SE: Dalton Risner Surprised with Allstate AFCA Good Works Team Trophy After Elementary School Speech
Oct 16, 2018 | Football, Sports Extra
By Corbin McGuire
Dalton Risner is used to being the one giving out the surprises, not receiving them.
Whether Risner is sending personalized autographs and notes to people dealing with various adversity in life; running out of K-State's tunnel before a game withKayden, a young boy and close friend of his who's in remission after a being diagnosed with leukemia; or speaking to children at schools, the two-time All-America tackle is rarely the one caught off guard.
Monday morning, however, was a different story.
It started with Risner, from a town of about 800 in Wiggins, Colorado, speaking to 600-plus Amanda Arnold Elementary School students in Manhattan. When he finished, even more attention was put on K-State's fifth-year senior right tackle.
This time, he wasn't leading the charge. It was Laura Pray, an Allstate Insurance Company representative. A K-State grad herself, she brought Risner back in front of the students and surprised him with his plaque for being named to the 2018 American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Good Works Team, sponsored by Allstate. It's an honor he received in September, but he had no clue the formal presentation would occur on Monday.
"It was an awesome surprise," he said. "I had no idea that was going to happen today."
OK, almost no idea. Risner said he did think something might be up when he accidentally met Pray before his speech. "Why is there an Allstate person here?" he asked. Then he saw some extra media members in the room with the students. In the back, he eyed K-State's two academic advisors for the football team, Bill Banks and Kim Gross, only adding to his curiosity.
"So, I was, like, 'Something's going on,'" Risner said. "I wasn't sure what it was but there was a little too many people here just for my speech. I was, like, 'I don't think it's this big of a deal.'"
Still, he added, "It felt really good to be able to get that surprise."
As he's more accustomed to, the morning started with Risner being a surprise to the school assembly. While hundreds of students, kindergarten to sixth grade, filed into the gym, Risner hid behind a corner so no one could spot his 6-foot-5 frame.
After being introduced and before his actual message, Risner gave away two autographed pictures to two students who answered a pair of trivia questions — starting with what position he plays, to which he got guesses of "K-State," "K-State football," and "quarterback," before someone said, "offensive line." The second question was who K-State beat last Saturday, which did not need multiple guesses.
"I loved it. I think I look just like a QB," laughed Risner, who also donated a pair of game-worn cleats that will be awarded to a student at some point in the school year. "The answers were pretty good."
Then he talked about his journey to being a success on and off the football field. He emphasized the things that got him there, mainly showing respect to family, friends and teachers, working hard every day in everything they do and dreaming big along the way.
"I like to tell my story, try to keep it light but, at the same time, leave them with a few key points that they can try to remember going forward that can help them out throughout their journey," Risner said. "If I can make an impact on one kid's life and make a few kids smile and give back in the time I have here at Kansas State… it means so much to me that someone would even want me to speak at their school."
Monday was one of Risner's many speeches to children at a variety of schools in Manhattan and his hometown. They represent a small part of his big desire to give back to the community and use his platform to help others. His list of other community service activities is extremely long.
All of it earned him a spot on the AFCA Good Works Team, which recognizes student-athletes for their unparalleled commitment to their communities. He's one of 11 student-athletes from FBS institutions on this year's team and K-State's third player ever to land on it, including its first since Collin Klein, now on staff as K-State's co-offensive coordinator. Victor Mann also received the distinction in 2005.
"I take a lot of pride in being part of that team," he said. "That award means the most to me because I feel like it's about having an impact on your community and having an impact on the lives around you and utilizing the platform I believe God gave me for a reason."
Risner also started the RiseUp Foundation. It has included both a blog and v-log form, with its main purpose being to "encourage everyone to RISE above the evil and sin in this world and be a positive shining light in the lives of others." The ultimate goal for the foundation is to motivate people through his words and actions, through his stories and his relationships.
On top of the AFCA honor, Risner is a candidate for this year's Wuerffel Trophy, which honors players for their community-service efforts; a semifinalist for the Campbell Trophy, which recognizes an individual as the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the nation; one of 30 finalists for the Senior CLASS AWARD,an acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School; and he was named the 2017-18 Big 12 Male Sportsperson of the Year.
The honors are nice, he said, but to him it's more about fulfilling a calling.
"I didn't work hard to be 6-foot-5, 300 pounds. I believe God gave me that platform and that size for a reason," Risner said. "I believe He wanted to play football but, apart from the game of football, I think He wanted me to make an impact on kids' lives around me and not just kids but people of all ages. I take a lot of pride in that. It means a lot to me."
