Imagine being one of the most sought after defensive tackles in the Midwest and committing to one of the best college football coaches in the history of the game. Then, that coach retires before you get to the school after being committed for months.
    That alone seems to be a significant amount of stress on an 18-year-old trying to pursue an education and athletic career.
    But Zach Kendall has been through that and much more — everything from injuries to switching positions — all of it coming in a three-year span.
    Still, he never gave up. What has hurt him has only made him stronger.

Friday night lights
    Kendall didn't start playing football until the seventh grade, a bit of an oddity for a player so highly recruited coming out of high school.
    "It was kind of later," said Kendall, who grew up in Peculiar, Mo. "Most of my friends played peewee but I played soccer a lot when I was younger. I was a big soccer kid but football is my passion."
    Kendall played football and basketball at Harrisonville High School. He was a four-year starter on the hardwood to go along with his football talents.
    In 2005, he was the Missouri Class 3 Defensive Player of the Year by the Missouri Football Coaches Association.
    He was rated the No. 45 defensive tackle in the nation and the fifth best player in the state by Rivals.com.
    Kendall said he was recruited and offered scholarships by most of the Big 12 Conference schools, but he ultimately made a decision to pursue his college career at K-State.

Commitment challenged
    Kendall had been committed for months until the day came when he found out that coach Bill Snyder was retiring. It left him with no choice but to open back up his recruitment, at least until the next coach was hired.
    "At first, it's hard not to when there is a coaching change," Kendall said. "I was back on the market, for lack of a better term."
    However, coach Ron Prince saw something in Kendall that had him wanting to go secure the commitment of the 6-foot-3, 287-pound lineman.
    "Coach Prince came and I spoke with him," Kendall said. "He came to one of my basketball games with coach Mo Latimore and talked to me and I pretty much fell in love with him and his plan and everything.
    "I think he is a great coach (now) and thought he was then. So, I recommitted and didn't waver from there on out."
    Kendall said there were two factors in his commitment to K-State besides the relationship he built with Prince.
    "I chose K-State for its history and tradition and I love the fan base that K-State has," Kendall said. "It's always had such a great fan base all throughout Kansas.
    "Also, I am kind of from a small town in Missouri, so Manhattan was kind of a good fit and it was close to home and I felt comfortable."

Adversity faced
     Kendall had seen a little bit of adversity, but many players go through coaching changes. It's a part of the process.
    Injuries are just as common, maybe more so, and Kendall now knows that all too well. In just the third day of two-a-day football practices at K-State, Kendall ruptured and tore his anterior cruciate ligament.
    "I had a little run of bad luck right from the beginning," he said.
    Kendall redshirted to save a year of eligibility.
    The following year the coaching staff informed Kendall they needed him to make the move from defensive line to offensive line at the start of two-a-day practices prior to the 2007 season.
    "At first it was weird because I didn't play offense in high school," Kendall said. "We had 122 kids on my high school team and had a lot of depth with one-way starters. When I came over here and they moved me to offense, it was kind of a big switch."
    However, Kendall believes the switch has worked out for the best.
    "I feel since I played defense it helped me understand offense better and what I needed to do," he said. "It's a good switch. I like it. I still get to play aggressively and offense is fun."
    He had made the transition rather smoothly, moving up the depth chart on the line. The coaches then asked him to move from center to guard, which also went relatively well.
    Kendall had made all of the adjustments asked of him. Now all he had to do was stay healthy.
    But once again Kendall was hurt. He partially tore the anterior cruciate ligament in the same knee as before. But this time it did not require surgery, only rest and physical therapy.
    It was another bump in the road for Kendall. Still, he makes no excuses and doesn't feel bad for himself. He said he never wavered when asked if he ever had any thoughts of giving the game up due to the injuries.
    "The first ACL injury I was like, 'Man this is kind of a bummer. Right as soon as I get up here,'" Kendall said. "The trainers and coaches and my good friends all helped me through it. I was pretty set on being here and sticking it out."

No regrets
    Despite some bad luck, Kendall has been relentless. He doesn't regret what has happened to him, and is pleased with where he is at.
    Now, he prepares to start his third straight game on the offensive line. It is unknown which spot he will start on — it all depends on injuries — but his versatility ensures that he'll find the field somewhere.
    "I think he has done a nice job," Prince said. "I was very proud of the offensive line as a whole."
    Kendall knows he made the right college choice.
    "I love it," he said. "I wouldn't change my decision if I could go back in time. I love it here."