Kansas State safety Dante Barnett eager to return to football field after injury

Anyone who watched Kansas State play football a year ago could tell the Wildcats missed Dante Barnett.

Instead of starting one of the most talented and experienced defensive backs in the Big 12 at strong safety, K-State rotated four unproven and inexperienced defenders. When Barnett sustained a season-ending shoulder injury in the first game, the Wildcats lost a trusted playmaker on the back end of their defense and struggled to replace him.

“It was like losing another quarterback,” K-State defensive end Jordan Willis said. “Last year, we had two younger guys who had never played back there. Anytime they didn’t understand what was going on, or they missed a check, they couldn’t turn to each other and figure things out.

“Most of the veterans were up front on the defensive line, so they couldn’t turn to us and ask for help. That’s what’s so great about having Dante back. With him, if something goes wrong they can turn to him and he can fix it immediately. We will be much more organized, and things will be smoother.”

Much will be expected of Barnett in his fifth and final college season. He returns to K-State’s defense after receiving a medical hardship waiver as the Big 12’s co-leader in career starts with 29. He has made 181 tackles and seven tackles, and he is a preseason candidate for national awards.

Could he be the missing piece of the secondary?

The Wildcats hope so, because their defense was abysmal against the pass last season, ranking 121st nationally with 285.5 yards allowed per game and creating a mere 16 turnovers. Five of those takeaways were interceptions, and all but one of them were made by linebackers. If not for a lone interception by Morgan Burns, K-State defensive backs would have been shut out of the statistic.

“When you get hurt, you don’t take any other time you step on the field for granted,” Barnett said. “You want to make the best of every opportunity. That has been my approach to the game since I have been hurt. I was 100-percent focused on coming back the entire offseason.”

A healthy Barnett will help K-State’s defense in many ways. He is both a hard-hitter and a quality coverage safety.

He is also a leader.

Though he couldn’t play most of last season, he never stopped trying to help his teammates. Barnett traveled to every road game and jumped around during pregame warmups. He also made it clear he intended to return for another season instead of turning pro.

“Just because I was hurt, I couldn’t let my attitude or something affect the team,” Barnett said. “It’s game day, so I have to get the team ready to play. I tried to do what I could without playing.”

Barnett compares K-State’s struggles last season to his own forgettable start as a freshman. His first start came late in the 2012 season against Baylor, and he was burned for a touchdown on the opening series. The Wildcats entered the game undefeated and ranked No. 1 in the BCS standings, but they couldn’t keep up with the Bears.

A week later, K-State rebounded for a win against Texas that clinched a Big 12 championship.

He wants to close out his college career with a similar moment.

“That’s the biggest thing he preaches to the young guys,” Willis said. “Dante won a Big 12 championship and he is trying to bring some of the stuff from that team and share it with this team. That has helped me become a better leader, just hearing what they did to be successful, like stepping on the field and having the attitude that they were going to win. We are ready to do the same.”

This story was originally published July 22, 2016 at 5:56 PM with the headline "Kansas State safety Dante Barnett eager to return to football field after injury."