Kansas State University - The Royal Purple Yearbook

“fans feed the frenzy by Wade Sisson fans with great expectations came in swarms to KSU Stadium in a preseason Fan Appreciation Day. The football feeding frenzy following K-State ' s 1993 Copper Bowl victory brought about 3,500 Cat fans to the Aug. 25 event. " If you ' d had one of these 10 years ago, you ' d have had 20 people here, " John Havlin, associate professor of agronomy, said. " It ' s been remarkable watching the transition. " Coach Bill Snyder, introduced as " the man who ' s rewriting the history of K-State football, " spoke of that transition as he introduced his coaching staff to the fans. " There ' s more people here today than when we first played ball here, " Snyder said. Russ Ewy, graduate student in regional and community planning said he was surprised Snyder hosted such an event. " He was a secretive person when he first got here, " Ewy said. " When he first came here, he installed the green mesh on the fence to avoid attention. " There was no escaping attention for Snyder and the players, who were inundated with fans. Autograph seekers engulfed senior quarterback Chad May in a circle of outstretched arms holding T-shirts, notebooks, footballs, posters and K-State license plates. For May, the day was a way for the team to give thanks. " It was great for the kids, " May said. " We wanted to give our thanks to the fans. It was something I felt we needed to do. " It was great for the players, too. " This is perfect, " senior offensive tackle Barrett Brooks said. " There ' s nothing like playing for people who like you. " This is wonderful. I haven ' t written my name this many times in the four years I ' ve been in college. " Fan support could decide a season, Mo Latimore, defensive line coach, said. " It sets the pace for the season. It gets the team motivated to play hard. That ' s what college football is all about — hearing the fans screaming for the team. " One former K-State football player said he was overwhelmed by the crowd ' s enthusiasm. " There ' s more people here today than there were for our last game against Colorado my freshman year, " David Reynolds, running back from 1974 to 1979, said. " The interest is incredible now " Five-year-old Ashley Bonjour waits for her mother to take a picture of her next to sophomore wide receiver Kevin Lockett. About 3,500 Wildcat fans descended on KSU stadium Aug. 25 for Fan Appreciation Day. (Photo by Cary Conover) Senior quarterback Chad May is swamped by fans as they wait for autographs. Fans brought footballs and other memorabilia for players to sign. Above: Manhattan resident John Wertin watches the end of the Cats ' practice. (Photos by Craig Hacker and Darren Whitley) 12 fan appreciation day ”