Living the life of a college football athlete can have its perks. As public figures for the university, they are held to a higher standard than other students. Everyone looks forward to seeing each player on game days. People on the outside looking in, get caught up in the whole athletic side of a person and don’t take time to realize that athletes are normal people and students as well. Senior defensive back Denzel Goolsby, freshman wide receiver Joshua Youngblood, and freshman wide receiver Chris Herron are here to show that there is more to college athletes than how they play on Saturdays in Bill Snyder Family Stadium. There is a sophisticated, unique side to every athlete and these three men are here to give an example of their lives outside of football.
After taking some really cool shots of the guys in their style of choice, we got to know them on a more personal level. Chris Herron, the freshman in mass communications, said there’s more to college athletes than what fans see on the field.
“It is a chance to see who we really are and what we value off the field,” Herron said. “My style is a way of expressing how I feel and it shows how I vary from others. The things that I wear also show that I am willing to take risks and be different.”
It’s important to these college athletes that others know they are more than their sport. Joshua Youngblood, freshman in personal finance said his personality is what defines him.
“I think my unique style helps define who I am off the field, because I think most people wouldn’t guess that I play football,” Youngblood said. “I prefer to be quiet and sit back and interact with friends. I believe I have a contagious personality and I try to brighten people’s day with every encounter I make with them.”
Who these men are on the inside is all that matters, senior Denzel Goolsy, majoring in professional strategic selling, said it’s important to consider that an athlete’s sport is only one aspect of their life.
“Collegiate athletes are mainly recognized for what they do in their sport, which then leads to people assuming that’s their only identity, when in fact they have many other hobbies and interests,” Goolsby said. “My style defines me as a person because it shows my creativity which allows me to express myself.”
Senior DJ Render’s Take
As a football player at Kansas State, I can definitely relate to my fellow teammates when it comes to having our own style and identity. There’s so much more for us to offer as a student-athlete than just the sport we play. We offer intelligence and creativity on and off the field. We are taught great leadership skills that could possibly lead us to be the owner of a Fortune 500 Company. There’s so many great things that athletes do outside of football that go unnoticed. For example, Denzel Goolsby was awarded a top finalist on the Allstate Good Works Team for doing a high amount of community service as a motivational speaker, a mentor to students and a “big” in Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. This is an ideal award for an athlete because it shows people that who we are is more than football. We are normal people who care and we want everyone who thinks differently to realize that. At the end of the day, it’s bigger than football.
