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Kansas State football quarterback Avery Johnson embraces leadership role at a young age

Published

2 years ago

July 12, 2024

Kansas State football quarterback Avery Johnson embraces leadership role at a young age

Kansas State football coach Chris Klieman knew from the moment he started recruiting Avery Johnson, that there was something about him, a certain presence that you want in a quarterback.

“He had an it factor,” Klieman said of Johnson, who indeed will be the Wildcats’ starting quarterback this season as a sophomore. “You can tell the guys that have it factors, and the confidence but not arrogance.”

From the time he arrived in Manhattan last year as a true freshman after a standout career at Maize High School, Johnson has done nothing to dispel that notion. His athleticism — particularly his speed, agility and arm strength — all were on display at various times last year when he served as Will Howard’s backup.

Johnson’s finest hours came in 2023 came during a game at Texas Tech, where he ran for five touchdowns in a come-from-behind victory, and then as most valuable player as starting quarterback in the Pop-Tarts Bowl after Howard entered the transfer portal.

Kansas State football quarterback Avery Johnson is ready to lead the Wildcats’ offense

But what has stood out about Johnson perhaps as much as his physical tools, is his ability to command the respect of teammates as well as coaches at such a tender age.

“For a young, young player, he has been a great leader, as well as learning from some of these older guys that are here with him,” Klieman said.

Establishing himself as a leader has been a priority for Johnson ever since he learned that he would start the bowl game. It carried over to the spring and now through player-led summer workouts.

“Just trying to be more vocal and get in front of the guys whenever I get the chance and just continue to lead by example, and just doing my best to gain everybody’s trust,” Johnson said. “I feel like the biggest thing is whenever adversity strikes, whether that’s in the weight room or struggling in the warmup or practice, a run, whatever it might be, just get in front of the team and being vocal and encouraging guys.

“Not bringing guys down, but just trying to pick them up and then let them know to get back to our standard.”

Add Kansas State football quarterbacks coach Matt Wells to list of Avery Johnson fans

It didn’t take winning the starting job for Johnson to demonstrate the it factor that Klieman saw during the recruiting process. That is why he didn’t hesitate in bringing Johnson to Las Vegas on Tuesday as one of K-State’s five representatives at Big 12 media days.

“We saw enough last year that for us, we knew he was going to be the guy long term for us, and he was ready for the moment,” Klieman said. “It was his time and I told him when we recruited him, he’s going to be the face of the program.

“And it came up late in his first year where he ended up truly being the face, and I’m excited because he’s taken that mantle really well, and he’s been a great leader.”

Johnson has earned the team’s respect by putting his money where his mouth is, Klieman added.

“He always has been a really mature guy. But he’s a humble guy, and he works his tail off,” Klieman said. “He’s the best competitor I’ve been around since Easton Stick, and I had Easton at North Dakota State for five years, and he’s with the Chargers.

Kansas State football quarterback Avery Johnson’s maturity shines through in bowl victory

“Avery is that kind of competitor. If you come out and watch a morning run, he’s not losing any of the competition drills. He’s not losing any of the races where it’s not a race, where he’s just going to finish first in everything he does.”

Super-senior linebacker and team captain Austin Moore agreed.

“He is accepted as the guy because he puts in the work, and not only is he an exceptional talent, which anyone can see by just watching him,” Moore said in an interview with Go Powercat. “But he’s someone that’s going to put in the work and have the talent, which is a rare thing to see.

“I’ve been around for a long time, and you don’t see that happen a whole lost.”

For Johnson, his leadership remains a work in progress.

“Just trying to be more vocal,” he reiterated. “Other than that, just continuing to put my head down and work and continue to lead by example.”

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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Detroit Tigers bested by Kansas City 5-1; Witt hits inside-the-park homer for Royals

Published

5 hours ago

May 10, 2026

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Detroit Tigers bested by Kansas City 5-1; Witt hits inside-the-park homer for Royals

The Detroit Tigers were beaten by the Kansas City Royals 5-1 on Saturday night.

