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Why Two Defenders Caused Kansas State's Collin Klein To Wait Before Naming Captains
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- Why Two Defenders Caused Kansas State's Collin Klein To Wait Before Naming Captains
(Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images)
Kansas State Wildcats coach Collin Klein is going to spend most of the preseason practice trying to figure out a depth chart.
Next month, he also will show extreme patience in deciding who will serve as the team captains for the season. There are two reasons why Klein is waiting so they long and they are defensive back Wesley Fair and linebacker Rex Van Rhye.
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Both players represented the Wildcats last week at Big 12 Media Days in Frisco, Texas.
"I think both are exemplary work ethic, character, investment and care for our team," Klein said. "We've really developed our leadership council through the winter and the spring. Voted on that after that to build that nucleus of guys. We're waiting to vote on captains until two weeks into training camp to give those guys a chance to work and compete with each other and develop with each other, learn one another."
Last season Fair, a Wichita native, got off to a strong start before struggling with self-claimed consistency issues the second half of the schedule. He finished with 36 tackles, three pass breakups and a fumble recovery, starting six of the 12 games.
Van Whye is coming off a season with 31 tackles (1.5 for losses) and a fumble recovery. This is perhaps his first time to shine as the lead member of the linebackers group. Klein is just how their growth in practice translates to game action.
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"These two guys defensively over the last month in the summer have done a great job in our player representation meetings, bringing issues to the table, helping serve their teammates and solve problems, being sold out to our team concept," Klein said. "All of those characteristics translate directly to the field.I could say we could definitely have brought 10, 12, 15 guys that are doing that. I thought those two really stood out over the last month."
MORE K-STATE NEWS
Collin Klein and Wesley Fair share special moment at Media Day
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In new era of college football, Klein is keeping it old school
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Shandel Richardson is the publisher of KStateRoundtable. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com
