Linton’s Passion for K-State on Full Display
May 18, 2022 | Sports Extra, Athletics
By: D. Scott Fritchen
The 91st day of Dr. Richard Linton's tenure as President at Kansas State University found the 55-year-old donned in a lavender dress shirt, gray slacks and leading about 200 members of the Central Kansas Catbackers in a group cheer at Knights of Columbus on Main Street in Great Bend, Kansas on Tuesday evening.
This was Linton's first-ever Catbacker Tour event, and he started off the evening's festivities eager to fire up everybody in the room.
"Good evening, folks," Linton said. "Maybe we should start this off with a cheer — what do you think? What if this half of the room says, "Let's Go!" and this half of the room says, "Wildcats!" and when it gets loud enough, we'll stop. Want to give it a shot?"
He orchestrated the attendees with his hands.
"This side!" he shouted, enthusiastically.
The crowd said, "Let's go!"
"Other side!" he shouted.
The crowd said, "Wildcats!"
It was at this moment, at 6:47 p.m., his left hand resting against the podium in the front of the room, that Linton persisted. Purple star-shaped balloons adorned the white-walled banquet hall. The crowd chuckled at its own folly.
"That's weak," Linton said. "Let's try it again."
The left side of the room vigorously yelled, "LET'S GOOOOOO!!!!"
The right side answered, "WILDCATSSSSSS!!!!"
Linton nodded his head and smiled.
"Alright," he said. "That's better."
K-Staters made their presence felt inside the room. K-Staters always make their presence felt. It's something that Linton noted for the first time on January 4 while watching K-State thump LSU 42-20 in the Texas Bowl at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas.
And it's something he'll experience again and again and again during his time in Manhattan.
"I was at the Texas Bowl and seeing the Wabash Cannonball there and at men's and women's basketball games and at the baseball game — it's a great environment," Linton said prior to the event. "Sports are incredibly important to this university. It's a part of the land-grant mission. Sports programs are really important for what we do for the Manhattan community.
"Remember, we're partners with the Manhattan community as well, and that's a big part of what we do and that's why athletics are so important."
As for what has surprised Linton the most so far in the athletic realm?
"One of the things I didn't realize until I actually started the job was the amazing passion and the amazing condition of our athletic facilities," he said. "If I was an athlete, there's no way I'd choose to go anywhere else but K-State."
Linton assumed duties as Kansas State University's 15th president on February 14 after serving as Dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at North Carolina State University.
"It's a marriage that's made in heaven," Linton said. "This could not be a better leadership opportunity for me. I think I'm a really good fit for what K-State is needing for the future. I'm someone who comes with 38 years of land-grant experience and knows a bit about agriculture and food systems in a state where agriculture and food systems are about half the economy. It's a great marriage."
He fit right in with K-Staters in Great Bend, a hard-working city of about 15,000 people where agriculture is the prominent industry. Located in central Kansas at the intersection of U.S. Route 281 and U.S. Route 56, grain elevators are visible from miles away. The city was founded about three miles west of the Santa Fe Trail.
He began the morning holding a town meeting with about 25 leaders from across the area. He said it was important.
"I came early today to be able to meet with some of our state individuals who represent the cattle industry, cattlemen, and also those that represent the grain industry, to be able to learn what's important to them, how we can better serve them, what are the solutions that they need for the future," Linton said. "A big part of making the land-grant what it should be is talking with the citizens of the state and understanding their dreams, aspirations and wants, and try to have K-State help provide a lot of those solutions and work with them."
Yes, K-Staters made their presence felt at Central Kansas Catbackers. They poured in and shook Linton's hand. They shook hands with K-State Athletic Director Gene Taylor and K-State head football coach Chris Klieman and student-athletes, including football player Phillip Brooks, men's basketball player Markquis Nowell, women's basketball player Emilee Ebert, volleyball player Aliyah Carter, and folks posed for photos with Willie Wildcat.
But it was a great opportunity for fans to hear Linton speak at his first Catbacker event. Linton assumed his duties at K-State on Valentine's Day. Perhaps it's no coincidence he says that he and K-State are a "marriage made in heaven." He spoke behind the podium for a few moments, an introduction to K-Staters in attendance, and earned many fans in the process judging by the loud applause.
