Prepared for the Moment
Sep 01, 2025 | Football, Sports Extra
By: D. Scott Fritchen
DeVon Rice stands Saturday night in the old familiar team meeting room on the third floor of the Vanier Family Football Complex, just after the final salvo of firework blasts outside, his eyes tracing back the last three hours, his voice soft and words slowly drawn out, sounding like a guy in a moment of disbelief recounting a crazy football dream to his buddies.
In the world of introductions, where you put a face with a performance, few in recent years appear so wholesome, so grateful, so genuine, and so doggone determined, as Rice does in that moment of reflection, the 5-foot-9, 182-pound redshirt freshman running back, a guy who carried the ball exactly one time as a true freshman last season, trying to put it all into perspective, how he scored the first two touchdowns of his Kansas State career in a span of exactly five minutes in the third quarter, scoring twice when the Wildcats absolutely had to have it, during a crazy, back-and-forth battle that mercifully ended with a 38-35 victory over North Dakota.
"There are a lot of emotions," Rice says. "It for sure was a dream come true. I was prepared for the moment. I'm just happy to be here."
Rice is a native of Las Vegas, Nevada, and he helped Bishop Gorman High School captured three state championships and become the top-rated high school football team in America, and as a backup running back he rushed for 1,679 yards and 25 touchdowns, and he averaged 11.1 yards per carry and scored 14 touchdowns his senior year, and he was rated as the fifth-best overall player in the Class of 2024 in the state of Nevada by ESPN. His father, Rodney, played football at BYU, then spent two seasons in the NFL with the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. His brother, Quenton, is on the K-State track and field team.
But something happened in December 2023. That's when Rice, who had already committed to Hawai'i, opted to instead become a Wildcat after visiting K-State with his parents. He liked the genuineness of the coaching staff. He loved K-State head coach Chris Klieman and running backs coach Brian Anderson. He loved the city of Manhattan. Far away from glitz of Las Vegas, Rice was eager to make the Flint Hills his college home. A few days before Christmas, he was given a valuable gift — the chance to take his game to a Power 4 school rich in running back tradition.
And now he's here, after the best game of his K-State career, and he's trying to put it all into words.
"I've been dreaming about this since I got here, since I made a commitment to come here, and I wanted to play in front of these fans, and I wanted to wear the purple and white," he says. "I wanted to see the fireworks go off when I score."
They did. Twice.
Trailing 21-17 at halftime, K-State came out of the locker room determined. It showed in forcing a three-and-out, it showed in a 22-yard punt return by Sterling Lockett, and then it showed as the offense put together a 10-play, 57-yard drive that ended with Rice's first college touchdown. After bouncing the ball to the outside, Rice raced to the right and angled toward the end zone to give K-State a 24-21 lead with 8 minutes, 41 seconds left in the third quarter.
Moments later, Avery Johnson completed passes to Jayce Brown and Jerand Bradley, and he kept the ball and scrambled for first downs. Then Johnson handed the ball to Rice, who dashed through a gap up the middle and into the end zone untouched for a 13-yard score and a 31-21 advantage.
Rice, who is seeing increased snaps as junior dynamo Dylan Edwards nurses an injury, is pleasing everybody with his great effort.
"DeVon has been getting better and better and just needs an opportunity," Klieman says after the game. "With Dylan down he was able to get that opportunity. He runs really hard. Make no mistake, we miss Dylan. That guy is a home-run hitter. But I was pleased with the way DeVon answered the bell."
Johnson says that he issued a directive toward Rice and the running backs heading into the second half.
"I was really confident with how DeVon played tonight," Johnson says. "He really stepped up big for us. Just talking to him at halftime, man, I was like, 'We got to get the run game going.' We had to be the more physical team coming out in the second half and DeVon did a good job getting two scores up for us.
"It's really going to help with his confidence because he's a really talented player, and he can be dangerous at this level. He did a really good job. I'm really excited for him."
Excitement booms from the voice of sophomore Joe Jackson, the team's leading rusher, who offers a bigger frame at 6-foot and 212 pounds, and he has a big heart for Rice and his journey to this spot in his career.
