clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Bring on the PodCats: Memories of Snyder’s Miracle 1.0

Former Wildcats Jeff Kelly, Andrew Shull, Nick Leckey and Ian Campbell reflect back on their memories of Bill Snyder and how he impacted the Kansas State program prior to his first retirement.

By Luke Thompson

If you buy something from an SB Nation link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement.

NCAA Football: Texas-San Antonio at Kansas State
Bill Snyder’s unprecedented success at Kansas State left an imprint on everyone who played for him in Manhattan.
Scott Sewell-USA TODAY Sports

You’ve seen plenty of words from the Bring on the Cats staff and other reporters reflecting on what Bill Snyder meant to Kansas State, but perhaps no one knows what kind of impact he left than his players over the last 30 years. We were fortunate enough to speak with four of them for this very special podcast looking back at Bill Snyder 1.0, from the beginning of his tenure for his first retirement in 2005.

We begin with All-American linebacker Jeff Kelly talking about two of Snyder’s best teams ever in 1997 and 1998, as well as a great story about the one known time Snyder praised a player for something close to a perfect game in 1999. At the 25:00 mark, you can hear All-Big 12 defensive end Andrew Shull discuss the work ethic Snyder instilled in his players and how the ‘Cats developed a team capable of knocking off No. 1 Oklahoma in 2003. At 45:00, former All-American center Nick Leckey returns to share some great memories of Snyder’s attention to detail. Finally, First Team All-Big 12 defensive end Ian Campbell gives his thoughts on Snyder’s recruiting and what it felt like to see a legendary coach retire for the first time.

Needless to say, we’ll have a 2.0 podcast sometime in the coming weeks, so keep an eye out for that. If you were a player on one of those Snyder teams and you’d like to be a part of our podcast, please don’t hesitate to reach out via the comments or the emails in the masthead at the top of this page.


If you enjoy listening to Bring on the PodCats or can’t see the podcast on your mobile device, don’t forget it’s now available on iTunes (search Bring on the PodCats). Check it out, subscribe and review. We would appreciate it.