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<\/a> later this year.<\/p>\n He said he was excited about the honor during a halftime interview with reporters.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I started playing this game, it was just because I loved football,\u201d Newman said. \u201cGod gave me a gift, and I was able to hone those gifts to become what I would say is a great football player.\u201d<\/p>\n Newman said he was not a blue-chip recruit coming out of high school. He hopes his career path will inspire others who \u201cdon\u2019t check all the boxes\u201d with college coaches.<\/p>\n \u201cI just wanted to give those kids the feeling that they can put in some work and do what they want to do,\u201d Newman said. \u201cSo when I did get elected, I was excited. You can imagine the excitement. But it wasn\u2019t 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\u2019s the greatest honor.\u201d<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n He was also a skilled return man on special teams.<\/p>\n 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\u2019s top defensive back, that year.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n This is not the first time a former K-State standout has been arrested after serving as guest-of-honor at a game.<\/p>\n Former K-State basketball star Michael Beasley<\/a> was arrested at Manhattan Regional Airport last year during a visit to town.<\/p>\n Related Stories from Wichita Eagle<\/p>\n
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