Kansas

Keeler: CSU Rams quarterback Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi chose Colorado love over Kansas State money. Know what? He’d do it again.

Published

2 hours ago

July 28, 2024

Keeler: CSU Rams quarterback Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi chose Colorado love over Kansas State money. Know what? He’d do it again.

Add Georgia to the list, now that we’re naming names. And USC. BFN is a BFD.

At least 9.3 million people watched CU and CSU trade haymakers last September in the Rocky Mountain Showdown. You don’t think Lincoln Riley happened to be one of them?

“His DMs were ringing off the hook (in December),” Rich Nicolosi, father to Rams quarterback Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi, told me Friday. “Everyone from USC to Georgia, and everyone in between. Several in Texas. Some of those offers, most of it, (was) just B.S.”

Some of them, though? Some of them weren’t.

“The K-State one is absolutely legitimate,” Rich said of the Wildcats’ alleged NIL push. “And there were several others.”

Which makes you wonder: What sort of dad lets his kid turn down $600,000, as Rams coach Jay Norvell recently accused the Wildcats of putting on the table, for the glitz of the Mountain West?

A dad who raised his kid right. A dad who says his kid would make the same choice again.

No receipts. No regrets.

“Brayden didn’t ever really take it seriously,” Rich said. “That’s why he was always committed to (CSU coach) Jay (Norvell). It was Jay who believed in Brayden. It was Jay who gave him a shot. He’s extremely loyal to Jay.

“And Brayden loves CSU … (he’s) an outdoors kid, he loves hunting and fishing. He loves everything about it, and I think that tied it all into a neat little bow.”

As a redshirt freshman, BFN led the Mountain West in total offense per game (286.1 yards) and passing yards per game (288.3). As a sophomore heading to camp on Thursday, he’s shaved his 40-yard dash time down to the 4.6-second range and his 20-yard shuttle time to 4.19.

That last number, if you’re curious, is quicker than the 2024 combine times posted by Michigan’s JJ McCarthy (4.23), the No.10 overall pick in the ’24 NFL Draft, and South Carolina’s Spencer Rattler (4.37), who wound up getting taken in the fifth round by the Saints. He’s squatting 460 to 480-ish pounds, with sights on topping 500 soon.

“It’s fun to see some of the (social media posts),” Rich laughed. “Like, ‘They offered $600K for a QB2? Really?’ Maybe you’re not seeing what the NFL scouts see right now.”

The scouts see BFN, CSU’s Big Freakin’ Deal, as a 6-foot-4 RPG. They see a kid who’ll hang in the pocket until he can smell the linebacker’s chewing gum. They see guts. They see vision. They see a fast processor. They see a photographic memory. They see a guy who took honors classes in chemistry and advanced placement courses in world history.

And yeah, they’ve seen the 16 picks from last fall. Brayden and Rich, a football coach himself, even got together to break them down: Three came on end-of-half or end-of-game heaves, another handful on third-and-forevers.

“Probably half of them were really mental mistakes, being a freshman, being new,” Rich said. “I would say he’s not really going to change his gunslinger mentality.

“And I think that’s one of the things that, when you compare him to Jordan Love, how he played for Green Bay, and had similar stats, but the NFL looks back and goes, ‘He’s not afraid to let it rip.’”

No receipts. No regrets.

BFN’s never been cowered from the stage. Never shirked a challenge. Growing up, Rich made a point to never “let” his kids, including Brayden, beat him in anything.

Victories were earned. They even made up a fake medal out of a jar lid, a carrot at the end of the family stick, and presented it to the “Champion Of The Garage.”

Brayden won it for the first time at age 14 when he finally beat Rich in table tennis. Young BFN put the medal on, then went outside and did a ceremonial lap of honor around the neighborhood.

“From then on,” Rich laughed, “there’s nothing that I can beat him at.”

Colorado State Rams quarterback Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi (16) celebrates with fans after defeating the Nevada Wolf Pack 30-20 at Canvas Stadium November 18, 2023. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post)

Brayden became a 5-foot-8 underclassman being chased by 300-pound linemen at San Diego’s Torrey Pines High School. But by the time that first major growth spurt hit, in 2020, BFN was SOL — a 6-foot-ish QB with no prep football in California to play that fall thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. The family moved to Texas, where young Brayden transferred into Aledo High, zipped from JV to QB1, and won a state championship within months of joining the program.

