Kansas

Kansas State football All-American Cooper Beebe not picky about where Cowboys use him

Published

2 years ago

April 30, 2024

Kansas State football All-American Cooper Beebe not picky about where Cowboys use him

MANHATTAN — No one who observed Cooper Beebe during his Kansas State football career would accuse him of being a one-trick pony.

A more fitting adjective for the Wildcats’ All-America offensive lineman would be jack-of-all-trades. Not only was he versatile, but versatile at an elite level.

No doubt that was one trait that attracted the Dallas Cowboys to the 6-foot-3, 322-pound Beebe when they snagged him in the third round of the NFL Draft on Friday with the No. 73 overall pick. During his five years in Manhattan — 2019 as a redshirt and the next four as a starter — he played every position on the line except center.

“I’m coming in to do whatever the team needs to win,” Beebe said in an online interview on the Cowboys’ website. “If they need me to play center, then that’s something I’m going to do. Whatever I need to do for the Cowboys to win, I’m going to do it.”

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Yes, Beebe could very well wind up at center, the one place he didn’t play in college.

Most draft experts had Beebe pegged as a guard in the NFL, mainly because of his build. Still, he was a first team Big 12 all-conference selection at left tackle as a sophomore at K-State before claiming offensive lineman of the year honors at left guard in 2022 and ’23.

The problem is, the Cowboys a pair of established starters at guard in 2022 first-round draft pick Tyler Smith on the left side and 11-year pro Zack Martin on the right. He could be groomed to take Martin’s place, but in the short term, center might be the best option.

Beebe was not sure yet what the Cowboys’ plans are for him.

“I think it’s just different,” he said. “Somewhere in the interior is kind of the feel I got. Whatever I need to do and whatever they need me to do, I’m going to do it.

“If that involves playing center, I’m going to do it. If that involves filling in at guard somewhere, that’s what I’m going to do.”

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Beebe is looking forward to spending time with Martin, a perennial All-Pro.

“That’s one of the best ever to do it, and just to be able to learn from him is going to be so huge,” Beebe said. “Just what it takes to be successful. I’m going to make sure I shadow him and get my routine and learn as much as I can.

“I’ll kind of attach to him and hopefully I can have the career he has.”

Martin already has served as a role model of sorts for Beebe, who while affable off the field plays with a mean streak.

“I honestly think nasty is how I kind of describe myself,” Beebe said. “Throughout the years, I’ve watched Zack Martin and I’ve incorporated a lot of his stuff into my game.

“I think it’s just my mindset of trying to dirt dudes. I go out there and I’m just trying to put people in the dirt, and that’s what I like to play with. I like to try to make dudes quit, and that’s kind of where that mentality comes from.”

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Regardless, Beebe was thrilled to learn he was going to the Cowboys. The wait was a little longer than he had anticipated, with most mock drafts slotting him late for mid-to-late second round.

“When I got that call from (Cowboys owner) Jerry Jones, man that’s just a life-changing event and I’m so excited I can’t even put into words,” Beebe said.

Beebe also see a familiar face in the locker room when he joins the Cowboys, reuniting with former K-State All-America running back Deuce Vaughn.

“Me and Deuce are best buddies,” Beebe said. “It’s funny. When I was down in Frisco training, I actually talked to Deuce and he talked about having a K-State reunion in Dallas, and then here we are.”

Arne Green is based in Salina and covers Kansas State University sports for the Gannett network. He can be reached at agreen@gannett.com or on Twitter at @arnegreen.

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Kansas

RESULTS: NE Kansas high schools to play Friday after Tuesday sub-state wins

Published

8 hours ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

RESULTS: NE Kansas high schools to play Friday after Tuesday sub-state wins

TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) – Below is a look at the results from Tuesday night’s high school basketball sub-state semifinals in Northeast Kansas.

Editor’s Note: This story will be updated with what schools are hosting when that information becomes readily available.

