‘It’s really personal’: One K-State football player has extra motivation for TCU game
There are plenty of reasons for Kobe Savage to be fired up about Kansas State’s next football game.
The No. 17 Wildcats are gearing up for their first matchup involving a pair of ranked teams since 2015. If they beat the No. 8 TCU Horned Frogs on Saturday, they will move into sole possession of first place in the Big 12 standings. And Savage will get to play in front of a boatload of family and friends inside Amon G. Carter Stadium, as he is originally from Paris, Texas.
Still, his true motivation for this game comes from elsewhere. It would be an understatement to say he has a chip on his shoulder as he prepares to line up against TCU.
“It’s like there is a Pringles can on my shoulder right now,” Savage said. “It’s a different feeling about this game. It’s really personal.”
Savage, a junior safety, is driven to prove himself against the Horned Frogs because they were his dream college football team coming out of high school.
He wanted nothing more than to play for TCU and regularly attended football camps on campus in hopes of making a good impression on the coaching staff. Savage spent his first three seasons of high school football playing quarterback in an offense that ran the triple option, but he switched to defense in hopes of making a run at a college scholarship and maybe even the NFL.
Alas, his TCU dream never became reality.
Savage was mostly ignored as a high school recruit and ended up enrolling at a Division II school before transferring to junior college and eventually landing at Kansas State.
Savage has already proven himself with the Wildcats, as he has made 37 tackles and grabbed two interceptions as one of their best defensive backs this season. But he hasn’t forgotten about his past. This is his opportunity to show TCU what it missed out on.
“It’s really exciting, because when I was younger TCU was my dream school,” Savage said. “I went to a lot of camps. Even when (former K-State linebacker) Shawn Robinson was there he was helping me at a camp. It is a very important game for me.”
Savage has held a grudge of sorts against TCU ever since the Horned Frogs passed on him years ago. He said he was pulling hard for Oklahoma State to beat them last week and was crushed when the Cowboys were unable to protect a late lead, which allowed TCU to rally and win in double overtime.
He said Oklahoma State players gave up in the fourth quarter and failed to make important tackles when the game was on the line. Then he vowed that K-State would provide the Horned Frogs with a much more difficult test.
All the while, he expects sections 118 and 119 to be filled with familiar faces. He might have his very own cheering section.
He circled this game long ago.
“Big-time moments like this to make big-time plays in big-time games,” Savage said, “is definitely a great opportunity for us to showcase our abilities.”
This story was originally published October 19, 2022 at 6:00 AM.