WATCH: Oklahoma State walk-on Dee Mitchell shocked with scholarship whereas working his shift at Walmart

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Within the fall of 2018, Dee Mitchell confidently strolled into Mike Boynton’s workplace and pitched himself as somebody worthy of carrying an Oklahoma State basketball uniform as a walk-on. 

On Sunday night, in the midst of Mitchell’s 1-10 p.m. shift at Walmart as a produce stocker, he was shocked by his head coach — who informed the faculty junior he’d earned a basketball scholarship for the rest of his time at OSU. 

“Unbelievable second,” Boynton informed CBS Sports activities. “Very hardly ever am I emotional. This one nearly received me.”

Boynton pulled off the stunner by calling Mitchell’s supervisor prematurely to get the OK and ensure all was clear. Mitchell had a usually scheduled Zoom assembly together with his educational advisor and his teammates on Sunday throughout a 30-minute shift break. What he did not understand was that everybody was in on the shock. 

“This implies all the things to me,” Mitchell mentioned. “I did not know what was occurring. It was an actual shock. It was breathtaking. It felt like I used to be in a film or one thing.”

These type of walk-on-to-scholarship tales and movies made for social media have change into an uplifting regularity in school sports activities through the years, however Mitchell has a path in contrast to most others. It is not normal for an on a regular basis school freshman to work up the braveness to introduce themselves to the massive school coach and ask for a tryout. And in 2018 when Mitchell did it, he did not even have his want initially granted. 

It wasn’t till a number of months later — in January 2019, when Boynton kicked three Oklahoma State gamers off the staff and this system held open tryouts simply to fill the roster — that Mitchell resurfaced and made it as a walk-on. For the following two months Mitchell excelled in follow. He even unexpectedly stepped up in spot responsibility, hitting an enormous 3 to power additional time in a sport in opposition to the Texas Tech staff that will go on to make the nationwide title sport. Boynton granted Mitchell one other yr of being a walk-on for the 2019-20 season, and 10 video games into final season, Mitchell wound up beginning a sport at ranked Houston resulting from sickness and harm elsewhere on the roster. 

“It was, what I assumed, was our hardest sport of the yr,” Boynton mentioned.

Oklahoma State received by six. 

However final fall, because of the pandemic, Mitchell thought his enjoying profession was just about over. Two years faraway from strolling into Boynton’s workplace to ask for a tryout, now he was strolling in and saying he did not assume he may hoop anymore. The pandemic meant his mom misplaced her job, and if he was going to remain at school he needed to discover a job of his personal to assist pay payments for himself and his mother. 

“I am like, ‘Dee, if you wish to play basketball, you may have a spot right here,'” Boynton mentioned. “‘If you wish to keep, you do not have to stop.'”

So Mitchell took a job at Walmart working 40 hours per week for $12/hour as a produce stocker. He does this job on prime of 15 hours price of lessons per week. Mitchell sticks with the staff as a lot as he can, opting to rise up for six a.m. exercises day by day, earlier than both his Walmart shift or his each day class schedule, to remain targeted on basketball health. This previous semester Mitchell, a sports activities and training science main, completed with 5 As and a B. His work schedule has been so busy, he is solely been in a position to be at three of Oklahoma State’s video games thus far this season. 

However now he is on scholarship. Appropriately sufficient, Mitchell’s shock got here precisely two years to the day from when he made the staff. (Sunday additionally occurred to be Boynton’s birthday.) Boynton would have beloved to have taken your entire staff to mob Mitchell on the retailer, but it surely’s a pandemic in spite of everything and plenty of of OSU’s gamers are at the moment in quarantine protocol. 

“I actually admire Coach Mike, and I actually look as much as him,” Mitchell mentioned. “I plan on being somebody like him sooner or later — hopefully touching individuals the best way he touches them.”

Mentioned Boynton: “He is simply one of many 5 hardest-working children I’ve ever been round. And to see the child undergo final semester and do all the things he may to be part of our staff, whereas working, whereas attempting to do college, unbelievable. And that is what that is about. What higher instance are you able to give to a child about not letting circumstances dictate your perspective?” 

Mitchell and Oklahoma State are scheduled to renew practices on Wednesday. The Cowboys are 9-3 and have an enormous residence sport scheduled for Saturday in opposition to No. 2 Baylor. After the shock, Mitchell’s supervisor informed him he may take the remainder of the evening off.

“No ma’am,” Mitchell replied. “The bananas want restocking.”

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