At the beginning of the fall semester, KSU students were still anxiously counting down the days in waiting of the school’s first full contact football team.
Anticipation of a varsity football program at the school came in the wake of an announcement in the spring of 2011 by the University that stated the school would aim to field a team by the 2014 season.
Thanks to the ambition of a few KSU students, however, football has become a reality at a faster pace that originally planned. In the fall, Sports Management major Danny Payne and fellow student John Lawrence decided to put together a club football team here at KSU.
“We have come so far since the club was created,” said Payne. “When we started, it was just the coach, our vice president John Lawrence, and me. Now we have about fifty to sixty players who want to play, we have equipment, and most importantly we have a schedule so we can actually play games this coming fall.”
This Saturday at 2 p.m., that vision will finally become a reality—at least to some degree—as the club football team will participate in the first Black vs. Gold scrimmage on the rugby field at the Owls’ Nest.
“We will be playing our Black and Gold game on field six at phase three of the Owls’ Nest. That is behind the soccer stadium and can be reached by turning on to Big Shanty Road. Beautiful brand new fields that Club Sports will be debuting two days after we play the game, so we will be first to showcase the new fields. We will be bringing in field goal posts and we will actually have to line the field ourselves.”
Current players Joshua Guilbaud and Rudy Ingraham agree that the defining moment for the club and the fans will be when the team finally throws on the pads.
“It’s one thing to hear the rumors and whispers about football coming,” said Guilbaud, who has been practicing at wide receiver for the Owls. “But, there is no feeling like putting on your helmet, shoulder pads, and lacing up your cleats.”
Ingraham, who has no doubt been one of the team’s most vocal leaders, agrees.
“I thought my football career was over and done,” said Ingraham. “But, now I see how blessed and lucky I am to continue what I love to do.”
Guilbaud and Ingraham both came to KSU with no plans to play collegiate football, despite having backgrounds of playing in high school.
The team consists of many experienced players who are looking for a second chance.
“I played four years of high school with two of those being letterman years,” said Ingraham. “After high school, I played semi-pro ball for one season here in Georgia and then played in California for one season at a DIII school.”
Guilbaud took a similar path.
“I played in high school at Blessed Trinity and was a varsity player for three years. I played everything from receiver, tailback, cornerback, safety, and kick and punt return,” said Guilbaud.
“I was recruited to play at Appalachian State and Florida State,” said Guilbaud. “But, due to a series of unfortunate events, I wasn’t able to fulfill those dreams.”
Although both players’ paths weren’t fulfilling, they agree that there exists a lot of pride in being able to represent KSU in a football uniform for the first time in school history.
“I am very excited to be one of the first players to put pads on and represent my University,” said Ingraham.
The team has been practicing for the past month, and finally received pads, practice jerseys, and brand new black and gold helmets. Now things are finally coming together, and the team’s first test run will occur on Saturday.
“Our spring game is going to be a traditional 7-on-7 and I think it would be good for the students and community to come out and get a taste of what the fall will be like. It will also build excitement around Kennesaw,” said Ingraham.
The team will compete in the intersquad scrimmage in the spring, but club football will begin as a member of the National Club Football Association in the fall, competing against club teams at Clemson, South Carolina, North Carolina and Chattahoochee Tech.
“The NCFA has been great. They have had great communication with us as soon as we joined,” said Payne.