“Get him on a board game like Rummikub, you play him in anything, he instantly locks into ‘kill’ mode,” Rich said. “He’s just like his mom — he won’t let anybody win.”

BFN grew up at Rich’s practices and games, shagging balls and joining drills, soaking it all in like a young Kyle Shanahan or a young Jim Harbaugh,

At 9, he was watching film with Rich, who showed him how to dissect defenses. At 12, his fastball was clocked at 72 miles per hour. At 15, he was throwing the rock so stinking hard that Rich decided, rather than busting up his fingers, to let someone else run routes with his new missile launcher.

Although even dad admits that a spare $600,000 sure would’ve come in handy recently. Brayden just sprung for a $3,000 bed, complete with one of those “smart” therapy mattresses that contour to your spine.

“He doesn’t care about any of that stuff,” Rich said. “We really just don’t care about that. We have a really great (adviser) who is our brand manager … he always told us, ‘Don’t try to get rich playing college football. The real money is in the NFL.’”

No receipts. No regrets.

“I’ve seen his accountability going up, his sense of responsibility going up big time,” Rich said. “He won that (CSU) locker room last year, to be honest with you, before the season even started. People loved him. He’s got no enemies. Except for some CU Buffs fans.”

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Originally Published: July 28, 2024 at 5:45 a.m.

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Kansas

Missouri, Kansas athletes compete in Paris 2024 Olympic Games

Published

9 hours ago

July 28, 2024

Press Room

PARIS (KCTV) – With Team USA solidified and the Opening Ceremonies in the past, athletes from across Kansas and Missouri have started to compete in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. Here’s who they are:

Kansas:

Track & Field
- Michael Joseph – Men’s 400M (St. Lucia)
  - Gros Islet, St. Lucia
  - University of Kansas
- Yoveinny Mota – Women’s 100M Hurdles (Venezuela)
  - Caracas, Venezuela
  - University of Kansas
- Sharon Lokedi – Women’s Marathon (Kenya)
  - Burnt Forest, Kenya
  - University of Kansas
- Bryce Hoppel – Men’s 800M (USA)
  - Midland, Texas
  - University of Kansas
- Hussain Al Hizam – Men’s Pole Vault (Saudi Arabia)
  - Jubail, Saudi Arabia
  - University of Kansas
- Alexandra Emilianov – Women’s Discus (Republic of Moldova)
  - Chisinau, Moldova
  - University of Kansas
- Stanley Redwine – Men’s Head Coach (USA)
  - University of Kansas Track & Field Head Coach
- Tim Weaver – Event Manager (USA)
  - University of Kansas Relays Meet Director
Basketball
- Joel Embiid – Men’s Center (USA)
  - Yaoundé, Cameroon
  - University of Kansas
Gymnastics
- Leanne Wong – Women’s Replacement (USA)
  - Overland Park, Kansas
  - University of Florida
Archery
Swimming
- Yaseen-El Demerdash – Men’s 50M Free, 100M Butterfly, 100M Free, Paralympics (USA)
  - Overland Park, Kansas
  - University of Kansas
Shooting
- Derrick Mein – Men’s Trap Shooting (USA)
  - Paola, Kansas
  - Kansas State University
Rugby

