SE: K-State Football’s Curl Relishing Opportunities Final Season is Bringing
Oct 25, 2019 | Football, Sports Extra
By Corbin McGuire
Evan Curl had pretty modest goals coming into his last season with K-State football. After four years mostly spent on the sidelines, it was hard for him to imagine much more than that for 2019.
"Really, I was just trying to get on the field any way I could," the fifth-year senior said. "Whether it was a couple plays here (and there), special teams, wherever else I could have gotten in, it was just, 'How can I help out?'"
Once spring ball ended, however, K-State's new offensive line coach Conor Riley reworded that question for Curl in a one-on-one meeting.
Why settle for those roles as goals when he could start?
"Coach Riley really challenged me to try to think, 'Why not go for the starting spot?' From there, changing that mindset and realizing I can play Division I football, that's really what changed for me," the 6-foot-5 offensive guard said. "Just taking that approach into (fall) camp and knowing that I can be dominant and trying to carry that out…obviously, here we are in the season. I'm pretty happy."
Happy because Curl has started in all six games so far for K-State (4-2, 1-2), which hosts No. 5 Oklahoma (7-0, 4-0) on Saturday at 11 a.m., on ABC.
Curl helped pave the way to a 361-yard rushing performance against Nicholls, the most in a K-State season opener since at least 1981. K-State, averaging 197.2 yards per game on the ground, surpassed 1,000 rushing yards two weeks ago — only the second time since 2013 the Wildcats have hit that mark in their first five games. In last week's win against TCU, K-State drove 95 yards late in the game for the go-ahead score.
A native of Flower Mound, Texas, Curl has been part of it all. It's been especially meaningful, he said, to do so alongside four other senior offensive linemen, including three — Scott Frantz, Tyler Mitchell and Adam Holtorf — who came into K-State with him.
"I couldn't have asked for it to have been any better. I'm just super excited for the opportunity Coach Riley gave me," Curl said. "As we really start getting into the season, I couldn't be more fortunate. I'm really just excited to go out on a high note."
The past three years were anything but.
After a redshirt season in 2015, Curl played in one game the following season and three in 2017. Last year, he got in for all 12 games but almost exclusively on field goal protection.
The struggle to get on the field, Curl said, made him question his abilities. Riley, he said, changed that completely.
"Having the opportunity really changed (everything)," Curl said. "Realizing I did come here on a scholarship, I came here because I can play football and just having somebody there behind me who could really help support me was huge for me."
Now, Curl said does not view those past seasons negatively anymore. Instead, he uses them to provide the type of support he received from Riley to his teammates going through similar situations.
"I know, especially with the career I had, going through a lot of struggles was something I could relate to a lot of those guys with and really help them realize what their opportunity was and what their potential was and try to help keep their head straight through some of that stuff they're going through," he said. "There are some guys who I can see have some of the same struggles. It's something I can really connect to them with.
"I know, after we're gone, there are going to have to be a lot of young guys that take over the offensive line. Anything I can do to try to help them see the opportunity ahead of them is huge."
Evan Curl had pretty modest goals coming into his last season with K-State football. After four years mostly spent on the sidelines, it was hard for him to imagine much more than that for 2019.
"Really, I was just trying to get on the field any way I could," the fifth-year senior said. "Whether it was a couple plays here (and there), special teams, wherever else I could have gotten in, it was just, 'How can I help out?'"
Once spring ball ended, however, K-State's new offensive line coach Conor Riley reworded that question for Curl in a one-on-one meeting.
Why settle for those roles as goals when he could start?
"Coach Riley really challenged me to try to think, 'Why not go for the starting spot?' From there, changing that mindset and realizing I can play Division I football, that's really what changed for me," the 6-foot-5 offensive guard said. "Just taking that approach into (fall) camp and knowing that I can be dominant and trying to carry that out…obviously, here we are in the season. I'm pretty happy."
Happy because Curl has started in all six games so far for K-State (4-2, 1-2), which hosts No. 5 Oklahoma (7-0, 4-0) on Saturday at 11 a.m., on ABC.
Curl helped pave the way to a 361-yard rushing performance against Nicholls, the most in a K-State season opener since at least 1981. K-State, averaging 197.2 yards per game on the ground, surpassed 1,000 rushing yards two weeks ago — only the second time since 2013 the Wildcats have hit that mark in their first five games. In last week's win against TCU, K-State drove 95 yards late in the game for the go-ahead score.
A native of Flower Mound, Texas, Curl has been part of it all. It's been especially meaningful, he said, to do so alongside four other senior offensive linemen, including three — Scott Frantz, Tyler Mitchell and Adam Holtorf — who came into K-State with him.
"I couldn't have asked for it to have been any better. I'm just super excited for the opportunity Coach Riley gave me," Curl said. "As we really start getting into the season, I couldn't be more fortunate. I'm really just excited to go out on a high note."
The past three years were anything but.
After a redshirt season in 2015, Curl played in one game the following season and three in 2017. Last year, he got in for all 12 games but almost exclusively on field goal protection.
The struggle to get on the field, Curl said, made him question his abilities. Riley, he said, changed that completely.
"Having the opportunity really changed (everything)," Curl said. "Realizing I did come here on a scholarship, I came here because I can play football and just having somebody there behind me who could really help support me was huge for me."
Now, Curl said does not view those past seasons negatively anymore. Instead, he uses them to provide the type of support he received from Riley to his teammates going through similar situations.
"I know, especially with the career I had, going through a lot of struggles was something I could relate to a lot of those guys with and really help them realize what their opportunity was and what their potential was and try to help keep their head straight through some of that stuff they're going through," he said. "There are some guys who I can see have some of the same struggles. It's something I can really connect to them with.
"I know, after we're gone, there are going to have to be a lot of young guys that take over the offensive line. Anything I can do to try to help them see the opportunity ahead of them is huge."
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