Jayhawks Visit Meadowlark Estates for Football 101

LAWRENCE, Kan. – A trio of Kansas football players and defensive line coach Buddy Wyatt spent time Wednesday afternoon teaching a Football 101 class at Lawrence’s Meadowlark Estates retirement community. The Jayhawks shared their love and knowledge for football with some of their most passionate fans.

“This is the second year we have come to Meadowlark Estates,” said Wyatt. “It is a really fun experience for both the residents who live here and our players. It gives our players the opportunity to get out and spend time with people in the Lawrence community and the residents seem to enjoy the break from their regular daily routine.”

Wyatt opened the class by introducing the three players, senior defensive lineman Shane Smith, redshirt freshman kicker Austin Barone and junior defensive lineman Marquel Combs. He then spoke about several general football topics.

Wyatt covered what a typical game week schedule is like for the coaching staff, touching on the various ways the team and coaches prepare for each opponent. He also brought a full game uniform for the residents to pass around, which was definitely a highlight for the crowd of approximately 50.

Following Wyatt’s discussion, Smith took to the microphone to talk to the group about what types of drills, etc., the players work on during fall camp and the time commitment required for college football players during the fall semester and football season.

Next, Barone told the residents about what a spring semester entails for college football players. He covered their time before and after spring football and how it differs from the actual spring football season. Additionally he spoke about how academics are very important at KU and all of the resources the Jayhawk players have to help them be successful in the classroom.

Combs was the final player to speak to the group and he went in to detail his path to KU. He told the residents about his junior college experience and choosing to become a Jayhawk. He then talked about the types of things the players are working on during the summer, including their summer conditioning schedule.
To close out the one-hour class, the group of players and Wyatt took questions from the group of Meadowlark Estates residents. The questions varied from how each player chose their jersey number to how much weight they can bench press.

“This was a fun thing to be a part of,” said Barone. “It was good to share with the residents what we do as college football players. They had some great questions. It is important to get out in the community as often as possible to make a connection with some of the people who support us.”

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