Thunderstorms - a few could contain very heavy rain, especially overnight. A few storms may be severe. Low around 65F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall near an inch..
Tonight
Thunderstorms - a few could contain very heavy rain, especially overnight. A few storms may be severe. Low around 65F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall near an inch.
Kansas State linebacker Daniel Green stares South Dakota offensive lineman Joey Lombard, during the Wildcats’ win over the Coyotes on Sept. 3, 2022, at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. Green suffered a season-ending pectoral injury in Saturday’s game at Missouri.
Kansas State linebacker Daniel Green stares South Dakota offensive lineman Joey Lombard, during the Wildcats’ win over the Coyotes on Sept. 3, 2022, at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. Green suffered a season-ending pectoral injury in Saturday’s game at Missouri.
Kansas State senior star middle linebacker Daniel Green is out for the rest of the season following a pectoral injury suffered last Saturday in Columbia and a season-ending surgery, head coach Chris Klieman announced at the top of his weekly press conference on Tuesday.
Green, who surprised coaches, teammates, media members and fans alike when he decided to return for a sixth and final season, is one of just a handful of players left on the roster who was here when Klieman and staff arrived in Manhattan in 2019, and the bond between the fifth-year Wildcat coach and the two-time captain is a strong one, making this week’s news that much tougher to swallow.
“It’s been a tough couple of days around here,” Klieman said. “(Green’s) been the heart and soul for our football team. Daniel and I have been through an awful lot since the first day I got here. … I’m just gut-wrenched by losing him, and not because of the football part of it. ... Now some of the other guys have to step up.”
Green entered this season with 219 career tackles, and he’s currently 18 shy of becoming the 27th player in school history with 250 in a career, and 82 shy of entering the K-State’s top-10 list. He also has 162 solo tackles in his career, which is seven shy of entering the school’s top-10 list. Had he played even one more game, he could have been the first Wildcat to break into the top 10 in career unassisted tackles since Jonathan Truman 2014.
Green’s injury is a blow for the Wildcats on and off the field.
“I’m just completely sick for him,” fellow senior linebacker Austin Moore said. “I’m not going to lie. I was pretty emotional about it yesterday. I look up to him so much, and I know the sacrifice and the hard work that he’s put in for this team. He’s made me better. He’s made so many guys around us better, and K-State’s a better place because he came here and not just because of what he did on the football field, but just because of how many people he’s impacted and made their lives better.”
Klieman was unsure whether Green would be able to get an injury waiver from the NCAA to come back next season, and also wasn’t sure whether that was something that the senior would even want to pursue.
“I haven’t even asked about that, probably because it’s so fresh and so new, and I don’t even want to have the conversation with him,” Klieman said. “It will be something that I’m going to investigate.”
Klieman also said he expects Green to stay on with the team this season in a “player coach” role.
What makes the situation even worse is that Green’s back-up, Jake Clifton, was already out because of an injury sustained in the season opener. While the coaching staff expects the sophomore to be back, it most likely won’t be until after the bye week following this Saturday’s Central Florida game.
That means true freshman Austin Romaine will get his first start on Saturday. The Missouri native has played in all three games this season and had three tackles versus Troy.
“That’s a big task for a true freshman, and he doesn’t play and doesn’t act like a true freshman,” Klieman said. “He belongs; he’s a really good football player. I think we’ve seen that in the first few weeks now; he’s got to be a catalyst in there.”
Romaine will share duties with junior Beau Palmer. Both got the lion’s share of the reps during fall camp which is where they earned the opportunity.
The freshman won’t have to take on the Green’s full role, though. Moore said he will take over the communication and leadership portion while staying at his regular outside linebacker spot. Romaine will get to put all of his focus on his own play.
A super-fast UCF offense is a tough way to make a debut, but Romaine has the full faith of his coaches and teammates.
“I’m super confident in Austin,” Moore said. “He has a ton of talent and I know he’s going to work his butt off. I’m gonna push him, and he’s definitely going to be ready to go Saturday.”
The Wildcats and Knights kick off Saturday at 7 p.m. at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. The game will be televised on Fox Sports 1.
