MANHATTAN, Kansas — Take a look at Kansas State’s sideline the next time Malik Knowles makes a big play and you will see some interesting reactions.
K-State football players will cheer a little louder than usual. They will jump a little higher and pump their fists a little faster than normal, too. The Wildcats tend to celebrate extra when they see Knowles succeed.
Why? K-State quarterback Skylar Thompson is happy to answer that question.
“I love Malik,” Thompson said. “Him and I have had very similar backgrounds and stuff that we’ve faced in life. I just feel like we have a connection that is very special and a lot of people don’t have or can’t have. I have high expectations for him, and I know everyone else on the team does, too. We are so close with him off the field, and that stuff translates on the field.”
It’s easy for Thompson to root for Knowles, a 6-foot-3 junior receiver from Mansfield, Texas, because they both know what it’s like to lose a mother.
Thompson’s mother died of cancer when he was a child. Knowles lost his mother under similar circumstances last year.
Every coach and player on K-State’s roster rallied around Knowles when they heard the news. But Thompson led the charge.
“I tried to reach out as much as I could and just encouraged him,” Thompson said. “The grieving process is hard, because you get so many people telling you, ‘I’m so sorry.’ It’s nice, but at the same time your mom is gone and there’s nothing anyone can say.”
“I just told him, ‘There are better days to come. And even though she’s not here, she still sees you.’ That’s the connection we have. We know our moms are up there looking down over us. Their hands are on our shoulders. I always tell him, ‘Let’s go be special and do something great for them.’ ”
Realizing his potential
For the first time in his college career, Knowles seems ready to “be special” and “do something great” over the full course of a season.
Knowles has played in all five of K-State’s games this year, and he has made an impact in all of them. He has returned a kickoff 90-plus yards for a touchdown in back-to-back games, he topped 100 receiving yards against Southern Illinois and he moved the chains as both a running back and pass-catcher against Stanford. Overall, he has 508 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns.
“Malik is a huge, big-time playmaker,” K-State receiver Landry Weber said. “He’s a great athlete and great receiver. I’m thrilled for him to go out and make those plays, because they add so much to our arsenal.”
K-State coaches have said Knowles possessed enough talent to be an all-conference player for years. He is now realizing that potential.
Some wonder why it took this long. Not those who know him best. On top of losing his mother, Knowles has battled an unrelenting string of injuries throughout his K-State career. Various ailments forced him to miss 15 games over the past three seasons, and he was often limited when he did suit up.
He has always been a playmaker, but every time he seemed on the verge of proving it on a consistent basis a setback got in the way. That finally seems to be changing.
“When he’s healthy, he has played at a really high level for us,” K-State coach Chris Klieman said. “Right now, he’s playing really well. We’re all excited about watching Malik.”
A move and a growth spurt changed everything
Knowles grew up with his aunt and uncle in Mansfield. But he is originally from Lynwood, Calif. That’s where his father and siblings still live today.
Similar to the plot of “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” Knowles says he left them behind and moved away from the West Coast when he was 9 years old in order to find “a better lifestyle.”
Living with his aunt and uncle worked out well. He takes teammates home to Texas all the time, and they love it. His roommate, Jaylen Pickle, describes Knowles’ home as a large suburban house with all sorts of fun things to do. He has grown so close with Knowles’ family that his uncle has drawn tattoos on his arms.
More than 25 friends and family were in attendance specifically to watch Knowles when K-State opened the season at AT&T Stadium in nearby Arlington, Texas.
Still, it’s hard for Knowles to claim Mansfield as his home town, because nothing beats visiting his family in southern California.
There’s no denying that living in Texas helped him discover football, though. Knowles quickly put his athleticism to good use on the gridiron and seemed on his way to becoming a college running back.
Funny story: Knowles was short for most of his life. He says he was only 5-foot-6 for his early years of high school, and he lined up exclusively in the backfield. Then, without warning, a growth spurt made him look like a completely different person.
When he grew to his current height of 6-3, he figured it was time to try a new position.
“One day I was like, ‘I guess I have to focus on receiver now,’ ” Knowles said. “Technique-wise, I had to learn a bunch of different stuff. My footwork was a lot different than it was as a running back.”
That helps explain why K-State didn’t start recruiting Knowles until late. In some ways, he’s still learning how to run routes and catch passes. But his talent shined through on his highlight video. Once the Wildcats got a look at him, they went hard after Knowles and convinced him to turn down an offer from Illinois and play for them.
“This felt like the best fit,” Knowles said. “Everything clicked right away with the guys and the coaching staff. I could tell this place was different from a lot of programs. They really cherish their core values and family atmosphere.”
The man behind the facemask
There is no shortage of K-State teammates lining up to help Knowles whenever he is in need.
They say he has done the same for them.
Knowles is shy around reporters and was reluctant to share many details for this story. When asked for permission to speak with his family, Knowles considered the possibility but ultimately declined, saying “we don’t need any publicity.”
Nevertheless, K-State players describe a much different person away from the cameras. They say Knowles is one of the most outgoing members of the entire team. He is rarely on social media and spends most of his time chatting with anyone who happens to be in the locker room. He is always smiling.
A few years ago, he convinced Pickle to adopt a pair of sister pit bulls with him. They named them Chanel and Nova.
“It’s been really cool having Malik as a roommate,” Pickle said.
The only time K-State players can recall Knowles being truly angry about anything was when an erroneous report suggested he planned to transfer last year. Why would he leave K-State after how much the Wildcats had helped him?
K-State recruiting coordinator Taylor Braet hosts a Thanksgiving meal at his house every year for players who can’t make it home for the holiday. He will never forget the first time Knowles attended. Knowles spent most of the afternoon playing with Braet’s daughters. After Knowles left, they informed their dad that any K-State gear he purchased for them in the future better contain the No. 4, which Knowles wears on his jersey every Saturday.
“My girls absolutely love him,” Braet said. “He’s their favorite. It’s easy to see why. He’s a personal kid. He goes above and beyond.”
Maintaining a friendly persona hasn’t been easy over the years, considering he has suffered both tragedy and injury. But that’s one of the reasons why he rose above them to make big plays for the Wildcats this season.
It’s easy to see why he’s so popular in the K-State locker room.
“It’s going to be a sad day when he leaves, because he does everything the right way,” Braet said. “He doesn’t care about the lime light. He doesn’t do anything for Twitter or Instagram. He’s just a really good kid. He’s a special kid, nice and caring. Everyone on the team loves him.”
