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At North Texas, walk-ons keep the Mean Green running

Of the 41 states in the union that have a Football Bowl Subdivision team within their borders, none have more than Texas.

For 12 days, as teams nationwide dig into preseason drills, USA TODAY Sports’ college football reporters are traversing the state of Texas and visiting each of its one dozen FBS programs. AT&T presents Two Weeks in Texas

Day 5: North Texas

DENTON, Texas — Mike Canales and Mike Simmonds came to visit Kaydon Kirby in the fall of 2011 with reams of information about North Texas, then in its first football season under Dan McCarney, but without the item Kirby wanted most: a scholarship offer.