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Volume 128 Issue 26
COMMENTARY Kansas football can learn from Snyder, K-State
It wasn't always smooth sailing for Kansas State football before current coach 74-year-old Bill Snyder took over and elevated the program to national status over his 21 seasons with the program. Kansas State, before Snyder took the reigns, was at the bottom of the barrel. In the four years prior to his hiring, the Wildcats limped to a 3-40-1 record, and showed about as much life as the current Kansas football team.
"I was just amazed to hear young guys talk about never wearing their letter jackets because they were too embarrassed," Snyder said in a SBNation.com article, when reflecting on the program he inherited.
The first year of the Snyder-rebuild wasn't pretty. Kansas State finished 1-10 and lost all seven of its conference games. But as the years wore on, and Snyder instilled intrinsic values of family, hard work and integrity, the program saw incremental improvement.
"They treat the no-chance walk-ons with the utmost respect," former KSU quarterback Stan Weber said, in a CBSSports.com article. Weber's son, Stanton, saw special teams time for the 2014 Wildcats after being told "no" by many other coaches. Bill Snyder, however, said yes.
Stanton Weber's story is not unique. Defensive end Ryan Mueller from St. Thomas Aquinas in Overland Park was named to the preseason all Big 12 team this summer after several years of hard work under Snyder. Kansas didn't even offer him a scholarship.
By 1992, the "Kansas State way" was paying off and by 1993, KSU capped off a 9-2-1 historic season with a 52-17 defeat of Wyoming in the Copper Bowl.
After a solid foundation was laid, cemented by persistence, patience and tireless, old-fashioned grit, the K-State football program, once the butt of many jokes, was off and running like a fine-tuned machine.
With an enrollment and an athletic department about the size of Kansas, and the same home state from which to recruit from, K-State and Bill Snyder are a model of success for Kansas football. Interim Kansas coach Clint Bowen has made comments that give hope that there might be a little Snyder in him.
"As a player on this team you have a responsibility to do everything in your power to help, and that's every single one of us, and you will see first-line guys on (special teams).' Bowen said.
Nobody is above the team. Each player is a part of the family. Stars, second-string, walk-ons. Snyder's reign will come to a close one day, but there is so much to be learned from his work. Bowen's narrative at Kansas, though, is just beginning:
Edited by Miranda Davis
DS life in Kansas
FRANK WEIRICH/KANSAN
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Even though Svi studied English for the over a decade in Ukraine, he said he needs to improve by taking three basic English classes at the University this semester. Manning tries to help him with his English homework, and Svi tries to teach him Russian.
"He came up to me with some homework, and it's actually really tough for me as person that speaks English,"
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World Series bound? - Not
ansas Athletics related,
it still worth mentioning.
at the first time since 1985,
e Kansas City Royals have
vanced to the American
ague Championship Ses,
one round away from the
world Series.
rger - After firing Weis, success of his next coach hire will likely determine future as the athletic dior.
SEE SVI PAGE 9
factor - Kansas football
merbacks JaCorey Shepard
and Dexter McDonald
are quietly had a nice sea-
they are tied for sixth in
Big 12 in passes defended.
Edited by Lyndsey Havens
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ANNA WENNER/KANSAN
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