SE: Preseason Honors Motivate Nick Lenners Ahead of Fifth Year at K-State
Jul 24, 2020 | Football, Sports Extra
By: Austin Siegel
Take everything Nick Lenners has experienced at K-State: playing multiple positions, the torn ACL in his first career start, the new coaching staff and finally, the global pandemic in 2020.
Now try not to worry about 90% of that and just control what you can control.
It's what the All-Big 12 fullback has needed to do almost every day during an offseason that continues to challenge K-State football.
"Just doing the little things right, wearing a mask and trying to keep social distancing whenever possible," Lenners said. "Getting out there out on the field so that when the season comes, we're all good for that. It's about keeping each other motivated."
What's helped Lenners stay motivated during such a challenging summer is the same thing that drove him after a torn ACL in 2018. He credits his family, teammates and coaching staff with standing by him on the long road back from injury.
Last summer, All-Big 12 honors were the last thing on Lenners mind as he rehabbed his leg and focused on what it would take to make his second career start at K-State.
"It was a low point in my life," he said. "There were some days where you didn't want to rehab, but you just had to push through and be patient, because it's not an overnight thing. It takes time."
After spending his redshirt freshman season primarily on special teams and as a blocking tight end and fullback, Lenners had earned the trust of Bill Snyder ahead of the 2018 season.
He got the start at fullback in the opener against South Dakota, but his injury and Snyder's retirement meant the 2019 offseason would be a pivotal one for Lenners.
Balancing his recovery with learning a new playbook, Lenners was able to show Chris Klieman and his staff why the retiring Snyder had so much confidence in his ability.
Reaching out to his teammates, Lenners tried to pick up as many "tips and tricks" as possible as he looked to memorize the new play calls. He watched film and went over the signals with his quarterbacks, trying to learn their reads and progressions as he prepared for his next opportunity.
"Learning a new playbook was different after having the same one for so long, but it wasn't a huge challenge. I really like the new system and the coaches have done a great job making sure we all understand it," Lenners said. "One of the many positive things about having Coach (Courtney) Messingham as our OC and tight ends & fullbacks coach is that we truly understand the entire offense and how it works. We can see the whole big picture and how we fit in."
For Lenners, fitting into K-State's offense in Klieman's first year at the helm wasn't a problem.
With 163 receiving yards and a touchdown, Lenners provided Skylar Thompson with a weapon in the passing game and when K-State looked to force the issue on the ground.
His blocking ability first caught the eye of Snyder, and in 2019, Lenners paved the way for the Big 12's fourth-best rushing attack at a brisk 178.0 yards per game.
His redshirt sophomore season at K-State came to a fitting conclusion, when Lenners was named to the 2019 All-Big 12 team as a fullback.
Coming into this offseason and the challenges that have unfolded since March, Lenners is getting used to working out in a mask and helping lead the Wildcats as a fifth-year junior.
"There's just a good attitude going out there with the team and working to get better," he said. "We're making sure we understand how to run things at game speed. We still have to wear the masks, so it's about getting used to that and the competition, since we were trying to stay away from people before this."
Since every member of the Wildcats spent the summer in different places, with limited access to workout equipment or a gym, Lenners said he's learning to hold his teammates accountable while recognizing that many of them are still adjusting after four months away from football.
The team was out on the field at Bill Snyder Family Stadium this week, still in the voluntary phase of their summer workouts, but running through different situations at game speed.
Lenners followed up his All-Big 12 performance in 2019 with preseason All-Big 12 honors this month, alongside Wyatt Hubert and Joshua Youngblood on the Wildcats.
He said the first preseason honors of his career come with some added motivation.
"It puts a little chip on my shoulder because with that preseason recognition, you don't want to let people down," Lenners said. "I know that the coaching staff and my teammates are going to help not just me, but the other tight ends and fullbacks do their job."
Getting back out on the field is a welcome return for Lenners, to a place where knowing how to "control what you can control" has never been a problem.
"It's been a long time since we missed out on spring ball due to this pandemic," he said. "I know there's a lot of other people who are excited, and even if it's just for the first practice, I'm really excited to get out there with my teammates and play the sport that we all love."
