Kansas State great Terence Newman is about to add another major honor to a football resume already packed with them.
This weekend, Newman will be inducted into the National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame, with the ceremony taking place during Saturday’s game against the Kansas Jayhawks at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. The former Wildcats All-American is being recognized for a career that made him one of the defining players of his era at Kansas State.
Newman starred for the Wildcats from 1998-2002 after coming out of Salina Central (Kan.) High School. His college career brought plenty of hardware: the Jim Thorpe Award, Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and All-American honors.
That puts him in the middle of a familiar Kansas State debate: where does he belong in the school’s all-time great conversation, and does he fit on the program’s Mount Rushmore?
The first three names are treated as near certainties: running back Darren Sproles, quarterback Michael Bishop and quarterback/current coach Collin Klein. That leaves one open spot, and Newman has a strong case to take it.
His argument goes beyond what he did in Manhattan. Newman also put together a long NFL career after the Dallas Cowboys drafted him No. 5 in 2003. He went on to spend time with the Cincinnati Bengals and Minnesota Vikings before his playing days ended in 2017.
Over 15 seasons, Newman piled up 876 tackles, 42 interceptions and five touchdowns from the defensive side of the ball. He was also named All-Pro twice.
There are other Kansas State names worth mentioning for that last place, too. Linebacker Mark Simoneau was a dominant force from 1996-99, won Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and is already in the College Football Hall of Fame.
Receiver Tyler Lockett also belongs in the discussion after becoming one of the most explosive players in school history from 2011-14 and setting Kansas State records for receptions and yards. He was also a key part of the 2012 team that lost to the Oregon Ducks in the Fiesta Bowl.
In Other News...
Kansas State Opens Casey Alexander Era With A Brutal Big 12 Warning
Casey Alexanders first season in Manhattan is already being framed by the size of the task in front of him. After Kansas State moved on from Jerome Tang, the Wildcats turned to Alexander to steady the program, and he inherits a roster that looks almost entirely rebuilt. With only one player back from last season, the early blueprint leans heavily on transfers and internal development to get the group competitive in a Big 12 that does not leave much margin for starting over.
The preseason outlook did not offer much comfort, either. The Big 12 media poll pegged Kansas State to finish tied for 14th in the conference, a blunt reminder of how much ground Alexander has to make up right away. For a program trying to reset under a new coach, the challenge is less about proving the poll wrong in October than showing enough progress to make the Wildcats look like a team on the rise before league play begins to sort everyone out. [Read more 🡒]
Houston Has A Huge Week 7 Chance To Change The Big 12 Race
Week 7 arrives with the Big 12 looking crowded at the top and every ranked matchup carrying some weight for the conference title chase and the College Football Playoff conversation. The slate has plenty to sort through, from BYUs visit to Notre Dame to Oklahoma States meeting with Houston, but for Kansas State fans the one that stands out most is the rivalry game against Kansas, a meeting that always brings extra edge no matter the records involved.
With standings so compressed, these are the kinds of weekends that can tilt the league picture in a hurry. Kansas State enters a stretch where every result matters, and the combination of ranked games and old rivalries across the conference means the Wildcats will be watching more than just their own matchup as the race starts to take shape. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas State Has More Than Bragging Rights Riding On Saturday
Saturdays game against Kansas carries plenty of ordinary border-war weight, but it also doubles as a showcase for Kansas States future. Several top high school recruits are on campus for official visits, giving the Wildcats a chance to pair the atmosphere of the rivalry game with a closer look at how the program is presenting itself under a new coach.
The stakes go beyond the scoreboard and the current winning streak against the Jayhawks. With Chris Klieman having resigned last December and his successor, a former offensive coordinator at Texas A&M, now trying to raise the programs recruiting profile, this weekend offers a useful sales pitch. A strong showing on the field would help, but the Wildcats also know the impression they make off it could shape future classes. [Read more 🡒]