KSUFans Archives
Sports => Snyder's Electronic Cyber Space World => Topic started by: WildCatzPhreak on May 16, 2007, 10:17:07 AM
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Seeing Snyder
BY KEVIN FLAHERTY
THE MORNING SUN
A former Kansas State football coach who turned the program from a laughingstock to a national contender visited Pittsburg and Girard Tuesday.
Bill Snyder serves as chairman of the Kansas Mentors and was in Girard for a conference the program held at the Southeast Kansas Education Service Center at Greenbush. He also spent time signing copies of his biography, "Bill Snyder: They Said It Couldn't Be Done," at Hastings Tuesday evening.
Snyder said he enjoyed working on the book, written by Mark Janssen, and said it wasn't difficult, despite his quiet reputation.
"Reputations are perceptions and perceptions become reality, which indeed, I didn't feel that was necessarily the case," Snyder said. "I didn't share everything, just as you wouldn't share everything about your life.
"What I really enjoyed about it was that it gave me the opportunity to reflect back on all the things that had taken place in my life and during my career," Snyder said. "I had not had the opportunity to do that."
Kansas State was one of the worst programs in Division I football when Snyder took over, but he built it into a power, winning at least nine games in eight straight seasons and at least 11 in four consecutive years. He also won a Big 12 title in 2003.
Snyder coached three area players during his time at Kansas State, Shad and Dylan Meier of Pittsburg, and Dustin Mengarelli of Girard, who walked on.
"Shad was obviously a very talented young guy," Snyder said. "He was able to have success in the NFL as well. He was an athletic tight end for us and was a tough guy as well. I remember late in his career, he was injured, two or three days before a game he had a severely sprained ankle. He came back and played for us."
Snyder said he felt bad for Dylan because of his shoulder injury that put him out for his junior year, but Snyder said he was proud that Dylan was going to play in Europe.
"I'm pleased about that. It will be a good experience for him, and he's a guy that likes new challenges and new experiences," Snyder said. "Dylan has such a capacity to be able to lead young people. He was such a great leader in our program.
"When 10 other guys got into the huddle with him, he was the guy," Snyder said. "He knew which plays to get you into and which plays to get you out of. He was really a very gifted young guy. I don't know Kerry as well as I know Dylan, but it is my belief that Kerry is the same way, just a tremendous leader. They were both quiet leaders, and they were both successful on the field."
Snyder said he appreciated Mengarelli's work ethic.
"Dustin was really a tremendous young fella," Snyder said. "He was as hard working of a young guy as you could find, and that's what we loved in our program.
"He was a young guy that didn't really have all the major college proportions," Snyder said. "He wasn't a big, tall guy, so size was a little bit of an issue for him. But whatever he lacked in physical capacity, he made up for in tenacious hard work and all of the core values that we cherish so much were certainly there."
Snyder said he was also proud of the 10 assistant coaches from his Kansas State teams that went on to become Division 1A head coaches, including Bob Stoops at Oklahoma and Mark Mangino at Kansas.
Snyder said current Kansas State coach Ron Prince was doing well.
"I think they will be successful," Snyder said.
One-year after his retirement, Snyder said he still missed coaching.
"I knew that was going to take place," Snyder said. "You can't do something for as long as I did and not miss it. But I watched every game this year, home and away, and I didn't have any anxiety attacks during that time.
"I just tried to enjoy it like a fan would, and I did."
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doesn't surprise me at all. dylan was one of the best holders on pks in the snyder era.
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He always seemed bright from the way snyder spoke of him. I think he might have a shot at being a decent arena qb.
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:lol: - Dylan playing professionally..... :lol: :lol: :lol:
I hope they don't mind that he can't throw an accurate pass past 15 yards.... :loly:
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Telling you, he was built for a 50 yd field with no wind.
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Don't confuse "playing in Europe" with The NFL Europe. A buddy of mine used to play here, then coached here as a GA, and now he coaches professionally in France... he also plays for the same team he coaches.
I'm not exactly sure how their system over there works but from everything he's told me its about the equivalent of semi-pro baseball or the NBC (National Baseball Congress) here in the states, and we all know that semi-pro baseball and the National Baseball Congress are nowhere near the level of the minor leagues. $.02
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A former Kansas State football coach who turned the program from a laughingstock to a national contender visited Pittsburg and Girard Tuesday.
When I first read that i thought it said quarterback instead of coach
i was like WTF