Linkon Cure’s commitment to K-State was years in making ... and dream come true

The upper deck of Bill Snyder Family Stadium is not usually a must-see destination for football recruits when they make an official visit to Kansas State, but Linkon Cure refused to leave campus without sitting in a very specific seat high above the Wildcats’ field during his most recent trip to Manhattan.

He wanted to gather his thoughts in Seat 18 of Section 227, a spot located above the lower bowl on the East side of the venue with a great view looking out at about the 40-yard line.

This spot was loaded with sentimental value for Cure. Today, K-State fans recognize him as a talented 6-foot-6 and 220-pound tight end from Goodland who committed to the Wildcats on Monday. He is the first five-star recruit to pledge his services to the Wildcats straight out of high school since 2000 and the highest-rated pledge in school history.

But before he became a star football player he was a K-State fan growing up on a farm in western Kansas. Nothing beat watching the Wildcats play on Saturdays in the fall.

“Obviously, Kansas State has always had a special place in my heart,” Cure said during his commitment ceremony in Goodland. “That’s where I got to go to games a kid and watch Collin Klein. It made me fall in love with football.”

K-State was thought to have a recruiting advantage over other schools when it came to Cure for that reason.

Even though he held scholarship offers from more than 30 programs and he seriously considered Kansas, Oregon and Texas A&M, none of those places could pull on his heartstrings like K-State could. He didn’t ask to sit in a specific seat when he visited any of those schools.

“I had a moment on my official visit,” Cure said. “I didn’t sleep at all from Saturday to Sunday and I texted Taylor Braet, my main recruiter, and asked if he could bring me to the stadium. I just needed some time to think. So I went up to Section 227, Seat 18, and just kind of let it all out right there, because that is where my dream started.”

Now, he will get an opportunity to live out his college football dream. And he will get to do it while playing for his favorite team.

“Kansas State has always had a special place in my heart,” Cure said.

Not only did Cure grow up wearing purple, he also attended K-State football camps and earned one of his earliest scholarship offers from Wildcats coach Chris Klieman.

There are plenty of reasons why K-State should be a great fit for Cure on the football field, as he will be catching passes from Avery Johnson and playing within an offense that recently helped tight end Ben Sinnott become a priority selection at the NFL Draft.

But this commitment felt like it was based on loyalty as much as anything else.

“I went to camp there on June 9 and they offered me on June 10,” Cure said. “They didn’t have much film on me. They just had my background as an athlete. That always meant a lot to me, how much they trusted me.”

Eventually, Klieman came up to visit with Cure in the upper deck. They talked about football and life. Cure said he couldn’t wait to join the K-State “culture” and more or less made up his mind that he was going to be a Wildcat.

Then he announced his decision to the world and his journey from K-State fan to K-State football player was complete.

It was a special moment for everyone involved.

“This is going to be one of the most exciting times in Kansas State history,” Cure said. “I’m just excited to be a part of it, excited to get to work.”