Fort Gibson's Hair-Raising Player

Originally Published: Sep 28, 2009 5:8 PM CDT

Kyle Dierking
Oklahoma Sports Reporter

FORT GIBSON, Oklahoma – It is something that Courtney Gaston had been trying to tell everybody, but words would not suffice.

“I sent them a message on my head kind of,” said Gaston, smiling.

Some things just go better left unsaid and etched in your haircut.

“Everybody around my school has been calling me, 'D-1' because of all the division one attention,” Gaston said. “I kind of took it upon myself and said, ‘if you’re going to make fun of me, go get on Google and Google me instead of sitting here and saying I’m not this good.’”

That’s exactly what it says: “Google” on one side of his head, “me” on the other.

“Week one a bunch of the guys got mohawks, so he went and did his and put his own special touch on it,” said Fort Gibson coach DJ Howell. “That’s just Courtney being Courtney.”

“Most people around my school don’t even know who I am,” Gaston said. “I’m kind of like one of the guys that stand out now with the ‘Google me’ on my head.”

He really already was one of those stand-outs. The search engines reveal that Gaston is one of the state’s top prospects, but right now his focus is on the Tigers and getting first-year coach DJ Howell a haircut of his own.

“They’ve kind of made some wagers that if we can accomplish a few things – I’m not going to talk about – but if we accomplish a few things I’ll gladly get my haircut. They can shave it bald for all I care,” Howell said.


THE NEXT LEVEL
Gaston recently committed to the University of Arkansas, choosing the Razorbacks over Kansas, Kansas State, Texas Tech and Tulsa.

Fort Gibson coach DJ Howell said Gaston projects as an outside linebacker in a 3-4 defensive scheme. He could be an edge rusher on the defensive line in a 4-3 package.

Read more on Gaston’s commitment to Arkansas.