"That guy, since the day he got here, put his nose down and worked every day," Jackson says. "I've been staying on him. Just watching him in practice amazes me. I have to stay on him to keep him focused and level-headed. He's continuing to learn how to do that. He's grown up a lot. He's matured a lot. He's listening to everybody and listening to what he needs to do. He's going to extra mile.
"The results, I'm not surprised by the results at all. I'm super happy for him. I'm extremely happy for him. Extremely."
Rice is thankful for Anderson, his teammates, and all his brothers in the running back room. They're a tight-knit bunch, the latest in a lineage that most recently starred Consensus All-American Deuce Vaughn and Indianapolis Colts rookie DJ Giddens.
"The coaches and team were expecting more out of me, so I prepared myself mentally and physically for the opportunity," Rice says. "The coaches just put a lot of trust and belief in me, as well as my teammates, and I'm just grateful for that.
"I just wanted to be there for my team. That's the main thing. I worked myself very hard this week in practice and was coached very hard by my position coach and he was on me all week."
Rice apparently has a big fan in Edwards.
"Dylan has been a great mentor," Rice says. "He's definitely been in my ear. When he went down, he's been helping me break down film because we have similar plays, so he helps me see the game how he sees it. He's definitely been there for me."
It's been a learning process for Rice since he arrived at K-State.
"I've learned that I don't know everything," he says. "There's a lot to improve. When I first got here, I thought I knew everything, but my coach, and everyone in the running back room, they poured into me so much, guys like Joe, Dylan and DJ, and Antonio Martin are great mentors for me. I truly grateful for it."
When is Rice at his best?
"Just when I'm confident," he says. "Just fast, confident football, not really thinking too much. That's what they got a little glimpse of tonight."
And so, you ask Rice, who carried the ball one time all last season, how it feels to score the first two touchdowns of his career at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. You ask him if he heard the cheers. You ask him what he thought as he crossed the goal line.
And there's only silence.
And then, his voice soft and words slowly drawn out, he looks you in the eyes for the first time, and he smiles.
"I can only give glory to God," he says, finally. "I took a knee and gave Him the glory because without Him none of this would've been possible. My first touchdown? It was straight emotion, just excitement."
He pauses.
"It's a moment I've been waiting for and have dream of," he says. "And it really happened."
DeVon Rice stands Saturday night in the old familiar team meeting room on the third floor of the Vanier Family Football Complex, just after the final salvo of firework blasts outside, his eyes tracing back the last three hours, his voice soft and words slowly drawn out, sounding like a guy in a moment of disbelief recounting a crazy football dream to his buddies.
In the world of introductions, where you put a face with a performance, few in recent years appear so wholesome, so grateful, so genuine, and so doggone determined, as Rice does in that moment of reflection, the 5-foot-9, 182-pound redshirt freshman running back, a guy who carried the ball exactly one time as a true freshman last season, trying to put it all into perspective, how he scored the first two touchdowns of his Kansas State career in a span of exactly five minutes in the third quarter, scoring twice when the Wildcats absolutely had to have it, during a crazy, back-and-forth battle that mercifully ended with a 38-35 victory over North Dakota.
"There are a lot of emotions," Rice says. "It for sure was a dream come true. I was prepared for the moment. I'm just happy to be here."
Rice is a native of Las Vegas, Nevada, and he helped Bishop Gorman High School captured three state championships and become the top-rated high school football team in America, and as a backup running back he rushed for 1,679 yards and 25 touchdowns, and he averaged 11.1 yards per carry and scored 14 touchdowns his senior year, and he was rated as the fifth-best overall player in the Class of 2024 in the state of Nevada by ESPN. His father, Rodney, played football at BYU, then spent two seasons in the NFL with the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. His brother, Quenton, is on the K-State track and field team.
But something happened in December 2023. That's when Rice, who had already committed to Hawai'i, opted to instead become a Wildcat after visiting K-State with his parents. He liked the genuineness of the coaching staff. He loved K-State head coach Chris Klieman and running backs coach Brian Anderson. He loved the city of Manhattan. Far away from glitz of Las Vegas, Rice was eager to make the Flint Hills his college home. A few days before Christmas, he was given a valuable gift — the chance to take his game to a Power 4 school rich in running back tradition.
And now he's here, after the best game of his K-State career, and he's trying to put it all into words.