"I'm honored to be the new President at Kansas State University," Linton said. "I've been on the job now just for 91 days, so I've made it through the first 90 days pretty much unscathed."
The crowd chuckled.
"I'm a product of the land-grant," he continued. "I was at Virginia Tech as a student, then Purdue University as a faculty member for 16 years, and I was department head at Ohio State, and then the Dean of the Agriculture and Life Sciences at NC State for the past decade.
"I've been looking my entire career for a place that still believes in the land-grant mission. And the reason I came to Kansas State is because we do believe in the land-grant mission and doing things that are important for the state and community and the citizens and farmers that represent what we call Kansas Agriculture and Food Systems."
He paused.
"I also came here because of the people."
Linton remained at the Knights of Columbus after the coaches and student-athletes left the building. He continued to listen to people. He asked questions. He listened some more.
"I'm going to listen and learn and meet as many people as I possibly can and try to understand this university and the needs of the state and understand the culture so I can move this place forward," he said.
Linton has plans this summer. He has big plans.
"In the next month, I'm going to take a nine-day trip to western Kansas," he said. "I'm going to be in nine different locations over a week and a half. Again, it's all about trying to listen and learn what's important to Kansans about what they want to see in their land-grant. I'll be doing that the whole time I'm here. If we don't listen, we can't do what's needed, and when you listen you get support."
The mission? Simple.
"This is my first shot of being president," he said. "I'm going to go hard and go strong and do everything I can to make K-State the best land-grant university in the country."
He left his first-ever Catbacker event enthused for the future of K-State Athletics.
"The crowd and the passion are always the same at Kansas State," he said. "It's big and it's loud."
Yes, K-State fans made their presence felt for the new president. And it won't be the last time they do so.
"I'm totally 100-percent out-of-control excited," he said as he left the building into the cool nighttime sky. "I'm the guy that sits in the living room watching his favorite team and you really don't want to be in that living room."
He grinned.
"I just hope," he said, "that I can control myself at the Kansas State stadiums."
The 91st day of Dr. Richard Linton's tenure as President at Kansas State University found the 55-year-old donned in a lavender dress shirt, gray slacks and leading about 200 members of the Central Kansas Catbackers in a group cheer at Knights of Columbus on Main Street in Great Bend, Kansas on Tuesday evening.
This was Linton's first-ever Catbacker Tour event, and he started off the evening's festivities eager to fire up everybody in the room.
"Good evening, folks," Linton said. "Maybe we should start this off with a cheer — what do you think? What if this half of the room says, "Let's Go!" and this half of the room says, "Wildcats!" and when it gets loud enough, we'll stop. Want to give it a shot?"
He orchestrated the attendees with his hands.
"This side!" he shouted, enthusiastically.
The crowd said, "Let's go!"
"Other side!" he shouted.
The crowd said, "Wildcats!"
It was at this moment, at 6:47 p.m., his left hand resting against the podium in the front of the room, that Linton persisted. Purple star-shaped balloons adorned the white-walled banquet hall. The crowd chuckled at its own folly.
"That's weak," Linton said. "Let's try it again."
The left side of the room vigorously yelled, "LET'S GOOOOOO!!!!"
The right side answered, "WILDCATSSSSSS!!!!"
Linton nodded his head and smiled.
"Alright," he said. "That's better."
K-Staters made their presence felt inside the room. K-Staters always make their presence felt. It's something that Linton noted for the first time on January 4 while watching K-State thump LSU 42-20 in the Texas Bowl at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas.
And it's something he'll experience again and again and again during his time in Manhattan.
"I was at the Texas Bowl and seeing the Wabash Cannonball there and at men's and women's basketball games and at the baseball game — it's a great environment," Linton said prior to the event. "Sports are incredibly important to this university. It's a part of the land-grant mission. Sports programs are really important for what we do for the Manhattan community.
"Remember, we're partners with the Manhattan community as well, and that's a big part of what we do and that's why athletics are so important."
As for what has surprised Linton the most so far in the athletic realm?
