One carry for four yards does not a happy camper make, so Jeff Snyder had one foot out the door of the Kansas University football locker room.
Snyder, a former All-Kaw Valley League tailback at Lansing High, was primed to transfer to St. Mary’s College in Leavenworth.
“I wanted to step in somewhere and play,” said Snyder, a 6-foot-1, 215-pound fullback-tailback. “It was all about playing for me.”
Then Clint Bowen was named KU’s special teams coach and Bowen realized he had in Snyder the quintessential special-teams player.
“I started looking at his numbers,” Bowen said. “I saw he was big and he was strong and he ran a 4.65 so I told him, ‘Trust me, I’ll have some say in the special teams and I’ll find a spot for you.'”
Snyder’s initial reaction was doubt.
“Honestly, I’d never played special teams before,” he said. “But I realized it was an opportunity to play and to prove myself. It was always my dream to play (NCAA) Div. I football, so I took it and ran with it.”
Snyder began the 2001 season on the kickoff return team and did such a good job he was also placed on the kickoff coverage as well as the punt return and punt coverage teams.
In other words, Snyder has been Mr. Special Teams in Kansas football this fall, and Bowen is delighted.
“I couldn’t be happier he stayed,” Bowen said. “He’s been great on special teams. He’s a hard worker and a great kid.”
Snyder ran for 1,420 yards and 22 touchdowns at Lansing High in 1997 and, typical for a Class 4A Kansas prep standout, he was recruited mostly by jucos. Snyder picked Hutchinson, where he played linebacker and fullback.
“I had a solid freshman year, but I didn’t live up to expectations my sophomore year,” he said.
More or less unwanted as a football player after junior college, Snyder decided to go to Kansas as a walk-on where he spent his junior year mostly standing on the sidelines at home games or sitting in Lawrence when the Jayhawks went on the road.
Snyder’s lone appearance on the field during the 2000 season was the one carry for four yards he made very late in KU’s 42-0 romp over NCAA Div. I-AA Southern Illinois.
This year Snyder has seen almost as much time on the field as he would if he were a starter on offense or defense, mostly because the Jayhawks return a lot of kickoffs and do quite a bit of punting.
Regardless, Snyder will hold his head high today when the seniors are recognized. His parents will be here along with his grandparents and several aunts and uncles.
“Kansas is where I wanted to come out of high school,” he said. “My grandparents have always been big Jayhawk fans.”
More important, though, is that Snyder will earn a degree in exercise science next May. He hopes to become a coach some day.
“Coach Bowen let me know he’d do everything he could for me,” Snyder said. “I’m happy he believed in me.”
One carry for four yards does not a happy camper make, so Jeff Snyder had one foot out the door of the Kansas University football locker room.
Snyder, a former All-Kaw Valley League tailback at Lansing High, was primed to transfer to St. Mary’s College in Leavenworth.
“I wanted to step in somewhere and play,” said Snyder, a 6-foot-1, 215-pound fullback-tailback. “It was all about playing for me.”
Then Clint Bowen was named KU’s special teams coach and Bowen realized he had in Snyder the quintessential special-teams player.
“I started looking at his numbers,” Bowen said. “I saw he was big and he was strong and he ran a 4.65 so I told him, ‘Trust me, I’ll have some say in the special teams and I’ll find a spot for you.'”
Snyder’s initial reaction was doubt.
“Honestly, I’d never played special teams before,” he said. “But I realized it was an opportunity to play and to prove myself. It was always my dream to play (NCAA) Div. I football, so I took it and ran with it.”
Snyder began the 2001 season on the kickoff return team and did such a good job he was also placed on the kickoff coverage as well as the punt return and punt coverage teams.
In other words, Snyder has been Mr. Special Teams in Kansas football this fall, and Bowen is delighted.
“I couldn’t be happier he stayed,” Bowen said. “He’s been great on special teams. He’s a hard worker and a great kid.”
Snyder ran for 1,420 yards and 22 touchdowns at Lansing High in 1997 and, typical for a Class 4A Kansas prep standout, he was recruited mostly by jucos. Snyder picked Hutchinson, where he played linebacker and fullback.
“I had a solid freshman year, but I didn’t live up to expectations my sophomore year,” he said.
More or less unwanted as a football player after junior college, Snyder decided to go to Kansas as a walk-on where he spent his junior year mostly standing on the sidelines at home games or sitting in Lawrence when the Jayhawks went on the road.
Snyder’s lone appearance on the field during the 2000 season was the one carry for four yards he made very late in KU’s 42-0 romp over NCAA Div. I-AA Southern Illinois.
This year Snyder has seen almost as much time on the field as he would if he were a starter on offense or defense, mostly because the Jayhawks return a lot of kickoffs and do quite a bit of punting.
Regardless, Snyder will hold his head high today when the seniors are recognized. His parents will be here along with his grandparents and several aunts and uncles.
“Kansas is where I wanted to come out of high school,” he said. “My grandparents have always been big Jayhawk fans.”
More important, though, is that Snyder will earn a degree in exercise science next May. He hopes to become a coach some day.
“Coach Bowen let me know he’d do everything he could for me,” Snyder said. “I’m happy he believed in me.”
