Before he knew anything about coronavirus or social distancing, K-State wide receiver Wykeen Gill looked down at his draft board and knew he had a tough decision to make.
When Chris Klieman arrived in Manhattan in December 2018, K-State's head football coach introduced competition teams to the Wildcats: players across positions groups that will stay together throughout the season and hold each other accountable at each workout and practice.
First off, they needed to pick teams, and Gill was on the clock.
"That was a heck of an experience," he said of this year's draft. "Malik [Malik Knowles] ended up getting the first pick of the whole draft, which just killed me because he was yelling it out and was a true character about it."
Before every Wildcat made their pick, they were introduced by K-State's Director of Strength and Conditioning Chris Dawson, who acted as commissioner on draft night.
In keeping with NFL Draft tradition, Dawson was booed before every selection.
One pick off the board, but Gill wasn't worried yet. Until it was his senior quarterback's turn to pick.
"My man Sky [Skylar Thompson] ended up taking one of my first picks, he snuck one of them because he was right before me," Gill said. "Those guys are real characters and I just had a fun time being able to draft with them."
On that night, the thought of missing out on spring football wasn't on the radar for the Wildcats. But the importance of those competition groups and the culture of accountability they represent has been revealed through an off-season that continues to test K-State football.
Through video messages shared with their teammates, K-State players have been able to talk about the challenges of preparing for the 2020 season, even when they can't be together.
"With the virus getting serious, I was thinking, what's going to happen this semester if we don't have practice or spring ball? That's going to be tough on us," defensive back Brock Monty said. "K-State football has been known for its discipline. This is an opportunity for us to show individually how disciplined we are, so that we take advantage of this time and when we come back, we're steps ahead of other teams and ready for the fall."
Monty was one of the first K-State players to record a video message for his teammates, another Klieman idea as players have returned home to continue the semester remotely.
In his video, Monty talked about the time away from football as an opportunity, something every Big 12 team will face that determines whether or not they are successful on the field.
"I know it can get tough, working out by yourself or running by yourself if you don't have teammates around," Monty said in a video message to his teammates. "One thing my competition team talked about a lot in the spring was accountability partners. I really encourage you guys, if you struggle with that, to reach out to people on the team."
Offensive lineman Logan Long's competition team is made up of Wildcats from the secondary, special teams, and defensive line. When the junior returned home to Oklahoma this month, Long said he needed to get creative as he looked to continue his offseason workouts.
"All the gyms are closed in my town," Long said. "I've seen a few videos that I've tried to implement of people using 10-gallon buckets full of water…The bottom line of this situation is that we all need to have some encouragement and need each other."
Through video messages shared with the team, senior leaders have found a new way to support their teammates and strengthen the bond between every competition team on the Wildcats.
"I still tap into those guys weekly," Gill said. "I encourage them to tell me what they've got going on with their day and we always chat it up about our workouts."
The emphasis on communication while the Wildcats are away from campus began with coaches and assistants reaching out to players, but has grown into a team-wide effort.
Long said his days in Oklahoma often start with videos from players, coaches or special guests outside the program. Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz – who played under Klieman at North Dakota State – made an appearance this month, along with K-State alumni such as Denver Broncos offensive lineman Dalton Risner.
When it became clear that measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 would mean a break from football at K-State, Klieman reached out to his own players about recording videos.
"His message was that this is a time for us to get ahead," Long said. "That's kind of what I talked about in my video, just encouraging guys to stay accountable, because they know they have teammates in a different state or even the same city that are working out and trying to stay accountable for themselves."
With the loss of spring football, many of K-State's senior leaders have used these videos to deliver a message, one that would otherwise arrive during a morning workout or film session.
Monty said the videos have helped him stay motivated on days when a few texts from his teammates can make all the difference.
"I think it's good all the way around," he said. "People may think we're just sitting at home, but we still have a lot of stuff that we're doing trying to get ready for when we do come back."
Finishing the spring semester at home has presented the Wildcats with a number of challenges, from taking classes online to working out on their own.
For players like Long, the past few weeks have been the most time spent away from football since middle school.
"I kind of joke that it's like the first summer break I've ever had in my life," he said.
Long added that the past few weeks have been an important reminder of what lies ahead after college football. While he is focused on his final two seasons in Manhattan, the junior is getting a chance to look ahead to the challenges and opportunities that await him.
"I imagine this is kind of what some of the seniors feel like when these relationships aren't there every day. You have 120 guys that you call your friends and best friends," he said. "This is the most time I've had at home with my Mom, so there's been a lot more time with family while you're social distancing from the people around you."
The Wildcats have also needed to adjust from early morning practices, where coaches and teammates can push them, to finding that same motivation when they work out by themselves.
"I think it's harder when you're alone, but I think that goes back to how disciplined are we?" Monty said. "You can't think that everyone in America is doing as much as they possibly can right now. That's where we can get ahead."
With players from different position groups able to provide encouragement during the break from football, Gill said every text, call and video message is an important way for the Wildcats to hold each player to the K-State standard.
"It's about getting everyone involved in different and ways and about having a voice," he said. "If we can just keep that same day-by-day process and win the day, you're going to be fatigued, you're going to be sore, you're going to have things going on off the field, but you've still got to win that day."
"football" - Google News
March 30, 2020 at 06:04PM
https://ift.tt/33V6irj
SE: Video Messages, Draft Picks and How K-State Football Has Stayed Together - K-StateSports.com
"football" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2ST7s35
Shoes Man Tutorial
Pos News Update
Meme Update
Korean Entertainment News
Japan News Update
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "SE: Video Messages, Draft Picks and How K-State Football Has Stayed Together - K-StateSports.com"
Posting Komentar