"One of the things I didn't realize until I actually started the job was the amazing passion and the amazing condition of our athletic facilities," he said. "If I was an athlete, there's no way I'd choose to go anywhere else but K-State."
Linton assumed duties as Kansas State University's 15th president on February 14 after serving as Dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at North Carolina State University.
"It's a marriage that's made in heaven," Linton said. "This could not be a better leadership opportunity for me. I think I'm a really good fit for what K-State is needing for the future. I'm someone who comes with 38 years of land-grant experience and knows a bit about agriculture and food systems in a state where agriculture and food systems are about half the economy. It's a great marriage."
He fit right in with K-Staters in Great Bend, a hard-working city of about 15,000 people where agriculture is the prominent industry. Located in central Kansas at the intersection of U.S. Route 281 and U.S. Route 56, grain elevators are visible from miles away. The city was founded about three miles west of the Santa Fe Trail.
He began the morning holding a town meeting with about 25 leaders from across the area. He said it was important.
"I came early today to be able to meet with some of our state individuals who represent the cattle industry, cattlemen, and also those that represent the grain industry, to be able to learn what's important to them, how we can better serve them, what are the solutions that they need for the future," Linton said. "A big part of making the land-grant what it should be is talking with the citizens of the state and understanding their dreams, aspirations and wants, and try to have K-State help provide a lot of those solutions and work with them."
Yes, K-Staters made their presence felt at Central Kansas Catbackers. They poured in and shook Linton's hand. They shook hands with K-State Athletic Director Gene Taylor and K-State head football coach Chris Klieman and student-athletes, including football player Phillip Brooks, men's basketball player Markquis Nowell, women's basketball player Emilee Ebert, volleyball player Aliyah Carter, and folks posed for photos with Willie Wildcat.
But it was a great opportunity for fans to hear Linton speak at his first Catbacker event. Linton assumed his duties at K-State on Valentine's Day. Perhaps it's no coincidence he says that he and K-State are a "marriage made in heaven." He spoke behind the podium for a few moments, an introduction to K-Staters in attendance, and earned many fans in the process judging by the loud applause.
"I'm honored to be the new President at Kansas State University," Linton said. "I've been on the job now just for 91 days, so I've made it through the first 90 days pretty much unscathed."
The crowd chuckled.
"I'm a product of the land-grant," he continued. "I was at Virginia Tech as a student, then Purdue University as a faculty member for 16 years, and I was department head at Ohio State, and then the Dean of the Agriculture and Life Sciences at NC State for the past decade.
"I've been looking my entire career for a place that still believes in the land-grant mission. And the reason I came to Kansas State is because we do believe in the land-grant mission and doing things that are important for the state and community and the citizens and farmers that represent what we call Kansas Agriculture and Food Systems."
He paused.
"I also came here because of the people."
Linton remained at the Knights of Columbus after the coaches and student-athletes left the building. He continued to listen to people. He asked questions. He listened some more.
"I'm going to listen and learn and meet as many people as I possibly can and try to understand this university and the needs of the state and understand the culture so I can move this place forward," he said.
Linton has plans this summer. He has big plans.
"In the next month, I'm going to take a nine-day trip to western Kansas," he said. "I'm going to be in nine different locations over a week and a half. Again, it's all about trying to listen and learn what's important to Kansans about what they want to see in their land-grant. I'll be doing that the whole time I'm here. If we don't listen, we can't do what's needed, and when you listen you get support."
The mission? Simple.
"This is my first shot of being president," he said. "I'm going to go hard and go strong and do everything I can to make K-State the best land-grant university in the country."
He left his first-ever Catbacker event enthused for the future of K-State Athletics.
"The crowd and the passion are always the same at Kansas State," he said. "It's big and it's loud."
Yes, K-State fans made their presence felt for the new president. And it won't be the last time they do so.
"I'm totally 100-percent out-of-control excited," he said as he left the building into the cool nighttime sky. "I'm the guy that sits in the living room watching his favorite team and you really don't want to be in that living room."
He grinned.
"I just hope," he said, "that I can control myself at the Kansas State stadiums."
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