One carry for four yards does not a happy camper make, so Jeff Snyder had one foot out the door of the Kansas University football locker room.
Snyder, a former All-Kaw Valley League tailback at Lansing High, was primed to transfer to St. Mary’s College in Leavenworth.
“I wanted to step in somewhere and play,” said Snyder, a 6-foot-1, 215-pound fullback-tailback. “It was all about playing for me.”
Then Clint Bowen was named KU’s special teams coach and Bowen realized he had in Snyder the quintessential special-teams player.
“I started looking at his numbers,” Bowen said. “I saw he was big and he was strong and he ran a 4.65 so I told him, ‘Trust me, I’ll have some say in the special teams and I’ll find a spot for you.'”
Snyder’s initial reaction was doubt.
“Honestly, I’d never played special teams before,” he said. “But I realized it was an opportunity to play and to prove myself. It was always my dream to play (NCAA) Div. I football, so I took it and ran with it.”
Snyder began the 2001 season on the kickoff return team and did such a good job he was also placed on the kickoff coverage as well as the punt return and punt coverage teams.
In other words, Snyder has been Mr. Special Teams in Kansas football this fall, and Bowen is delighted.
“I couldn’t be happier he stayed,” Bowen said. “He’s been great on special teams. He’s a hard worker and a great kid.”
Snyder ran for 1,420 yards and 22 touchdowns at Lansing High in 1997 and, typical for a Class 4A Kansas prep standout, he was recruited mostly by jucos. Snyder picked Hutchinson, where he played linebacker and fullback.
“I had a solid freshman year, but I didn’t live up to expectations my sophomore year,” he said.
More or less unwanted as a football player after junior college, Snyder decided to go to Kansas as a walk-on where he spent his junior year mostly standing on the sidelines at home games or sitting in Lawrence when the Jayhawks went on the road.
Snyder’s lone appearance on the field during the 2000 season was the one carry for four yards he made very late in KU’s 42-0 romp over NCAA Div. I-AA Southern Illinois.
This year Snyder has seen almost as much time on the field as he would if he were a starter on offense or defense, mostly because the Jayhawks return a lot of kickoffs and do quite a bit of punting.
Regardless, Snyder will hold his head high today when the seniors are recognized. His parents will be here along with his grandparents and several aunts and uncles.
“Kansas is where I wanted to come out of high school,” he said. “My grandparents have always been big Jayhawk fans.”
More important, though, is that Snyder will earn a degree in exercise science next May. He hopes to become a coach some day.
“Coach Bowen let me know he’d do everything he could for me,” Snyder said. “I’m happy he believed in me.”
One carry for four yards does not a happy camper make, so Jeff Snyder had one foot out the door of the Kansas University football locker room.
Snyder, a former All-Kaw Valley League tailback at Lansing High, was primed to transfer to St. Mary’s College in Leavenworth.
“I wanted to step in somewhere and play,” said Snyder, a 6-foot-1, 215-pound fullback-tailback. “It was all about playing for me.”
Then Clint Bowen was named KU’s special teams coach and Bowen realized he had in Snyder the quintessential special-teams player.
“I started looking at his numbers,” Bowen said. “I saw he was big and he was strong and he ran a 4.65 so I told him, ‘Trust me, I’ll have some say in the special teams and I’ll find a spot for you.'”
Snyder’s initial reaction was doubt.
“Honestly, I’d never played special teams before,” he said. “But I realized it was an opportunity to play and to prove myself. It was always my dream to play (NCAA) Div. I football, so I took it and ran with it.”
Snyder began the 2001 season on the kickoff return team and did such a good job he was also placed on the kickoff coverage as well as the punt return and punt coverage teams.
In other words, Snyder has been Mr. Special Teams in Kansas football this fall, and Bowen is delighted.
“I couldn’t be happier he stayed,” Bowen said. “He’s been great on special teams. He’s a hard worker and a great kid.”
Snyder ran for 1,420 yards and 22 touchdowns at Lansing High in 1997 and, typical for a Class 4A Kansas prep standout, he was recruited mostly by jucos. Snyder picked Hutchinson, where he played linebacker and fullback.
“I had a solid freshman year, but I didn’t live up to expectations my sophomore year,” he said.
More or less unwanted as a football player after junior college, Snyder decided to go to Kansas as a walk-on where he spent his junior year mostly standing on the sidelines at home games or sitting in Lawrence when the Jayhawks went on the road.
Snyder’s lone appearance on the field during the 2000 season was the one carry for four yards he made very late in KU’s 42-0 romp over NCAA Div. I-AA Southern Illinois.
This year Snyder has seen almost as much time on the field as he would if he were a starter on offense or defense, mostly because the Jayhawks return a lot of kickoffs and do quite a bit of punting.
Regardless, Snyder will hold his head high today when the seniors are recognized. His parents will be here along with his grandparents and several aunts and uncles.
“Kansas is where I wanted to come out of high school,” he said. “My grandparents have always been big Jayhawk fans.”
More important, though, is that Snyder will earn a degree in exercise science next May. He hopes to become a coach some day.
“Coach Bowen let me know he’d do everything he could for me,” Snyder said. “I’m happy he believed in me.”
