It’s His Turn
Jul 31, 2023 | Football, Sports Extra
By: D. Scott Fritchen
Four years ago, Da'on Savage saw the look upon his son's face. It was National Signing Day. And Kobe Savage was signing with Texas A&M University-Commerce. And Kobe was unhappy at the February 8, 2019, signing ceremony. Here was a kid celebrating his 18th birthday in four days. It should've been the time of his life. But he was not in a celebratory mood. He had dreams. He had football dreams.
This is a story about living out dreams.
"It's your time," Da'on told his son, "but it's not your turn.'"
Kobe redshirted his freshman season at Texas A&M University-Commerce. He transferred to Tyler Junior College. He would show all the FBS schools and all the coaches that they had it wrong. That Kobe Savage could play football. And not just play football, but he could be a star. He played at Tyler Junior College for two years. He was a First Team All-Southwest Junior College Football Conference selection in 2021.
He had 15 scholarship offers, but none at the Power 5 Conference level. He briefly committed to North Texas, but he felt there was something more. And that's when Savage received an answered prayer. He had prayed and his family had prayed for a grand opportunity. They had prayed for years. Once, he told his mother, Stacey Godbolt, that he saw a big school in his dreams, and that he saw a lot of bright lights.
"I've prayed for him from the time I've had him to today," Stacey says.
On December 4, 2021, Savage's cellphone lit up. It was Kansas State head coach Chris Klieman. Savage and the Tyler Junior College football team were on a bus. They were headed to play Coffeyville Community College in the Heart of Texas Bowl.
Kobe called Da'on.
"Daddy," he said, "Get ready to go to Manhattan."
On his recruiting trip, K-State defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman and Savage spoke about football for hours.
"Kobe," Klanderman says, "was just a tremendously under-recruited kid."
It was Savage's time, and it was his turn. And now the 5-foot-11, 207-pound senior from Paris, Texas, walks and talks in his charcoal suit at Big 12 Media Days at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. He talks with ESPN one moment, FOX Sports the next. He attempts to put his story into words for reporters. Over and over he has told the story — "My jaw is locking up," he half-jokes — but he is polite and he is courteous, and he doesn't mind talking, because, well, there's a kid out there who everybody has counted out, and who's trying his darndest to hold onto his own dream.
Savage looks around at all the other Big 12 coaches and players at AT&T Stadium.
"None of these Big 12 coaches wanted me," he says, "so I'm going to prove them all wrong."
Savage is one of the hardest-hitting safeties in K-State in a while.
Savage is a 2023 Preseason All-Big 12 selection.
But that's not enough.
"I want to show," he says, "that I'm one of the best in the country."
This is a story about living out dreams. And Savage is back. That he is back, yeah, that's an answered prayer. He suffered a right knee injury at Baylor that required an anterior-cruciate ligament and meniscus reconstruction on November 28 followed by a sixth-month recovery. Some nights, he prayed himself to sleep. Other nights, he cried.
"I knew he's a kid who'd work his tail off to be full-go by August 1," Klieman says, "and he was full-go by July 15."
Savage ranked second on the team with 58 tackles to go along with three tackles for a loss, three interceptions and one forced fumble at the time of his injury. He was a fan favorite. He had interceptions in back-to-back games against Missouri and Tulane. He had a season-high 11 tackles against Oklahoma to earn Big 12 Newcomer of the Week honors. He also had nine tackles and a forced fumble against Texas Tech. Despite his season-ending injury, he was voted a Second Team All-Big 12 selection. He earned votes for Big 12 Defensive Newcomer of the Year award as well.
"Watching him go through the injury at Baylor and his dad and mom were on the sideline," Klieman says, "I was in tears in the tent with him."
In the end, there were happy tears. Weeks later, K-State beat TCU in overtime thriller, 31-28, for the 2022 Big 12 Championship.
"Seeing Coach Klieman hoist the trophy," Savage says, "meant the world to me."
Savage hopes to help lead the Wildcats to further success in 2023.
"We're going to continue to raise the bar," Savage says.
Savage calls himself a "football addict." This studiousness began at Paris High School. It continues at K-State today. There's a method to Savage's success. And it begins with hours and hours of film study. He studies how players move around. He studies their tendencies, the quarterback's cadence, or the way that he stands if he's going to pass, or if he rubs his hands for a pass, or how the offensive line sits in stance for a run. Sometimes, Savage watches so much film that he takes a nap inside the Vanier Family Football Complex. Then he wakes up and watches some more film.
"I'm just worried about winning every play," Savage says. "I'm going to go 100% every play."
Some players might mope after an injury. Savage is eager to come back better than ever. That's why he practiced alone in 90-degree weather at Bill Snyder Family Stadium during the summer months — shuffling five yards back and cutting at 45-degree angles over and over again across the green turf, then dashing 10 yards to the east and 10 yards to the west and then sprinting straight north.
"Man," Klieman says, "that kid loves football."
It's Savage's time and it's his turn. He is the defensive back in the middle who everyone looks to for direction. He is a coach on the field. He is a key cog to the defensive machine. In some ways, he is still that 17-year-old kid aspiring to touch bigger goals, the way the great ones do.
He says, "I don't want to leave the field knowing I didn't give it my all."
He has a story to tell, yes sir, but it isn't yet finished. So he tells reporters at Big 12 Media Day that he is excited to return. He tells the reporters that the injury has pushed him to be better than a year ago. He tells them about getting a little bit better every day and about being overlooked and achieving feats.
This is a story about living out dreams.
He is recognized as one of the best players in the Big 12.
He celebrates each day. And there's still more days to go. It's exciting. It's invigorating.
"It's all coming to fruition," he says.
He pauses.