Take everything Nick Lenners has experienced at K-State: playing multiple positions, the torn ACL in his first career start, the new coaching staff and finally, the global pandemic in 2020.
Now try not to worry about 90% of that and just control what you can control.
It's what the All-Big 12 fullback has needed to do almost every day during an offseason that continues to challenge K-State football.
"Just doing the little things right, wearing a mask and trying to keep social distancing whenever possible," Lenners said. "Getting out there out on the field so that when the season comes, we're all good for that. It's about keeping each other motivated."
What's helped Lenners stay motivated during such a challenging summer is the same thing that drove him after a torn ACL in 2018. He credits his family, teammates and coaching staff with standing by him on the long road back from injury.
Last summer, All-Big 12 honors were the last thing on Lenners mind as he rehabbed his leg and focused on what it would take to make his second career start at K-State.
"It was a low point in my life," he said. "There were some days where you didn't want to rehab, but you just had to push through and be patient, because it's not an overnight thing. It takes time."
After spending his redshirt freshman season primarily on special teams and as a blocking tight end and fullback, Lenners had earned the trust of Bill Snyder ahead of the 2018 season.
He got the start at fullback in the opener against South Dakota, but his injury and Snyder's retirement meant the 2019 offseason would be a pivotal one for Lenners.
Balancing his recovery with learning a new playbook, Lenners was able to show Chris Klieman and his staff why the retiring Snyder had so much confidence in his ability.
Reaching out to his teammates, Lenners tried to pick up as many "tips and tricks" as possible as he looked to memorize the new play calls. He watched film and went over the signals with his quarterbacks, trying to learn their reads and progressions as he prepared for his next opportunity.
"Learning a new playbook was different after having the same one for so long, but it wasn't a huge challenge. I really like the new system and the coaches have done a great job making sure we all understand it," Lenners said. "One of the many positive things about having Coach (Courtney) Messingham as our OC and tight ends & fullbacks coach is that we truly understand the entire offense and how it works. We can see the whole big picture and how we fit in."
For Lenners, fitting into K-State's offense in Klieman's first year at the helm wasn't a problem.
With 163 receiving yards and a touchdown, Lenners provided Skylar Thompson with a weapon in the passing game and when K-State looked to force the issue on the ground.
His blocking ability first caught the eye of Snyder, and in 2019, Lenners paved the way for the Big 12's fourth-best rushing attack at a brisk 178.0 yards per game.
His redshirt sophomore season at K-State came to a fitting conclusion, when Lenners was named to the 2019 All-Big 12 team as a fullback.
Coming into this offseason and the challenges that have unfolded since March, Lenners is getting used to working out in a mask and helping lead the Wildcats as a fifth-year junior.
"There's just a good attitude going out there with the team and working to get better," he said. "We're making sure we understand how to run things at game speed. We still have to wear the masks, so it's about getting used to that and the competition, since we were trying to stay away from people before this."
Since every member of the Wildcats spent the summer in different places, with limited access to workout equipment or a gym, Lenners said he's learning to hold his teammates accountable while recognizing that many of them are still adjusting after four months away from football.
The team was out on the field at Bill Snyder Family Stadium this week, still in the voluntary phase of their summer workouts, but running through different situations at game speed.
Lenners followed up his All-Big 12 performance in 2019 with preseason All-Big 12 honors this month, alongside Wyatt Hubert and Joshua Youngblood on the Wildcats.
He said the first preseason honors of his career come with some added motivation.
"It puts a little chip on my shoulder because with that preseason recognition, you don't want to let people down," Lenners said. "I know that the coaching staff and my teammates are going to help not just me, but the other tight ends and fullbacks do their job."
Getting back out on the field is a welcome return for Lenners, to a place where knowing how to "control what you can control" has never been a problem.
"It's been a long time since we missed out on spring ball due to this pandemic," he said. "I know there's a lot of other people who are excited, and even if it's just for the first practice, I'm really excited to get out there with my teammates and play the sport that we all love."
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