.
The War Pigs seemed to fit their title: a faceless group of beasts who went into the trenches and attempted to flatten anyone who came into their path.
A couple of them got some postseason recognition. A few got their shot in the NFL, though none stuck for long.
They were all good players. But together, they were great.
“We were a very cohesive offensive line,” said Kidder, who now lives in Little Rock, Arkansas, and is a manager for National Wallcovering. “No big stars or anything like that. Just a bunch of guys who knew each other and trusted each other and functioned well together.”
From left tackle to right, the group included Mike Wolfe, Chris Stanley, John Boisvert, Kidder and Byron Woodard, plus fullback Garrett Limbrick. Fullback Cecil Wilson, who died last year, was part of the group as well, and will be recognized in this weekend’s activities.
To know what the War Pigs meant to Sanders, you only have to watch about 10 seconds of his Heisman Trophy acceptance speech. First, he thanked God. Then, his blockers.
When OSU administrators began planning to get Sanders back for Saturday’s homecoming, they assured him the War Pigs would be included.
“These offensive linemen, who never get any attention, I’ve told them all that 30 years later, they’re going to be rock stars on America’s greatest homecoming weekend,” said Larry Reece, OSU’s associate athletic director of development, who was charged with organizing the return of the group.
Not only will the fans get to celebrate the War Pigs, the linemen will get to have their own reunion, with all of them joining together for the first time since the Holiday Bowl at the end of the 1988 season.
“We’ve all been text messaging back and forth since this came about, and we’re all excited to see each other,” said Stanley, who lives in Yukon and has been an OSU season-ticket holder for the last 20 years. “The other
guys all live out of state, so we don’t get to see each other. Thirty years is a long time for that.”
They’ve gathered together, a few at a time, over the years, but never all as a group. Boisvert, who has been a high school football coach since he quit playing, often has the toughest time making it to any reunions, often having to coach games on Friday nights, with many of the events being scheduled for Saturdays at OSU games.
“I told them I wouldn’t miss this one. I’d find a way,” said Boisvert, who is the offensive coordinator at Newman Smith High School in Carrollton, Texas. “I have a game Friday night, so I won’t be there for that stuff. But I’ll leave straight after the game to be there for everything Saturday. I’m excited. It’s gonna be really good to see all those guys again.”
Wolfe, whose family has been dealt more than its share of tragedy in the last couple of years, is anticipating the reunion for many reasons. His brother, Greg, who was a graduate assistant at OSU in 1988, was one of three family members to die in a brief period of time.
“Through 30 years, there’s a lot of life that happens,” said Wolfe, who lives in Bentonville, Arkansas. “This trip will be very emotional for me. A lot more emotional than most. You look back at life, and the interactions you had and all the good and bad times you had when you were younger. Some you laugh at and some you’re ashamed of. But we were all blessed, and I don’t think we knew it at that time. The friendships, the success and the ability to block for the best running back that ever played the game.
“I can assure you that it’s gonna be a wonderful time this weekend.”
Sanders’ 1988 performance is often regarded as the greatest single season ever by a college football player. He set the NCAA rushing record with 2,628 yards, not including his 222-yard, five-touchdown game against Wyoming in the Holiday Bowl.
That brought his totals to 2,850 yards and 44 total touchdowns (42 rushing). He had four 300-yard games, and went over 200 yards in the final six games of the season.
Numbers that may never be touched again.
And the War Pigs deserve their credit, too.
“Tough, smart, loyal. Every one of ‘em you’d spend a night in a foxhole with,” former OSU coach Pat Jones said. “They were a classic Oklahoma State offensive line.”