Big Blue View
Oklahoma State coaches laud Black’s work ethic, attention to detail and yearly improvement
It didn’t take long for Bryan Nardo to figure out what Korie Black was all about after being hired as Oklahoma State defensive coordinator before the 2023 season.
“He was actually the first player I met when I got to campus. I went into the indoor [practice facility] two days after I was announced as the coordinator,” Nardo said. “It was a Sunday and I go in there to see the indoor for the first time and Korie Black’s in there doing extra work by himself — with his dog. He had his pet in there.
“I have a 3-year-old who’s running over to the dog, he’s [Black] probably like, who’s this idiot running up here with his kid? It was me.”
That was Nardo’s introduction not only to Black, but to the work ethic that would eventually lead the Oklahoma State cornerback to the Giants.
“He’s an unbelievable kid. He’s an incredibly hard worker. Very smart,” Nardo said. “Very good cover corner. Almost undervalued in what he did at Oklahoma State because you almost took for granted how good he was.
“The one thing about Korie that I always loved was anything that was asked of him, anything that needed to be done to the smallest detail, it was done. And done at a very high level. Everything that, as a coaching staff, we asked Korie Black to do, there was never a doubt he was going to do it. Which I think is a testament to his loyalty, a testament to his work ethic, and why he has risen so high and done so well.”
Nardo shared a small detail that he appreciated about Black.
“We did green mouthpieces if you got a takeaway. And that was something I had taken with me wherever I’ve been. You look at all the pictures of Korie Black, he’s always wearing the green mouthpiece,” Nardo said. “He wasn’t like some of the other guys that would put another color on or do their own thing every now and then. It was a small thing, but I had told him how much I appreciated that. It was like, that’s what we’re supposed to do, and I’m going to do it.”
Tim Duffie was Oklahoma State’s cornerbacks coach during Black’s entire five-year career with the Cowboys.
“I think he’s a very dependable guy. Hard working. And he’s bigger than most people think. When you stand next to Korie, obviously he’s not 6’2”, but he’s a very thick, muscle-bound dude that can really change directions. A student of the game,” Duffie said. “Someone who has really, each year he played, developed to a better player. He’s one of those guys that’s always dissecting this game and trying to improve.
“I thought he played good for us, but his best football is ahead of him because he gets better every year.”
Black did not receive an invitation to the NFL Scouting Combine,...
