From CJ Online
Not a single tear of disappointment stained the document Tucker
Horak signed Wednesday.
With a Pittsburg State banner covering a
portion of the Rossville High School trophy case he helped brighten, Horak
gladly made things official. The All-State talent will play football for the
Gorillas.
“I was really happy with what Pitt State had
to offer and I’ll be happy there,” Horak said. “Division II football is not
exactly a slouch. It’s going to be tough, and I’m going to have to work
anywhere I went. I’m happy with my decision.”
Everyone else should be, too.
Yet we wonder if Horak could have shined at
the highest level.
The kid had enough determination to
quarterback the Bulldawgs to Class 3A state titles the past two seasons.
Enough talent to become the first player in
Kansas high school history to amass 2,000 yards in both rushing and passing in
the same season.
Enough desire to swing by on weekends and sit
alongside Rossville coaches as they schemed and scouted the next opponent.
“Next fall, when we’re in a Sunday meeting,
I’m going to miss him. I’m also going to miss the day-to-day,” Rossville coach
Derick Hammes said.
Understandably so. The 5-foot-10, 180-pound
Horak grew into one of the hottest prospects to ever play for Rossville.
Just not in major-college circles.
Two such programs exist in-state. One, Kansas,
conducted a blitz in which its new staff got into every state high school to
stress its involvement. The other, Kansas State, has long built depth with
in-state talent it often attracted as grayshirts or preferred walk-ons.
K-State associate head coach Sean Snyder did
come calling ... and leveled with Horak.
“At some points during the recruiting process,
before Pitt ever made its offer, I was curious as to what (colleges) were
waiting for,” Horak said.
“After sitting down with Sean, he explained
that he didn’t think my 40 time was fast enough, which is going to be my first
goal when I get to Pitt is to get that 40 time down. I wasn’t really mad (major
colleges) didn’t come and offer, but just a little bit curious. I think I
performed pretty well and I can compete at any level.”
Horak’s father, Terry, graduated from K-State
and obviously had that vision of his son contributing for the Wildcats.
“I’d love to see him run out of that tunnel,”
Terry said, “but at the end of the day we (Tucker’s mother Wendi graduated from
Pitt State, where she played softball) feel like he’s going to the right place.
We feel it in our hearts. We feel like others missed out on a great player.”
No wonder. Tucker Horak produced 12,834 total
yards for Rossville. That mark ranks sixth all-time nationally. Converted into
miles (7.3), it will get you over to Silver Lake and about halfway back.
The skills that contributed to all those yards
impressed the Pitt State staff into committing to use Horak as a running back.
Another MIAA team, Emporia State, was also a finalist in the recruitment.
“I always got the question, ‘Well, where are
we going to play him?’ And Pittsburg State had him pegged. They knew what they
wanted him for,” Hammes said.
“He’s good between the tackles, and I think
there’s a vision there to give him the ball and get the ball in his hands as
many times as they can. I think he’ll make good on it. He has great vision,
he’s more powerful than you think and he has the ability to start and stop like
nobody else.”
Yet Horak remains humble, realizing grueling
workouts await, beginning early this summer.
He leaves behind a legacy at Rossville, along
with his state championship teammates.
One of the best moments at the signing
ceremony came when teammates lined up in front of Horak, as if in a football
formation, to take a group snapshot.
“I think football gave people some new life
here,” he said. “My expectations have always been high for Rossville and to see
them fall short every year, it was heartbreaking.
“When we got it done, people realized, ‘Wow,
we can do this. We can compete with anyone in 3A.’ We did it this past year and
I have high expectations for next year. I don’t think they’re going to slow
down a beat.”
Not as long as they get
after it, just like Horak, day-to-day.’
