Bring On The Cats, a Kansas State Wildcats community

Led by preseason All-American picks Arthur Brown and Tyler Lockett, Kansas State placed a total of 13 student-athletes on Phil Steele’s 2012 preseason All-American and All-Big 12 football teams released Thursday by the publication.

Junior Rodney McGruder was selected to the All-Big 12 second team and senior Jamar Samuels was chosen to the honorable mention squad, as the league office announced its annual Phillips 66 All-Big 12 Men’s Basketball Awards on Sunday.

For the first time since the 2008-09 season, Kansas State placed at least two players on the All-Big 12 teams. Sophomore Brittany Chambers was selected unanimously by the league’s coaches to the All-Big 12 first team, while junior Jalana Childs was named to the All-Big 12 second team in an announcement by the league office Monday morning.

Two Kansas State seniors have earned the highest honor one can achieve on the football field — running back Daniel Thomas and kick returner William Powell were named 2010 All-Americans by Rivals.com. Thomas, a Doak Walker Award semifinalist and first-team All-Big 12 pick by the Associated Press, was named a second-team All-American, while Powell, a former walk-on and first-team All-Big 12 pick by the coaches, was named to the All-America third team.

Led by senior running back Daniel Thomas' first-team selection, Kansas State had seven players named to the Associated Press All-Big 12 teams, as selected by a panel of 20 sports writers who regularly cover the league for newspapers throughout the league's seven states. Joining Thomas on the list were offensive linemen Zach Kendall and Wade Weibert on the second team, as well as honorable mention selections David Garrett, Stephen Harrison, William Powell and Ty Zimmerman.

Kansas State placed a total of eight student-athletes on the 2010 All-Big 12 football teams, led by first-team kick returner William Powell, conference officials announced Tuesday. Selections were made by Big 12 head coaches, who were not permitted to vote for their own players.

Former Wildcat greats Terence Newman and Darren Sproles were named to the Associated Press' all-time All-Big 12 team, released Nov. 24. Only two schools, Texas and Nebraska, had more players on the squad than the Wildcats.

Kansas State sophomore outfielder Nick Martini headlined six Wildcats earning accolades from the Big 12 baseball coaches as the conference announced its postseason awards and All-Big 12 teams Tuesday at the 2010 Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship. Martini was named the league's co-Player of the Year, the first time a Wildcat had received the honor since Craig Wilson in 1992. It was K-State's third specialty award in the past two years, after A.J. Morris was named Pitcher of the Year and Brad Hill as Coach of the Year in 2009.

Kansas State running back Daniel Thomas and safety Tysyn Hartman have been named to Phil Steele's preseason All-Big 12 football teams released Wednesday by the publication. A Doak Walker Award and All-America candidate, Thomas was named to the magazine's All-Big 12 first team after leading the conference in rushing in 2009. Hartman, a third team selection by Phil Steele, was an All-Big 12 performer at safety in 2009 and was also an Academic All-Big 12 and All-District VII pick for a program that has led the Big 12 in graduation rate in each of the last three years.

Former Kansas State defensive lineman Jeffrey Fitzgerald has agreed to a free-agent contract with the Kansas City Chiefs, the organization announced Monday. An honorable mention All-Big 12 selection this past season, Fitzgerald collected 40 total tackles from his defensive end position, 10 of which went for losses. The Richmond, Va., native also led the team in sacks, with seven; forced three fumbles, while recovering two; and also returned one interception for a touchdown.