WIBW Scoreboard

BOYS

5A East Boys: Tuesday’s sub-state semifinal results

KC Washington 68, Highland Park 38
Shawnee Heights 49, De Soto 37 (will play Leavenworth Friday)

5A West Boys: Tuesday’s sub-state semifinal results

Topeka West 55, Hutchinson 32 (will play Bishop Carroll Friday)
Emporia 61, Great Bend 41 (will play Maize South Friday)
Seaman 73, Valley Center 51 (will play Hays Friday)

3A West Franklin Boys: Tuesday’s sub-state semifinal results

Burlington 60, Osage City 35 (will play Baxter Springs Friday)

3A Sabetha Boys: Tuesday’s sub-state semifinal results

Hiawatha 73, Oskaloosa 48 (will play Heritage Christian Friday)
Silver Lake 58, Sabetha 39 (will play Perry-Lecompton Friday 7:30 p.m.)

GIRLS

6A West Girls: Tuesday’s sub-state semifinal results

Washburn Rural 60, Wichita South 32 (will play Derby)
Topeka High 69, Maize 45 (will play Liberal)
Manhattan 67, Free State 21 (will play Wichita East)

4A East Girls: Tuesday’s sub-state semifinal results

Rock Creek 71, Parsons 23 (will play Tonganoxie)
Wamego 54, Labette County 33 (will play Bishop Miege)
Hayden 2, Athison 0 (will play Baldwin)

2A Eskridge/Mission Valley Girls: Tuesday’s sub-state semifinal results

Rossville 71, KC Christian 49 (will play Maur Hill-Mount Academy)
Lyndon 61, Jeff. Co. North 31 (will play Valley Heights)
Valley Heights 65, Doniphan West 41 (will play Lyndon)

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Kansas

Doe v. State of Kansas | American Civil Liberties Union

Published

21 hours ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

Doe v. State of Kansas | American Civil Liberties Union

In early 2026, the Kansas state legislature passed SB 244, a law which prohibits transgender people from using public restrooms on government property that align with their gender identity and establishes a private right of action that allows anyone who suspects someone is transgender and in violation of the law to sue that person for “damages” totaling $1,000.

The law also invalidates state-issued driver’s licenses with updated gender markers that reflect the carrier’s gender identity. In February 2026, transgender people across the state received letters from the state Department of Revenue’s Division of Vehicles informing them that their driver’s licenses “will no longer be valid,” effective immediately. SB 244 also prohibits transgender Kansans – or those born in Kansas – from updating the gender marker on state-issued birth certificates and driver’s licenses in the future.

The same day SB 244 went into effect, the American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Kansas, and Ballard Spahr LLP filed a lawsuit challenging SB 244 in the District Court of Douglas County on behalf of two transgender men who had their driver’s licenses invalidated under the law. The lawsuit charges that SB 244 violates the Kansas Constitution’s protections for personal autonomy, privacy, equality under the law, due process, and freedom of speech.

“The invalidation of state-issued IDs threatens to out transgender people against their will every time they apply for a job, rent an apartment, or interact with police,” said Harper Seldin, Senior Staff Attorney for the ACLU’s LGBTQ & HIV Rights Project. “Taken as a whole, SB 244 is a transparent attempt to deny transgender people autonomy over their own identities and push them out of public life altogether.”

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Kansas City man sentenced for cocaine trafficking, possession of illegal firearm

Published

1 day ago

March 3, 2026

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Kansas City man sentenced for cocaine trafficking, possession of illegal firearm

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – A Kansas City man was sentenced in federal court for his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy and possession of an illegal firearm.

According to the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri, 22-year-old Antoine R. Gillum was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison without parole.

His sentencing stems from a June 2024 incident in a metro gas station. KCPD investigators contacted Gillum inside and found that he had discarded a 9 mm pistol in an aisle between the merchandise. He also discarded a pill bottle containing multiple illegal substances: cocaine base, oxycodone/acetaminophen and oxycodone.

Officers searched the vehicle Gillum had arrived in and found approximately 32 grams of cocaine base.

On May 6, 2025, Gillum pleaded guilty to one count each of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Jennings. It’s a part of ‘Operation Take Back America,’ a nationwide Department of Justice initiative to eliminate cartels and transnational criminal organizations.

No further information has been released.

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