Boys Beyond the Boots, Episode 2 - Brayden Smith

In the second of a two-part series, Corban Mullins speaks with Pistol Pete #98, Brayden Smith, who offers a peak behind-the-scenes of the interview process to become the iconic mascot of Oklahoma State and reveals how he puts his unique twists on the longstanding, proud tradition of embodying the legendary gunslinger. Don't miss out on knowing Brayden's favorite ice cream flavor, and go back and listen to Callan Hall talk with Pistol Pete #97, Cooper Hamilton, if you missed it the first time around.

Visit the Stuff OSU Should Know homepage to browse previously released podcasts!

Transcript

STUFF OSU SHOULD KNOW

Boys Beyond the Boots, Episode 2: Brayden Smith

PRODUCED & RELEASED FALL  2024

(10:56)

Cast:

Corban Mullins, Guest: Brayden Smith

[00:00:00]

INTRO: 

This is Stuff [crowd chanting O-S-U] Should Know [drumroll]...
[0:05]

Corban: Hi, I'm Corban Mullins. I'm a part of the Stuff OSU You Should Know podcast, and today we're doing an episode on meet the Pistol Petes.

Brayden: My name is Brayden Smith, I'm Pistol Pete, number 98. I'm a senior from Altus, Oklahoma, studying Ag Business and Finance.

Corban: Awesome so the first question we've got for you today, Brayden is, why did you try out to be a pistol Pete? 

Brayden: So I tried out to be Pistol Pete just because I'm an AGR. Five of the past eight pistol Petes have all been AGRs, and so that's including myself. And so I've had the opportunity to kind of be around them, watch them all excel in those roles and see how they got to do things. Then you're on the spirit rider team, and then got to see kind of more in depth, hands on experience of kind of, you know, what exactly a Pistol Pete does. And so after talking to them more, and getting a hear about, you know, all the cool, neat places they get to go, the little humbling experiences, like, especially stuff with little kids, those are awesome. And then you just love OSU. [Corban agrees, 1:02] And that's kind of why I tried out, you know, I kind of want to be that person that's going out there and putting that smile on people's face while at the same time, embodying the Cowboy Code and OSU spirit.

Corban: Yeah awesome. Kind of on the topic of the tryouts, what was your process kind of like? like a little bit on what the general, process was like, but also kind of like your own personal experience.

Brayden: So it was unique. So I'd have to say I've never had an interview like it before. So coming in beforehand, you're kind of expected to know the history of Frank Eaton to the extent. You know where he's from, basically beginning to end. And so, you know, I memorized all that beforehand, and go into the interview day of. We get there on a Sunday at Gallagher Iba, and then come time for our interviews, which is around an hour ish, after we get there, we go through. We had 20 guys this year, which is a lot compared to years past. And so we were probably there for eight hours. 

Then whenever I walked in for my interview, it was, you know, just simple, get to know you questions: things like, you know, where are you from? Tell us about yourself. How do you feel on firearms? Can your vehicle transport the head? And then we got an opportunity to put on the pistol the Pistol Pete head. And from there, it was kind of you know, scenario-based. Like, first, like, let's see how you look in the head, and then let's run you through some scenarios. Like, can you think on your feet, like you're not really expected to know, like everything right there, like how to be a Pete like, you pick that up over time, you add your own stuff to it. 

But for the most part, it's just: do you have the ability to think on your feet? [Corban: Yeah] and like how do you look and like, for me, that's how I really picked up. Whenever they asked me to put on the head and walk the wall as slow as I can and then turn around, walk back as fast as I can. When I turn around and walk back, one of the judges, who it's a panel of judges that's all former Pistol Petes, is right there with glasses and a cane, simulating him being blind. And so whenever I turned around, you know, he's right there. And so I luckily got soft in time, but he flew back and like “oh, Pete, you hit me. What the heck?!” And it's like, he's like, what are you gonna do now. And so it's just having that ability to think on your feet. And after that, it was just kind of, well, you have anything that we missed. Like, kind of simple interview, but with a little twist to it. 

Corban: Yeah, that's awesome, like, so I guess you mentioned, going a little off book here. You mentioned adding in, like, picking up things at the past two Petes, but also adding in your own twist to it. Yeah, are there any twists, anything subtle, that you've added in yourself?

Brayden: So I do have, I want to say I pistol twirl a lot like, like, spin it real fast straight across back up here and around and then, like, do lots of little things with my hands. Like, especially after, like, a long game day, like, I'm not just doing like, stuff like this or like this [makes gestures]. Like, it's like, a lot of you know, things like that, giving a little like, but add some emphasis to it, and just trying to make people laugh. You know, it's funny. Like, my friends will call me out on after, like, a game day or something like that. Yeah, go to like, you know, that's a day where you’re pete all day long, and I'll get home, I still have those little mannerisms. And it's just like, Okay, well, let's try to switch off. Yeah, and then, but that's just, there's some little things, a lot of it's just kind of like in the moment type stuff. Like, I'd say, Out of the two of us, I’m probably the dancing Pete like, I'm not afraid to kind of get after it, and shake a leg or two.

Corban: Yeah. So if we're looking for you, we're looking for dancing some hand motion, awesome. Well, what has been your favorite event so far as Pistol Pete?