Michael Wacha pitched seven scoreless innings, Bobby Witt Jr. hit an inside-the-park home run on a grounder and Michael Massey had a three-run homer for the Royals, who will go for the series sweep on Sunday night.

Witt hit the ball down the right-field line in the first inning that bounced off the wall and eluded right fielder Kerry Carpenter. Witt motored around the bases and beat the relay throw to the plate for a two-run homer.

It was the Royals’ first inside-the-park home run since Witt did it in August 2023.

Carpenter left the game later with left shoulder soreness.

Wacha (4-2) gave up two hits, walked two and struck out six. It was his longest scoreless outing since throwing eight scoreless innings against the Chicago White Sox on April 11.

Burch Smith (0-2) took the loss. He retired only one of the four batters he faced, allowing two runs on three hits in one-third of an inning.

Massey’s homer in the fourth inning came with runners on first and third with two outs. He lined the ball over the right-center field fence for his third homer of the season.

Wacha had at least one strikeout in each of his first four innings. The Tigers loaded the bases in the fifth on a double, a walk and a hit batter, but Wacha got Matt Vierling to ground out to end the inning.

The Tigers scored in the eighth on a two-out double by Riley Greene.

Up next

The teams conclude the three-game series Sunday. The Tigers have not announced a starter, though manager AJ Hinch said it will be a bullpen game. Kansas City will send LHP Noah Cameron (2-2, 5.40 ERA) to the mound.

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This Chiefs-Bears trade would land Kansas City it’s long-term Travis Kelce replacement

Published

17 hours ago

May 9, 2026

Press Room

This Chiefs-Bears trade would land Kansas City it’s long-term Travis Kelce replacement

Bullet point summary by AI

The Chiefs are exploring long-term solutions at tight end beyond Travis Kelce’s expected 2026 retirement.
One potential move involves targeting a veteran player from a team transitioning to a new starter at the position.
The deal’s structure hinges on future playoff performance, creating a high-stakes incentive for both franchises.

While the 2026 draft is just in the books, it’s never too early to start thinking about the 2027 season — and if there’s one team that’s already looking that far ahead, it’s the Kansas City Chiefs.

Star tight end Travis Kelce is almost certainly retiring after the 2026 campaign despite an inflated new deal, and looking at the Chiefs’ depth chart, backup Noah Gray is not starting-caliber material. You could argue the team can scout for star talent in next year’s draft, but that would come with significant risk and opportunity cost if a prospect isn’t immediately NFL-ready.

Instead, there’s a potential solution general manager Brett Veach can utilize by acquiring an excess asset from another team.

This Chiefs-Bears trade solves Kansas City’s Travis Kelce problem

The Chicago Bears are clearly moving forward with 2025 first-round pick Colston Loveland as their TE1, in addition to taking blocking specialist Sam Roush out of Stanford in this year’s draft. All of which leaves backup — and previous starter — Cole Kmet on the outside looking in. The 27-year-old still has a lot of high-quality football left to play, and he’d certainly sign off on the opportunity to get starting snaps for a team with a championship window still wide open.

The problem is going to be convincing Chicago to pick up the phone in the first place. Kmet signed a restructured deal in April which disincentivizes the Bears from moving him until next year. A pre-June 1 deal would cost Chicago $4.1 million against the salary cap, while any swap after that date only saves the team $1.4 million.

So, with the present season not really an option, these two teams would need to be negotiating with next year in mind as Kmet is projected to cost the Bears $15.4 million against the cap in 2027. That’s the incentive Chicago needs to move him.

At the moment, Kmet is worth a conditional 2027 fifth-round pick — which may sound cheap, but the devil is in the details. Chicago will certainly dictate that an escalator be attached to the pick: For example, if Kansas City misses the playoffs in 2027, then it remains a fifth-rounder but may be deferred until 2028. If they qualify for the postseason then it could stay in 2027. A championship could push it up a round or two (though that would be a tough sell for the Chiefs).

Kmet has topped 500 receiving yards in three of his six seasons in Chicago, so there’s a good reason for Kansas City to inquire about his availability. The Bears, in turn, used a third-round pick to select Stanford’s Sam Roush – signaling they too are preparing for Kmet’s eventual departure.

