Kansas State cornerback Kitt Rawlings, a former Utah prep star, returns Saturday to the state where he experienced some of his greatest football memories.
"I'm excited about it,,' Rawlings said of Kansas State's final non-conference game at Utah State. "I will have a lot of family and friends there. For once, they will be able to see me play at a live college football game. I have a really close family, so I'm looking forward to it."Rawlings, the 1989 Utah Player of the Year, piled up big numbers at Woods Cross High School in Woods Cross. He broke the Utah single-season rushing mark with 2,192 yards as a senior, averaging 8.6 yards per carry.
Rawlings will be on the other side of the ball on Saturday. The 5-foot-11, 175-pound junior switched from running back to defensive back last spring and earned the starting cornerback job. He played both ways in high school.
"I enjoy both positions," said Rawlings, who set a Utah prep record with 423 yards on 30 carries. "I just love to play football."
Playing both offense and defense at Kansas State has been an education, Rawlings said.
"I've learned a lot about the game," he said. "I like the defensive side because you get to hit people. Defense is what I'm concentrating on now."
Rawlings played in nine games last season and was the Wildcats' second leading rusher with 172 yards and two touchdowns. But faced with the prospect of playing behind 1,000-yard rusher Eric Gallon and coupled with the loss of defensive backs Rogerick Green and William Price, Rawlings figured his future might be as a defensive player.
It turned out to be a good move. Rawlings ranks fifth on the team in tackles with 25, including 18 unassisted, tying him with free safety Jaime Mendez.
Brigham Young University, just down the road from where Rawlings grew up, recruited him to play defense. Utah, Utah State and Kansas State gave Rawlings the opportunity to try offense first.
"I was interested in them (BYU)," Rawlings said. "But after talking to (Kansas State) Coach (Bill) Snyder and the coaching staff, I really believed they had a program that was on the rise. I felt like this was the place where I wanted to play football, and I haven't had a single regret."
Rawlings spent weekdays last summer in Provo, working out with friends from the BYU football team. He spent weekends on his grandfather's farm in Utah, driving a combine, bailing hay, moving sprinkler pipe and doing chores.
"My grandfather had a stroke about a year ago and he hadn't been able to do quite as much on the farm," Rawlings said. "So on weekends, I would help him on the farm."
Rawlings expects about 50 family members and friends in attendance at Saturday's game. His parents travel to all Kansas State home games and a few of the road games. They attended last week's Big Eight game in Lawrence.
"We got taken to the woodshed and whipped," Rawlings said of the 31-7 loss to rival Kansas. "Fortunately, we have a chance to pull on our trousers and get back into it. We can use that as a motivator to help get us going."