MANHATTAN, Kan.
Elijah Lee should have been nervous.
It was the opening game of Kansas State’s 2014 season, and he was a freshman. He was not accustomed to the roar of a sellout crowd. He did not know the intricacies of the Wildcats’ defense. And he did not know what to expect from the opposing team when coaches sent him in on an early third-and-long.
But Lee blocked that all out and went about his business, making a sack on his inaugural play — the perfect start to his college career. He went on to make 3 1/2 more sacks, shining all season as a pass-rush specialist.