Brayden: Probably the coolest one I've done. I've had two. I had one yesterday, where I got to meet Mr. Harold Ham, and I gotta do a bit of Continental. I think probably the coolest one I've done, and I've enjoyed the most was the Nissan Heisman house commercials in Austin, Texas. They put us up in the four seasons so they treated us very, very well. Shout out to Nissan, and the rest of the crew. And also everybody that was shooting stayed at the same hotel. [5:00] And so during the day… 

The unique thing about Pistol Pete is that, you know, it's not a huge secret. We’re allowed to do stuff like this, speaking of bad sense of that nature. So we had the opportunity to meet a lot of those past Heisman winners and NFL players and so on, so forth. And so, you know, we even got to meet guys like Mark Ingram, Reggie Bush, RG Three guys like, all that. 

And we got back to the hotel that night after a long day of, you know, just being around all those guys and see Mark Ingram on the first floor, and he had DoorDashed some food from down the street. And, you know, we're just like, you know, what are you doing? He's got food and is like where are yall off too and we say “oh just a restaurant down here on the corner.” And he said would “you care if I joined?” I said not at all. Never in a million years did I think I'd be walking through a restaurant with, you know, Mark Ingram behind me  and people just looking like, Who are these two guys? But now that was a really neat experience. We got to go and visit and go tour all the University of Texas campus, their stadium, people at the golf course we shot at, they're great. The whole the whole experience, the whole weekend, was just a blast. 

Corban: That sounds awesome. So going into those, those big events, maybe not as like the touristy ones, more like games and events where you really are, like, Pistol Pete you got the helmet on. Do you have any, like, pregame rituals you kind of go about, or anything you do before events that really kind of gets you ready? [6:27]

Brayden: Not, not really, I'd say a lot of times, at least if I'm on the road, it's always a cup of coffee to go and then, like, you know, just get myself, kind of, I'm getting there, psyched up, kind of pumped up, like, energetic and but for the most part, it's like, once I put on the heads, like, there’s this kind of switch. Every time I go out to do an appearance, no matter what I'm doing, where I'm at, what the appearance is like, I'll put on the head, and I was just two claps and go. And that's kind of like a little internal switch. When it comes to game day, I always like to wake up and get to the field super early, quite earlier than we need to. I always go to Sonic, get myself an ultimate meat and cheese burrito coffee to go. Call it a day. That's kind of a little pre game ritual.

Corban: That's a ritual, right there, that's for sure. Yeah. Okay, well, being a pistol Pete, you guys go to a lot of events. You do a lot of stuff. Like, how do you balance the responsibilities you have for school, academics, and then, like, a social life on top of that? Yeah?

Brayden: So it's difficult, especially right now, along with my duties as Pete and the executive director for homecoming, and got some other stuff going on as well, but it is hard balancing it all and having time to kind of sit back and take it all in. But I keep pretty detailed calendar, and I always try to look and get my stuff done ahead of time to where I make sure that I can cut out time for my friends and, you know, social life, like you said, then at the same time, also have that ability to really take in what I'm doing, and not just… it be a rat race all day, every day. 

Corban: Yeah. So what would you say is, like, the hardest thing you've done, most challenging thing as like, a pistol Pete? [8:15]

Brayden: Like appearance wise?

Corban: Appearance wise, could be something in the tryouts that you guys did anything like that.

Brayden: Hardest thing I will say, the hardest thing I've done as Pete would have been my first appearance, because I didn't really know what to expect, what to do, how to act. I really just knew the walk, and that was it. And that's one of the appearances I'll never forget. I keep a written record of all my appearances, but that'll be one I never forget is that Obrate Stadium. 

And it was, they had some professors from abroad come in, they brought in, they're all kind of touring around Stillwater and OSU, and it was just supposed to be just a picture at Obrate field, and I got in there, you know, early, get the head on, walk upstairs. It's just me. There's nothing else going on there, and I'm doing a walk. And then they all get there, and they're all, like, everybody's touching up on Pete. And that's the first time I've done it. I was like, Okay, what? Like, what do I do? I don't know what's going on, but then, like, figuring it out. And I was like, “Oh, my God, this is gonna be rough.” Yeah. Week goes by and you kind of get the groove of it. It gets easier and easier with every appearance.

Corban: So what is that pressure like, you know, going into your first event, and then going into all the events you've done following that like, what is that like? What is that pressure like knowing you said you knew some of the prior Petes? What is that pressure like, knowing you're kind of going in with that, with that reputation, and then adding your own on top of that? 

Brayden: Yeah, I always like to think of it as, you know somebody's always watching you, whether it's a little kid. A friend of a past Pete, Frank Eaton family. It shouldn't matter. But just like thinking like, I always think all the time, like and what is what I'm doing, reflecting positively on the legacy and story of Frank Eaton and, you know, as well as the Pistol Pete alumni of Oklahoma State. And so just the biggest things being situationally aware. The pressure the first for the first little while, like it was that it was straight pressure, and it's like, Okay, I gotta be the best Pete I can be. And then it should still be like that. It's just gotten a lot more comfortable, and, like, comfortable in my ability and like, what I know I can do well, what can't do as well. I kind of improve on it. 

Corban: Awesome, awesome. Well, to wrap things up, what is your favorite ice cream flavor?

Brayden: Without any doubt it's a chocolate chip cookie dough. No question.

Corban: Okay. Really. From any specific place?

Brayden: Brahms, chocolate chip cookie dough. That's been my favorite since I was like six years old. Love it. [10:26]

Corban: I 100% approve of that choice. Thank you for meeting with us today Brayden it's been wonderful having you.

Brayden: Thank you for having me. 

[OUTRO: OSU Band plays]

[10:56]