Dalton Risner is used to being the one giving out the surprises, not receiving them.
Whether Risner is sending personalized autographs and notes to people dealing with various adversity in life; running out of K-State's tunnel before a game withKayden, a young boy and close friend of his who's in remission after a being diagnosed with leukemia; or speaking to children at schools, the two-time All-America tackle is rarely the one caught off guard.
Monday morning, however, was a different story.
It started with Risner, from a town of about 800 in Wiggins, Colorado, speaking to 600-plus Amanda Arnold Elementary School students in Manhattan. When he finished, even more attention was put on K-State's fifth-year senior right tackle.
This time, he wasn't leading the charge. It was Laura Pray, an Allstate Insurance Company representative. A K-State grad herself, she brought Risner back in front of the students and surprised him with his plaque for being named to the 2018 American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Good Works Team, sponsored by Allstate. It's an honor he received in September, but he had no clue the formal presentation would occur on Monday.
"It was an awesome surprise," he said. "I had no idea that was going to happen today."
OK, almost no idea. Risner said he did think something might be up when he accidentally met Pray before his speech. "Why is there an Allstate person here?" he asked. Then he saw some extra media members in the room with the students. In the back, he eyed K-State's two academic advisors for the football team, Bill Banks and Kim Gross, only adding to his curiosity.
"So, I was, like, 'Something's going on,'" Risner said. "I wasn't sure what it was but there was a little too many people here just for my speech. I was, like, 'I don't think it's this big of a deal.'"
Still, he added, "It felt really good to be able to get that surprise."
Genuine impact by a genuine person.#KStateFB's Dalton Risner received a welcome surprise with his Allstate @WeAreAFCA Good Works Team award pic.twitter.com/jilayigRLn
— K-State Athletics (@kstatesports) October 16, 2018
As he's more accustomed to, the morning started with Risner being a surprise to the school assembly. While hundreds of students, kindergarten to sixth grade, filed into the gym, Risner hid behind a corner so no one could spot his 6-foot-5 frame.
After being introduced and before his actual message, Risner gave away two autographed pictures to two students who answered a pair of trivia questions — starting with what position he plays, to which he got guesses of "K-State," "K-State football," and "quarterback," before someone said, "offensive line." The second question was who K-State beat last Saturday, which did not need multiple guesses.
"I loved it. I think I look just like a QB," laughed Risner, who also donated a pair of game-worn cleats that will be awarded to a student at some point in the school year. "The answers were pretty good."
Then he talked about his journey to being a success on and off the football field. He emphasized the things that got him there, mainly showing respect to family, friends and teachers, working hard every day in everything they do and dreaming big along the way.
"I like to tell my story, try to keep it light but, at the same time, leave them with a few key points that they can try to remember going forward that can help them out throughout their journey," Risner said. "If I can make an impact on one kid's life and make a few kids smile and give back in the time I have here at Kansas State… it means so much to me that someone would even want me to speak at their school."
Monday was one of Risner's many speeches to children at a variety of schools in Manhattan and his hometown. They represent a small part of his big desire to give back to the community and use his platform to help others. His list of other community service activities is extremely long.
All of it earned him a spot on the AFCA Good Works Team, which recognizes student-athletes for their unparalleled commitment to their communities. He's one of 11 student-athletes from FBS institutions on this year's team and K-State's third player ever to land on it, including its first since Collin Klein, now on staff as K-State's co-offensive coordinator. Victor Mann also received the distinction in 2005.
"I take a lot of pride in being part of that team," he said. "That award means the most to me because I feel like it's about having an impact on your community and having an impact on the lives around you and utilizing the platform I believe God gave me for a reason."
Risner also started the RiseUp Foundation. It has included both a blog and v-log form, with its main purpose being to "encourage everyone to RISE above the evil and sin in this world and be a positive shining light in the lives of others." The ultimate goal for the foundation is to motivate people through his words and actions, through his stories and his relationships.
On top of the AFCA honor, Risner is a candidate for this year's Wuerffel Trophy, which honors players for their community-service efforts; a semifinalist for the Campbell Trophy, which recognizes an individual as the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the nation; one of 30 finalists for the Senior CLASS AWARD,an acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School; and he was named the 2017-18 Big 12 Male Sportsperson of the Year.
The honors are nice, he said, but to him it's more about fulfilling a calling.
"I didn't work hard to be 6-foot-5, 300 pounds. I believe God gave me that platform and that size for a reason," Risner said. "I believe He wanted to play football but, apart from the game of football, I think He wanted me to make an impact on kids' lives around me and not just kids but people of all ages. I take a lot of pride in that. It means a lot to me."
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