If you’ve been around Kansas State for the last 27 years, you have at least one story that embodies what makes Bill Snyder the special person he is. #BillSnyder 
My story came when I was a junior at K-State, working as the Kansas State correspondent for the @KCStar. #BillSnyder
Before we had the Internet and Twitter, fans relied on newspapers to get their scoop from the recruiting trail. That’s where I cut my teeth, writing stories about K-State, Missouri and KU recruiting for The Star. #BillSnyder
One of those stories was about K-State’s quarterback recruiting. In the story, I wrote about how K-State had landed a coveted signal-caller from Glendale, Arizona – some guy named Jonathan Beasley. #BillSnyder
In that story, I mentioned the Wildcats were also recruiting Kevin Feterik, but he picked BYU. Yet, the gist of the story was that K-State was VERY happy with Beasley. #BillSnyder
The desk at the Star wrote: “K-State loses quarterback recruit” as the headline. Obviously, the K-State coaches weren’t happy, and I got a call the next morning summoning me to Bill Snyder’s office. #BillSnyder
Keep in mind, I was this 20-year-old kid, and Bill had this reputation as being extremely hard on the media, especially those that make mistakes. So, I walked into his office that day prepared to get reamed. #BillSnyder
After a few minutes of explaining to Bill that I personally didn’t write the headline and discussing the copy-editing and headline-writing process, he was satisfied, especially since he was just a few days off landing one of his biggest quarterback recruits ever. #BillSnyder
Expecting the conversation to be over, Bill quickly pivoted the discussion to me personally. We would spend the next 75 minutes talking how I always dreamed of being a sports writer, and why I picked K-State over KU – even though my family was full of KU grads. #BillSnyder
He also said I asked “the right questions” about recruiting and might just have a future with this. #BillSnyder
Bill didn’t have to spend an extra second with me once he got his answer about the headline. But the fact that he did, meant the world to me. #BillSnyder
It gave me a shot of confidence to continue to pursue writing about recruiting. That pursuit would become a big part of my life for the next 25 years. #BillSnyder
The fact I received one of those purple felt pen handwritten letters the next day made the moment even more memorable. #BillSnyder
I found myself in Bill’s office again some 20 years later, working on a story for ESPN. Within seconds of sitting down, Snyder remembered word for word the headline to that story from 1996. #BillSnyder
It was another unforgettable moment for me and another sign of why there will never, ever be another Bill Snyder. #BillSnyder
