LAWRENCE – The first dream, the one cultivated in the mind of a boy from south-central Kansas, always ended the same. One day, when he was older, he would leave his hometown and play football at Kansas State. One day, he thought, he would put on a purple uniform, like his cousin once did, and he would suit up for Bill Snyder.
Before Ryan Schadler became the biggest surprise in the Kansas football program — a former college sprinter turned walk-on running back turned special-teams weapon — he harbored a simple wish: One day, he would run onto a college football field and showcase his purest athletic gift: His legs.