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Kansas court sides with Stormont Vail in Medicaid payment dispute

Published

1 day ago

May 9, 2026

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Kansas court sides with Stormont Vail in Medicaid payment dispute

Stormont Vail Healthcare is in a legal battle with the state government, alleging the Medicaid program was wrong to refuse payment for the hospitalization of a pregnant patient with complications.

At issue is a disagreement between the Topeka hospital and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment over whether inpatient health care services were medically necessary for the Medicaid patient’s last two weeks of pregnancy.

The Kansas Court of Appeals did not resolve that dispute, but it did side with Stormont Vail in a May 8 decision. The unanimous three-judge panel reversed a decision by Shawnee County District Court Judge Thomas Luedke and vacated an order from KDHE’s State Appeals Committee. The matter now goes back to the appeals committee for reconsideration.

The appellate panel was comprised of Judges Jacy Hurst, Thomas Malone and Stephen Hill, which heard oral arguments on Aug. 5. Hurst wrote the court’s opinion.

The lawsuit stems from a 2018 case of a pregnant patient, who is not named in appellate court documents. She was 28 years old at the time and had an intellectual disability among other complications, including rapid weight loss caused by hyperemesis gravidarum.

The woman was originally admitted at Newman Regional Health in Emporia before she was transferred to Stormont Vail. Part of the hospitalization during her third trimester was covered.

But the final two weeks were not because Sunflower Health Plan, one of the managed care organizations in the state’s privatized Medicaid program known as KanCare, refused to reimburse for the patient’s continued hospitalization through the day the child was born via cesarean section.

“We are here because the Kansas Medicaid program has wrongfully refused to pay for some of an inpatient hospitalization while a Medicaid beneficiary was at Stormont Vail,” said Amanda Wilwert, an attorney for the hospital, during oral arguments. “Stormont believes the inpatient care was medically necessary as defined by the Kansas Medicaid regulations.”

Court records and oral arguments show the state expected Stormont Vail to look into having a home health agency care for the patient in Emporia instead of continued hospitalization — even though home health generally does not take care of pregnant patients and her doctors believed the expectant mother was not stable enough to discharge.

“The way it’s supposed to work,” said Darren Sharp, an attorney representing KDHE, “is the managed care organization, in this case Sunflower Health, on behalf of KDHE reviews the medical records, asks about the appropriate level of care and whether there’s any other interventions that would be more cost effective or appropriate depending on the level of or depending on the patient’s records and the patient’s status.”

Sharp argued medical records showed the patients was getting better because of total parenteral nutrition, or TPN.

“This is when a tube, a PICC, is inserted and your minerals and your electrolytes and all of your nutrition is then intravenously provided,” Sharp said.

He said the treatment “was eliminating her vomiting, her diarrhea, she had no fever, her glucose levels were stabilized.”

In their ruling, the judges indicated the KDHE appeals committee primarily cared about the cost saving of using home health versus hospitalization while disregarding the treating physician for insufficient reasons and ignoring evidence on potential benefits or harms to the patient.

But the judges declined to resolve the dispute. Rather, unless the decision is appealed to the Kansas Supreme Court, the matter goes back to the KDHE administrative process.

There, the agency’s appeals committee must reconsider the case consistent with the Court of Appeal’s ruling. The published decision sets new precedent interpreting state laws and regulations on the Medicaid program.

“While this court provides no opinion on whether the disputed inpatient healthcare services met the definition of medical necessity,” Hurst wrote, “the record shows that some of the (appeals committee’s) factual findings were not supported by the record as a whole and that the (appeals committee) inaccurately applied the law when it failed to consider (the patient’s) individual characteristics and assess the harms and benefits of the healthcare intervention.

“In making a medical necessity determination, the reviewing agency must make an individualized determination based on the record as a whole.”

Jason Alatidd is a Statehouse reporter for The Topeka Capital-Journal. He can be reached by email at jalatidd@usatodayco.com. Follow him on X @Jason_Alatidd.

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