"It's all the hard work I've put in," he continues, "and it's all God."
Four years ago, Da'on Savage saw the look upon his son's face. It was National Signing Day. And Kobe Savage was signing with Texas A&M University-Commerce. And Kobe was unhappy at the February 8, 2019, signing ceremony. Here was a kid celebrating his 18th birthday in four days. It should've been the time of his life. But he was not in a celebratory mood. He had dreams. He had football dreams.
This is a story about living out dreams.
"It's your time," Da'on told his son, "but it's not your turn.'"
Kobe redshirted his freshman season at Texas A&M University-Commerce. He transferred to Tyler Junior College. He would show all the FBS schools and all the coaches that they had it wrong. That Kobe Savage could play football. And not just play football, but he could be a star. He played at Tyler Junior College for two years. He was a First Team All-Southwest Junior College Football Conference selection in 2021.
He had 15 scholarship offers, but none at the Power 5 Conference level. He briefly committed to North Texas, but he felt there was something more. And that's when Savage received an answered prayer. He had prayed and his family had prayed for a grand opportunity. They had prayed for years. Once, he told his mother, Stacey Godbolt, that he saw a big school in his dreams, and that he saw a lot of bright lights.
"I've prayed for him from the time I've had him to today," Stacey says.
On December 4, 2021, Savage's cellphone lit up. It was Kansas State head coach Chris Klieman. Savage and the Tyler Junior College football team were on a bus. They were headed to play Coffeyville Community College in the Heart of Texas Bowl.
Kobe called Da'on.
"Daddy," he said, "Get ready to go to Manhattan."
On his recruiting trip, K-State defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman and Savage spoke about football for hours.
"Kobe," Klanderman says, "was just a tremendously under-recruited kid."
It was Savage's time, and it was his turn. And now the 5-foot-11, 207-pound senior from Paris, Texas, walks and talks in his charcoal suit at Big 12 Media Days at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. He talks with ESPN one moment, FOX Sports the next. He attempts to put his story into words for reporters. Over and over he has told the story — "My jaw is locking up," he half-jokes — but he is polite and he is courteous, and he doesn't mind talking, because, well, there's a kid out there who everybody has counted out, and who's trying his darndest to hold onto his own dream.
Savage looks around at all the other Big 12 coaches and players at AT&T Stadium.
"None of these Big 12 coaches wanted me," he says, "so I'm going to prove them all wrong."
Savage is one of the hardest-hitting safeties in K-State in a while.
Savage is a 2023 Preseason All-Big 12 selection.
But that's not enough.
"I want to show," he says, "that I'm one of the best in the country."
This is a story about living out dreams. And Savage is back. That he is back, yeah, that's an answered prayer. He suffered a right knee injury at Baylor that required an anterior-cruciate ligament and meniscus reconstruction on November 28 followed by a sixth-month recovery. Some nights, he prayed himself to sleep. Other nights, he cried.
"I knew he's a kid who'd work his tail off to be full-go by August 1," Klieman says, "and he was full-go by July 15."
Savage ranked second on the team with 58 tackles to go along with three tackles for a loss, three interceptions and one forced fumble at the time of his injury. He was a fan favorite. He had interceptions in back-to-back games against Missouri and Tulane. He had a season-high 11 tackles against Oklahoma to earn Big 12 Newcomer of the Week honors. He also had nine tackles and a forced fumble against Texas Tech. Despite his season-ending injury, he was voted a Second Team All-Big 12 selection. He earned votes for Big 12 Defensive Newcomer of the Year award as well.
"Watching him go through the injury at Baylor and his dad and mom were on the sideline," Klieman says, "I was in tears in the tent with him."
In the end, there were happy tears. Weeks later, K-State beat TCU in overtime thriller, 31-28, for the 2022 Big 12 Championship.
"Seeing Coach Klieman hoist the trophy," Savage says, "meant the world to me."
Savage hopes to help lead the Wildcats to further success in 2023.
"We're going to continue to raise the bar," Savage says.
Savage calls himself a "football addict." This studiousness began at Paris High School. It continues at K-State today. There's a method to Savage's success. And it begins with hours and hours of film study. He studies how players move around. He studies their tendencies, the quarterback's cadence, or the way that he stands if he's going to pass, or if he rubs his hands for a pass, or how the offensive line sits in stance for a run. Sometimes, Savage watches so much film that he takes a nap inside the Vanier Family Football Complex. Then he wakes up and watches some more film.
"I'm just worried about winning every play," Savage says. "I'm going to go 100% every play."
Some players might mope after an injury. Savage is eager to come back better than ever. That's why he practiced alone in 90-degree weather at Bill Snyder Family Stadium during the summer months — shuffling five yards back and cutting at 45-degree angles over and over again across the green turf, then dashing 10 yards to the east and 10 yards to the west and then sprinting straight north.
"Man," Klieman says, "that kid loves football."
It's Savage's time and it's his turn. He is the defensive back in the middle who everyone looks to for direction. He is a coach on the field. He is a key cog to the defensive machine. In some ways, he is still that 17-year-old kid aspiring to touch bigger goals, the way the great ones do.
He says, "I don't want to leave the field knowing I didn't give it my all."
He has a story to tell, yes sir, but it isn't yet finished. So he tells reporters at Big 12 Media Day that he is excited to return. He tells the reporters that the injury has pushed him to be better than a year ago. He tells them about getting a little bit better every day and about being overlooked and achieving feats.
This is a story about living out dreams.
He is recognized as one of the best players in the Big 12.
He celebrates each day. And there's still more days to go. It's exciting. It's invigorating.
"It's all coming to fruition," he says.
He pauses.
"It's all the hard work I've put in," he continues, "and it's all God."
Players Mentioned
S
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