Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
Daniel Sams is not yet gone and most certainly will not be soon forgotten.
Sams’ apparent transfer from Kansas State, as first reported by D. Scott Fritchen of gopowercat.com may have a lasting impact on the Kansas State football team for years to come.
After playing sparingly under Collin Klein during the magical 2012 season many believed that Sams’ was the heir apparent to Klein based on his ability to run the ball and familiarity of Kansas State and the teams playbook.
As we all know Kansas State landed the JUCO player of the year in Jake Waters, who eventually won the QB battle before the season started. Sams’ saw a fair amount of playing time early in the Wildcat’s season splitting playing time with newcomer Jake Waters.
As the season progressed however and Water’s began to become more comfortable in the Wildcat offense, Sams saw his playing time diminish. In the last three games of the season (Oklahoma, @Kansas and the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl v Michigan) Sams only attempted one pass and only had nine rushing attempts, when previously Sams had been rushing for upwards of 100 yards, he only gained a net total of 23 in the final games of the season.
Daniel Sams commitment to the program never seemed to waver from an outsiders view. His constant positive body language and twitter interactions with his main competitor for play time in Jake Waters belied his disappointment in the decrease in time on the playing field.
According to his mother Sams asked for his release in a face to face meeting with Coach Snyder last week and was quoted saying,
"“He loves Coach Snyder and loves the School and everything it stands for but he wasn’t playing football. He wasn’t playing and wasn’t able to perfect what he was doing. He’s used to playing the entire game and winning ballgames. When he felt that he wasn’t being productive and helping his team go forward he was just ready to move on.”"
Sams was one of Kansas State’s most explosive offensive options last season and will be sorely missed this season, as his offensive versatility especially in Bill Snyder’s hands could have wreaked havoc on opposing Big 12 defenses this season.
Sams, who was in the process of switching positions from quarterback to wide receiver in spring practices, was one of the options Kansas State had at replacing Jake Waters, who will have no eligibility left at the end of the 2014 season.
With Sams’ departure the Wildcats only have two quarterbacks on the depth chart in sophomore Joe Hubener and redshirt freshman Jesse Ertz. Two quarterbacks who sorely lack experience on the big time college football stage.
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Sams, if he continued his Kansas State career would’ve been the number one quarterback on the depth chart going into the 2015 season, a position that is well and truly up in the air.
A recent ESPN report has said that Kansas State has already accepted Daniel Sams’ transfer request, releasing him from his scholarship something Kansas State has yet to do for alienated women’s basketball star Leticia Romero.
The report says that it is likely Sams will transfer to an FCS school so that he may play quarterback immediately and that if the reports are true Kansas State did not bar him from playing at any FCS school apart from Stephen F. Austin, who Kansas State plays in their first game of the 2014 season.
In Daniel Sams short time at Kansas State he made a large impact on and off the field and he will be sorely missed by all.