THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2014
PAGE 9B
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Oklahoma State quarterback Daxx Garman is tackled by Kansas State defensive end Jordan Willis and defensive back Randall Evans during the first half of the game in Manhattan on Saturday.
No.9 K-State's success relies heavily on walkons
MANHATTAN — Scholarships don't guarantee prominence or stardom at Kansas State.
Many highly rated recruits never see the field, or bide their time for several seasons before getting a chance to compete. Meanwhile, players who show up without a scholarship are fighting them for the same jobs.
Hard work, perseverance and the right attitude mean much more to longtime coach Bill Snyder than the number of stars attached to a recruit's name.
That's why the walk-on program at Kansas State has been so successful.
"People can say we get overlooked, but ultimately it's up to us," said linebacker Jonathan Truman, one of three former walk-ons who are team captains. "We need to win all of our games and then we'll finally get some respect. It's up to us and it's what we do."
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So far, the ninth-ranked Wildcats (7-1, 5-0, No. 7 CFP) are the lone unbeaten team in the Big 12, and head into Saturday night's showdown at sixr- ranked TCU with a chance to make a statement to the college football playoff selection committee.
As usual, they'll be relying on a
bunch of former walk-ons.
Defensive end Ryan Mueller, who made headlines last season with 11 1/2 sacks, has been tearing up opposing offenses once again. He has another 2 1/2 this year, despite dealing with double- and triple-teams just about every week.
Truman is third in the Big 12 with nearly 10 tackles per game, and he's 20 tackles ahead of the next-most productive player on the Kansas State defense. The serious weight lifter also got hold of a fumble and nearly returned it for a touchdown.
Special teams captain Weston Hiebert is also a former walk-on, and starting defensive back Randall Evans and center B.J. Finney have gone the walk-on rout. Finney redshirted his first year on campus, moved into the starting lineup the following year and established himself as a candidate for the Outland, Rimington and Lombardi awards.
In total, there are 58 players on the roster that are current or former walk-ons.
"I have a tremendous amount of respect for those guys," Kansas State linebacker Will Davis said. "They come in and they have to prove themselves every day. From the first day they get here, they have to show that they can hang with everyone else here.
"To go through all of that stuff
is crazy to me."
Snyder established the walk-on program at Kansas State after arriving from Iowa, where coach Hady Fry had used it to similar success. His own son, Sean Snyder, walked onto the team at Kansas State when his father was hired and became an All-American punter. He's now the associate head coach and special teams coach.
Others walk-ons include current Green Bay Packers star Jordy Nelson, former NFL players Jon McGraw and Rock Cartwright, and defensive end Blake Seiler, who is also an assistant coach on Snyder's staff.
"We take a lot of pride in the road that we've taken to get here." Truman said. "It also is a part of the hard work we've put in and dedication that it's taken us to get to this level."
Davis said the walk-ons separate Kansas State from many other programs. It's not just that they arrive in droves, but that they become productive team members.
"You don't normally hear about that anywhere else." he said. "They come to work every day and that's why they are captains. They're not just leaders vocally, but also by the way they work."
Associated Press
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Asia Boyd, senior, guard
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Aldridge is the only nonsenior in the starting five, and she just so happens to be a freshman. At Marshfield High School, Aldridge set the records for most assists in a game and most 3-pointers in a game, while being selected to the All-Central Ozark Conference team all four years.
Lauren Aldridge, freshman guard
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Natalie Knight, senior, guard Coming off a season where she was named as an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention, Knight will be looking to put up another solid performance. Last season, Knight averaged 10.6 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game.
Women's basketball Gameday: Washburn
November 9 at 2 p.m. I Allen Fieldhouse
Kansas senior forward Chelsea Gardner puts up a shot against Fort Hays State forward Elle Stein on Sunday at Allen Fieldhouse.
KANSAS:
SCOTT CHASEN
@SChasenKU
Last season, Boyd recorded her first career start and managed to put up a doubledouble, with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Boyd ended up averaging 11 points and 4.8 rebounds per game as a junior, and she continues to be one of the most important players for the Jayhawks.
Bunny Williams, senior, forward Williams had somewhat of a down year last season, averaging just 10.9 minutes per game, which was about four minutes fewer than her sophomore season. Regardless, Williams appeared in 29 contests for the Jayhawks as a junior, and she shot 63 percent from the field.
Chelsea Gardner, senior, forward
-Last season Gardner led Kansas in points, blocks, rebounds and double-doubles,
and she was selected to the All-Big 12 First Team.
WASHBURN:
Janelle Travis, senior, guard Travis played in all 27 of the team's games and led Washburn in assists on 11 different occasions. Travis is definitely not shy about shooting it from long-range, as she led the team in 3-point field goal attempts, makes and percentage. Additionally, Travis led the team in free-throw percentage (minimum five attempts).
steals and minutes per game.
Buchman has a knack for getting to the free-throw line,
so the jayhawks will have to be careful to make her work for her points without fouling.
Taylor Ignoto, senior, guard
Ignoto will be playing in her first full year at Washburn, as she had to sit out the first semester of last year due to transfer rules. Ignoto started 10 of the 19 games she played in, and she has the ability to shoot the three-ball, connecting on six out of seven 3-pointers in one game alone last year.
Dana Channel, senior, forward Last season, Channel started 18 of the team's 27 games, and now that Washburn has lost some of its frontcourt depth, she'll have the opportunity to move up into the forward position at 5-foot-10. The Kansas native averaged 3.7 rebounds per game last year, and she finished fourth on the team in minutes.
Casyn Buchman, senior, guard Last year, Buchman started every single game, and she led Washburn in points, assists,
Honor Duval, senior, center
Dana Channel, senior, forward
Honor Duval, senior, center
Duval played in all 27 games for Washburn last season,
averaging 10 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. Duval finished third on the team in rebounds and blocks while averaging 19.6 minutes per game.
Edited by Alyssa Scott
Byron T. Shutz Award Lecture Jide Wintoki
The Effect of Corporate Governance and Legal Institutions on the Value of Companies in the U.S. and Around the World
November 13 at 3:30pm Reception follows
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The Commons, Spooner Hall 785-864-4932
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