"I've been dreaming about this since I got here, since I made a commitment to come here, and I wanted to play in front of these fans, and I wanted to wear the purple and white," he says. "I wanted to see the fireworks go off when I score."
They did. Twice.
Trailing 21-17 at halftime, K-State came out of the locker room determined. It showed in forcing a three-and-out, it showed in a 22-yard punt return by Sterling Lockett, and then it showed as the offense put together a 10-play, 57-yard drive that ended with Rice's first college touchdown. After bouncing the ball to the outside, Rice raced to the right and angled toward the end zone to give K-State a 24-21 lead with 8 minutes, 41 seconds left in the third quarter.
Moments later, Avery Johnson completed passes to Jayce Brown and Jerand Bradley, and he kept the ball and scrambled for first downs. Then Johnson handed the ball to Rice, who dashed through a gap up the middle and into the end zone untouched for a 13-yard score and a 31-21 advantage.
Rice, who is seeing increased snaps as junior dynamo Dylan Edwards nurses an injury, is pleasing everybody with his great effort.
"DeVon has been getting better and better and just needs an opportunity," Klieman says after the game. "With Dylan down he was able to get that opportunity. He runs really hard. Make no mistake, we miss Dylan. That guy is a home-run hitter. But I was pleased with the way DeVon answered the bell."
Johnson says that he issued a directive toward Rice and the running backs heading into the second half.
"I was really confident with how DeVon played tonight," Johnson says. "He really stepped up big for us. Just talking to him at halftime, man, I was like, 'We got to get the run game going.' We had to be the more physical team coming out in the second half and DeVon did a good job getting two scores up for us.
"It's really going to help with his confidence because he's a really talented player, and he can be dangerous at this level. He did a really good job. I'm really excited for him."
Excitement booms from the voice of sophomore Joe Jackson, the team's leading rusher, who offers a bigger frame at 6-foot and 212 pounds, and he has a big heart for Rice and his journey to this spot in his career.
"That guy, since the day he got here, put his nose down and worked every day," Jackson says. "I've been staying on him. Just watching him in practice amazes me. I have to stay on him to keep him focused and level-headed. He's continuing to learn how to do that. He's grown up a lot. He's matured a lot. He's listening to everybody and listening to what he needs to do. He's going to extra mile.
"The results, I'm not surprised by the results at all. I'm super happy for him. I'm extremely happy for him. Extremely."
Rice is thankful for Anderson, his teammates, and all his brothers in the running back room. They're a tight-knit bunch, the latest in a lineage that most recently starred Consensus All-American Deuce Vaughn and Indianapolis Colts rookie DJ Giddens.
"The coaches and team were expecting more out of me, so I prepared myself mentally and physically for the opportunity," Rice says. "The coaches just put a lot of trust and belief in me, as well as my teammates, and I'm just grateful for that.
"I just wanted to be there for my team. That's the main thing. I worked myself very hard this week in practice and was coached very hard by my position coach and he was on me all week."
Rice apparently has a big fan in Edwards.
"Dylan has been a great mentor," Rice says. "He's definitely been in my ear. When he went down, he's been helping me break down film because we have similar plays, so he helps me see the game how he sees it. He's definitely been there for me."
It's been a learning process for Rice since he arrived at K-State.
"I've learned that I don't know everything," he says. "There's a lot to improve. When I first got here, I thought I knew everything, but my coach, and everyone in the running back room, they poured into me so much, guys like Joe, Dylan and DJ, and Antonio Martin are great mentors for me. I truly grateful for it."
When is Rice at his best?
"Just when I'm confident," he says. "Just fast, confident football, not really thinking too much. That's what they got a little glimpse of tonight."
And so, you ask Rice, who carried the ball one time all last season, how it feels to score the first two touchdowns of his career at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. You ask him if he heard the cheers. You ask him what he thought as he crossed the goal line.
And there's only silence.
And then, his voice soft and words slowly drawn out, he looks you in the eyes for the first time, and he smiles.
"I can only give glory to God," he says, finally. "I took a knee and gave Him the glory because without Him none of this would've been possible. My first touchdown? It was straight emotion, just excitement."
He pauses.
"It's a moment I've been waiting for and have dream of," he says. "And it really happened."
Players Mentioned
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WR
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