Well, I see I look kind of silly. I went to Jeff's Q&A and see he kind of addresses this issue. I'm really not sure I believe it though. I'm still confused why Butler's response to all the Kansas RB's was not included in the article and more importantly, what good points did Butler make?
Here's the article for those who want to guess at what those good points are.
Sometimes an in-state football player is too good to stay
No one will believe him, which is why Brian Butler is compelled to explain.
"I love K-State," he said.
He has attended Kansas State football games since his freshman year of high school. His little brother, Rashad Jackson, played briefly for the Wildcats. His unofficial count of K-State games is at 50, and he has tailgated in Manhattan nearly as many times.
"Some of the best in the country," he said.
But, as some might find this hard to believe, this isn't about Butler. He said he is simply an advisor and a trainer, in either order, and two of his highest-profile clients just happen to be East High's Arthur and Bryce Brown, who could be the nation's top overall talents in the classes of 2008 and 2009.
In his mind, his role is well-defined, yet skepticism persists.
He's become a polarizing figure among football fans within the state, despite his pro-Kansas (or pro-Wichita) stance. Arthur Brown, a senior-to-be, has scholarship offers from 50 schools, but he recently slashed the list to 23 -- with K-State and Kansas making the cut. Butler speaks warmly of both programs; but for some die-hard fans, that's not enough.
The thinking goes, if he's as pro-Kansas (or pro-Wichita) as he seems, why not funnel the prospects he advises and works with to the in-state programs? Why not keep the home-grown talent home?
"If you're not getting negative criticism, you're not doing something right," Butler said. "All I'm trying to do is something positive. I told Arthur straight up a long time ago, this decision is his. I'll give my opinion, but it's his call."
He admits to having an issue with K-State, but it's a legitimate beef. His argument is that the talent in Wichita or elsewhere in Kansas is just as good as the talent elsewhere, but K-State and ku have historically never embraced this notion.
According to Butler, the logic in the past was why take a chance on a second-tier prospect from Kansas when a passed-over, fourth-tier kid from Texas was available? Send the Kansan to a junior college --"the farm system," Butler said -- and take the Texan, if for no other reason than perception.
Butler -- and both Browns -- take exception with such logic, which was prevalent under Bill Snyder but still exists now with Ron Prince.
Consider the case of Kapaun Mount Carmel running back Frank Delarue, whom the Browns have trained with. Neither in-state school offered a scholarship to Delarue, an All-Class 5A selection. He had interest from a few Mid-American Conference schools, but he decided to walk-on at K-State, where his brother, Tysyn Hartman, will be a third-string freshman quarterback this fall.
"I know Frank is a better back than some of the guys (K-State) signed, but he's not good enough for a scholarship," Butler said. "That hurt (the Browns') feelings. That was a guy who they knew was a good football player. They looked at other kids' tape on Rivals.com and Frank's highlight tape is much better. We don't understand.
"It put a bad taste in their mouth, and I told Coach Prince this."
Butler doesn't think this surge in Wichita talent is a fluke. There will be plenty more prospects in the future, and the in-state schools need to change their approach.
"It's just the perception of Kansas football," he said. "It's wrong. The home state should be the backbone of the program. I like Coach Prince and (James) Franklin, I really do. But the only hard feelings I have is how they've treated our kids and not given them the benefit of the doubt, the way they do with kids from Texas and Florida."
