Former OSU Receiver Represents Oklahoma At National Level

Claremore native and former Oklahoma State receiver Nathan Gilsleider has continued his athletic career, but it’s not on the football field catching passes and running routes; it’s making timed runs down twisting and turning banked ice with the U.S. Bobsled National Team.

“It’s great; it’s a burn every day,” said Gilsleider. “It’s a great experience to represent our country.”

Gilsleider also said it’s not only an honor being able to represent the U.S., but it’s also nice being able to represent Oklahoma and Claremore Christian School, where he graduated with a class of 12 in 2005.

“It means a great deal to me because I went to a small school,” he recalled. “Being able to represent my small school and state is something that I’m very proud of.”

After high school, Gilsleider attended Hesston Junior College on baseball and basketball scholarships before transferring to Eastern Oklahoma State College the following year on a baseball scholarship.

Later, he attended OSU after sustaining a shoulder injury that ended his baseball career. Despite his football inexperience, Gilsleider decided to walk-on with the Cowboys and loved his experience before graduating in 2009.

But how did the former footballer make the switch from end zones to ice tracks?

“I did an internship at the Michael Johnson Performance Center, and there was an athlete there that was trying to get back to the NFL and after not getting in he led me in the way we had to do it and helped me make the team,” Gilsleider explained.

Later in August of 2014, he completed his first combine for the U.S. Bobsled Team and placed 2nd in the nation without any formal training or sponsorship.

This year, Gilsleider has improved his combine scores and made a move to Lake Placid to train full-time. In his time there, he was named as a rookie to sled and made the U.S. team in October of this year.

“The rush of it, it’s a very rough and tough sport,” he stated. “[But] getting to go through that with your teammates is probably the best part.”

Although he loves what he does, and is working hard to earn a gold medal at the 2018 Winter Olympics, Gilsleider says it’s good to be home for a bit. “It’s great. I was gone for about three months, so it’s always good to be back.”