K-State to Celebrate Athletics Trailblazers at Iowa State Football Game

MANHATTAN, Kansas – Kansas State will recognize and honor eight breakthrough athletes in its history at Saturday's Iowa State football game, which will serve as the department's Diversity and Inclusion game for the 2021 football season.

A large piece of this recognition are three permanent "Trailblazers" displays which will honor eight distinct student-athletes in four sports. On the west concourse at Bill Snyder Family Stadium, fans will be able to learn more about Harold Robinson, Veryl Switzer, Hoyt Givens and Ray Romero as each made a lasting impact on the game of football. Switzer, a 1952 All-American running back for the Wildcats, will be in attendance Saturday and serve as the celebrity door opener as the team takes the field to face the Cyclones.

At Bramlage Coliseum, displays honoring Gene Wilson and Priscilla Gary are located on the concourse near Section 7, while Earl Woods and Dave Baker have displays at Tointon Family Stadium between the main gate and the team clubhouse entrance. Each of these displays will also be officially unveiled at basketball and baseball games this season.

"We have a proud tradition here at K-State, and these eight individuals are just a few of the many K-Staters who worked tirelessly yet gracefully so that others may follow in their footsteps," Athletics Gene Taylor said. "This recognition is only fitting and will provide a permanent place for Wildcat fans to learn of our storied history."

Other in-game activities will include pregame and in-game videos and recognitions. For more information on the department's Diversity and Inclusion program, which is a crucial component of K-State Athletics' strategic plan, fans can click here.

Dave Baker (1978-83)
In 1978, K-State Athletics Director DeLoss Dodds called Dave Baker back home to coach the Wildcats. Baker became the first black head baseball coach at a Big 8 Conference institution. To this day, he is the only black coach to have been a head baseball coach in K-State history, as well as Big 8 (and Big 12) history.

Priscilla Gary (1982-83)
The first female student-athlete inducted into the K-State Sports Hall of Fame in 1998, Gary was also the first black female to be named an All-American as she was a 1982 and 1983 selection in women's basketball.
Hoyt Givens (1949-50)
The first black non-scholarship football player in the Big 6 Conference. He joined Harold Robinson as the first two black athletes to compete in an event at the University of Oklahoma in Norman.
Harold Robinson (1949-50)
The first black scholarship athlete in the Big 7 Conference. Robinson was a 2004 inductee to the K-State Athletics Hall of Fame. Robinson earned All-Big 7 First Team honors in 1950.

Ray Romero (1947-49)
One of the first Hispanics to play in the NFL, Romero played for the Wildcats from 1947-1949 and was a member of the 1951 Philadelphia Eagles team.

Veryl Switzer (1951-53)
First black scholarship student-athlete to graduate from K-State. Held career punt return record until 1995 and scored the second longest punt return in school history. Drafted 4th overall by the Green Bay Packers in first round of the 1954 NFL Draft.
Gene Wilson (1951-52)
K-State's first black scholarship basketball player. Broke the Big 7 Conference color barrier along with LaVannes Squires of Kansas by becoming the first black scholarship basketball athletes in the Big 7.
Earl Woods (1951-53)
Attended K-State where he would go on to break the Big 7 Conference color barrier in 1951 by becoming the first black baseball player in Big 7 history. Woods went on to earn a varsity letter in both 1952 and 1953. He was offered a contract by the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro Leagues but turned it down to finish his degree.

Kansas State University Athletics

K-State to Celebrate Athletics Trailblazers at Iowa State Football Game

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