Missouri

Track & Field
- Chris Nilsen – Men’s Pole Vault (USA)
  - Kansas City, Missouri
  - University of South Dakota
- Quincy Hall – Men’s 400M, 400M Relay (USA)
  - Kansas City, Missouri
  - University of South Carolina
- Freddie Crittenden III – Men’s 110M Hurdles (USA)
  - St. Louis, Missouri
  - Syracuse University
- Brandon Miller – Men’s 800M (USA)
  - O’Fallon, Missouri
  - Texas A&M University
- DeAnna Price – Women’s Hammer Throw (USA)
  - Moscow Mills, Missouri
  - Southern Illinois University
Basketball
- Jayson Tatum – Men’s Forward (USA)
  - St. Louis, Missouri
  - Duke University
- Napheesa Collier – Women’s Forward (USA)
  - Jefferson City, Missouri
  - University of Connecticut
Diving
- Tyler Downs – Men’s Synchronized 3m Springboard (USA)
  - Ballwin, Missouri
  - Laurel Springs Online School
Soccer
- Patrick Schulte – Men’s Goalkeeper (USA)
  - St. Peter’s, Missouri
  - St. Louis University
Shooting
- Rachel Tozier – Women’s Trap Shooting (USA)
  - Pattonsburg, Missouri
  - University of Central Missouri
  - American Military University

To see a full list of Team USA athletes, click HERE.

For a full calendar of Olympic events, click HERE.

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Law enforcement investigating crash northeast of Emporia on Kansas Turnpike

Published

17 hours ago

July 27, 2024

Press Room

Law enforcement investigating crash northeast of Emporia on Kansas Turnpike

LYON COUNTY, Kan. (WIBW) – Law enforcement is investigating a crash located northeast of Emporia on the Kansas Turnpike.

KVOE officials said the incident was reported as an injury crash around 3:15 p.m. on Saturday, July 27 at Kansas Turnpike mile marker 134 southbound, or seven miles northeast of the Emporia tollgate and two miles northeast of the Emporia service exit.

Kansas Highway Patrol, Emporia/Lyon County EMS and a medical helicopter responded to the scene.

KVOE said crash details are pending. There is no confirmation on whether anybody was hospitalized.

KVOE said the southbound traffic is being detoured from the Admire-Council Grove exit, or Turnpike mile marker 147, west on US-56 Highway to Admire. The official detour goes south on K-99 to Burlingame Rd. and into Emporia.

Check wibw.com for more information as it becomes available.

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Former Kansas State, Nebraska QB Adrian Martinez signs with new NFL team

Published

24 hours ago

July 27, 2024

Press Room

Former Kansas State, Nebraska QB Adrian Martinez signs with new NFL team

The New York Jets announced they signed former Kansas State and Nebraska quarterback Adrian Martinez, according to a release.

Corresponding with the move, cornerback Kendall Sheffield was also signed to the training camp roster. QB Ben Bryant and CB Nehemiah Shelton were released.

Martinez most recently played with the Birmingham Stallions in the UFL, earning MVP honors. He passed for 1,749 yards, 15 touchdowns and added 528 rushing yards.

Martinez went undrafted in 2023 and was signed by the Detroit Lions. Eventually, Detroit waived him last August, paving way for his UFL stint.

While in college, Martinez played five seasons, four at Nebraska and one at Kansas State (2022). Over the course of his career, Martinez threw for 9,752 yards, 51 touchdowns, 31 interceptions, a 63.6% completion percentage, 2,982 rushing yards and 45 rushing touchdowns.

As a member of the Class of 2018, Martinez was a four-star recruit out of Fresno (Calif.) Clovis West, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He was the No. 22 overall prospect in the state, the No. 13 quarterback in the class and the No. 150 overall prospect in the class.

Adrian Martinez signs with New York Jets

Speaking with HuskerOnline earlier this year, Martinez opened up about his time away from the NFL. He never wavered.

“That thought never crossed my mind,” Martinez said when asked he thought of walking away from football. “It was always, ‘I need to find the right opportunity.’ I know the kind of player that I am right now is an NFL-caliber quarterback. I still have that belief. It really was about: How can I get myself back to getting that right opportunity and making sure I make the most of it?”

Martinez is the latest quarterback on the roster headlined by the return of Aaron Rodgers. The latter tore his Achilles tendon on the fourth play of the 2023 season.

Now that he’s back, there are bigger expectations for the Jets. Behind him is veteran Tyrod Taylor, followed by rookie and former Florida State star Jordan Travis.

It could be an uphill climb for Martinez to make the roster, but if his play is any indication, he’ll certainly have a shot to make the 53-man roster this fall. Training camp and preseason games will be the litmus test.

If anything, Martinez’s latest opportunity could be a way to audition for another team when it’s all said and done.

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