Manhattan

Former Kansas State football star Terence Newman returned to campus this weekend for a celebration of his outstanding career as a defensive back.

His time in Manhattan also included an arrest on Saturday night.

Riley County police arrested Newman at 11:42 p.m. Saturday at the 1100 block of Moro Street in the Manhattan entertainment district known as Aggieville. He was arrested on one count of “disorderly conduct” that was described as “brawling or fighting” and one count of “criminal trespass; remain in defiance of order by owner.”

Newman was not confined, according to the RCPD daily crime log. His bond was $500.

Newman began the day by holding the door open for K-State football players as they took the field before a 35-24 victory over rival Kansas in the Sunflower Showdown. He was later honored at midfield by both K-State and the National Football Foundation, as he is set to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame later this year.

He said he was excited about the honor during a halftime interview with reporters.

“When I started playing this game, it was just because I loved football,” Newman said. “God gave me a gift, and I was able to hone those gifts to become what I would say is a great football player.”

Newman said he was not a blue-chip recruit coming out of high school. He hopes his career path will inspire others who “don’t check all the boxes” with college coaches.

“I just wanted to give those kids the feeling that they can put in some work and do what they want to do,” Newman said. “So when I did get elected, I was excited. You can imagine the excitement. But it wasn’t something that I set out to do. It was just the fact that I had been recognized for the work that I put in. That’s the greatest honor.”

The 48-year-old who now lives in Woodland Hills, California, is one of the most exciting defensive players to ever wear a K-State football uniform. He played for the Wildcats from 1999-02. He finished his college career with 134 tackles, 41 passes defended, 10 interceptions, two blocked kicks, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.

He was also a skilled return man on special teams.

Newman arrived at K-State as a recruit out of Salina. He went on to become a unanimous first-team All-American in 2002. He also won the Jim Thorpe Award, which is given annually to the nation’s top defensive back, that year.

As a professional, Newman spent 15 years in the NFL. He was selected fifth overall in the 2003 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys. He went on to play for the Bengals and Vikings, making a pair of Pro Bowls along the way.

This is not the first time a former K-State standout has been arrested after serving as guest-of-honor at a game.

Former K-State basketball star Michael Beasley was arrested at Manhattan Regional Airport last year during a visit to town.

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Kellis Robinett

The Wichita Eagle

Kellis Robinett covers Kansas State athletics for The Wichita Eagle and The Kansas City Star. A winner of more than a dozen national writing awards, he lives in Manhattan with his wife and four children.