Kansas State Wildcats football legend, trailblazer Veryl Switzer dies at age 89
By Kellis Robinett
One of the most decorated and influential athletes in Kansas State history has died.
Veryl Switzer, who starred as a running back for the Wildcats from 1950 to 1953, passed away on Saturday at the age of 89.
“Today is a sad day for Kansas State University,” K-State athletics director Gene Taylor said in a statement. “Veryl was one of the most influential and impactful K-Staters in our lifetime and helped pave the way for so many others to follow in his footsteps. He will be forever remembered as a true trailblazer as we keep his family and friends in our thoughts and prayers.”
Switzer was a trailblazer during his time in Manhattan, as he became the first Black scholarship athlete to graduate from K-State. He earned a degree in physical education in 1954. He later earned his master’s in education from K-State in 1974.
His K-State legacy began in 1950 when he accepted an athletic scholarship from the Wildcats. It didn’t take him long to become a star. Switzer earned All-America honors in three consecutive seasons from 1951-53 while leading his team in a plethora of statistical categories. He piled up yards and touchdowns as both a running back and a return man.
But he played more than just football at K-State. He was also the Big Seven Indoor long-jump champion in 1952 and garnered three letters in track and field.
After his college career came to an end, he was the fourth player selected in the 1954 NFL Draft. The Green Bay Packers selected him with their first-round pick. To this day, Switzer remains the highest-drafted football player in K-State history.
Switzer left the NFL to serve as a first lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force from 1956-58, but he returned to the gridiron shortly afterward with the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League.
Later in life, he returned to K-State and worked as an administrator in 1969. Switzer was long ago immortalized in the world of Wildcats sports as a charter member of the K-State Athletics Hall of Fame. His name can also be found at Bill Snyder Family Stadium in the school’s football Ring of Honor.
VIA: https://www.kansas.com/sports/college/big-12/kansas-state/article262178392.html
Photo Courtesy of AP Photo/The Kansas State Collegian, Christopher Hanewinckel
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