Downtown San Antonio, Texas continues to be overrun with K-State purple this week, as the University Alumni Association hosted its annual pre-bowl pep rally at Freeman Coliseum.
Roughly 10,000 Wildcat alumni and fans turned out for the event Thursday. The pep rally played host to the newly award-winning K-State Marching Band, as well as the K-State cheer and dance teams. University and Alamo Bowl officials were also on hand to voice their thoughts on the impressive turnout leading up to the 2015 Valero Alamo Bowl.
Longtime voice of the Wildcats Wyatt Thompson acted as the official emcee for the event. After a brief introduction and performance from the band and cheer teams, the pep rally began with words from University dignitaries including Athletic Director John Currie and K-State Alumni association president Amy Button Renz. The event concluded with words from K-State head coach Bill Snyder and senior football captains.
Below you can view some of the best quotes from the Alumni Association Pep Rally, including the emotion-laden comments Snyder made about the fan turnout in the Alamo City.
On the amount of traveling support….
Lynette Padalecki, Valero Alamo Bowl Chairman: I just have one word, and that word is ‘wow.’ When I was asked to be the chair of this year’s bowl, one of the other board member told me, ‘You know Lynette, you just got to hope for a Texas team,’ and I was like, ‘Why’s that?’ They responded, ‘Because they have the best following.’ Let me tell you, that board member did not know about Kansas State.
Snyder: I shared with everyone at last night’s event the exact same thought, that they didn’t know about the three largest crowds in the history of college football that crossed state lines to see their team play, and I said ‘You’re going to be absolutely amazed at the turnout that Kansas State University will have because of the family that we have and the extended family throughout our nation. Certainly you represent that here today, I’m so proud of you and thank you so very, very much.
On the pep rally…
Currie: This is our family’s fifth bowl pep rally, and our fifth-straight bowl, thanks to Coach Snyder’s leadership and our great program. There’s no event, to me, that is more special than this annual pep rally. This gathering of folks from all across the United States — from around the world — this gathering of folks defines K-State, and this gathering defines Coach Snyder’s goal No. 3 three: unity.
On the packed event site…
Padalecki: I’ve been in San Antonio my whole life, and the Joe and Harry Freeman Coliseum has not seen this much action since George Strait performed here 30-years ago.
Waters: For a pep rally, who does this? Who fills up this whole place for a pep rally No one but us. It’s crazy, it’s not even a game and you guys are loud and it’s packed.
On the class of K-State players…
Padalecki: These young men show up to the hotel, after a two-hour practice, dressed in suits and ties — a class act. All very well spoken, well-mannered, and that says a lot about the support. They say it takes a village to raise a child and that says a lot about how these young men showed up in San Antonio. It says a lot about the support behind them, from the coaches to the Alumni, the University, the cheer squad and the band.
On leading the nation in number of graduating senior football players…
Currie: One of the most special things of all that will happen tomorrow when that football team comes out, we will lead the nation in an important statistic — maybe the most important statistic of all — and that is with 22 seniors having already graduated taking the field in the game tomorrow, K-State will lead the nation in the number of graduates competing on it’s bowl roster.
Snyder’s emotional thanks to the Wildcat fans…
Snyder: There are no words to truly express what you mean to us, what you have meant to us over an extended period of time, in the last 25 years, you have been amazing. When I say to people so many times about the three-largest crowds, or that the stadium is named after you and my family, where it says family, it is a heck of a lot. It’s more than talk, we love you to death.
On being at the end of his K-State career…
Waters: I got here two years ago, and those two years sure went by fast. But, I’m a Wildcat forever and I love you guys.
On the support received for nine-year-old Kaiden Schroeder…
Mueller: I want to thank everyone from the bottom of my heart for making this such a rememberable experience for Kaiden Schroeder. I know there’s a lot of people in here who spent money and donated to the charity we had to get Kaiden and his family down here, and it’s just unbelievable. It’s just the true definition of what this university stands for, and that’s family.
