By Ron Wilson, director of the Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development at Kansas State University/Image: Cody Stufflebean
The home football team sets up for a goal-line play, trying to score a go-ahead touchdown and help cement a winning conference record. As the play clock runs down, the players take the field.
But in addition to the quarterback and running back, there are two other players in the backfield that we’ve never seen on the offensive side of the ball. It is two senior starters from the defense, now in the offensive lineup for this key play.
This was an interesting role for these young men, one of them from rural Kansas. Thanks to Kansas State University’s sports information office for the data that follows.
Cody Stufflebean is one of the players who was in on the play I just described. He is a senior defensive end and a two-time captain on the K-State football team. Stufflebean hails from the rural community of McPherson, population 14,082 people. Now, that’s rural.
As a high-schooler, Stufflebean was named to the 2019 Wichita Eagle Top-11 Team and was a first team all-state performer by the Topeka Capital-Journal and Wichita Eagle. He was also named the league’s defensive most valuable player.
At K-State, he saw action in all 14 games as a reserve defensive end and on special teams in 2022. In the Sugar Bowl, he had a then-career high three tackles against a little ol’ team from down south named Alabama. Stufflebean was also a First Team Academic All-Big 12 honoree while majoring in industrial engineering.
In 2023, he played in all 13 games, carding 19 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks and a forced fumble over his 316 defensive snaps and 210 special teams plays. He had a banner day against Baylor when he set a career high with four tackles and carded his first two sacks, the first of which caused a fumble that was returned 15 yards for a touchdown by Des Purnell.
He also had three tackles at Texas and Kansas and picked up First Team Academic All-Big 12 accolades.
In 2024, he was voted a team captain and started every game. For the season, he produced 19 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and two sacks over his 442 defensive snaps. He recorded a season-high three tackles against Oklahoma State and Kansas, while he had an 18-yard sack at Colorado and a sack in the Rate Bowl against Rutgers. Stufflebean was again an Academic All-Big 12 performer.
Entering his senior season, Stufflebean was again voted a team captain and started every game. In game one, he carded two tackles. In the second game, he ended up with two sacks for losses of 26 yards. In game three, he had four tackles, three of those unassisted, and followed that up with two tackles in game four.
K-State would win five games in the remainder of the season, plus two losses which occurred by a total of five points. In game six, Stufflebean recorded four tackles including a sack.
Game eight was against the University of Kansas in Lawrence. Stufflebean had two tackles in the 42-17 victory over the Jayhawks. He had two tackles again the next week and three in the game after that. The final home game was his senior day and he claimed two tackles again.
Stufflebean finished the season with 23 tackles, twelfth on the team, plus a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. For the season, his team was led in tackles by his fellow Kansan, Des Purnell of Topeka.
Perhaps Stufflebean’s most unusual appearance was on Senior Day. His team was near the goal line and trying to score. After all these years playing defense, Stufflebean and defensive tackle Uso Seamalo were called in to join the offense. These were two of the biggest and strongest players that have played on defense, now in to block for the offense on this key play.
They made a big difference – literally. On that goal line play, Stufflebean and his fellow defensive player helped open the path for the running back who scored the go-ahead touchdown.
What a moment for a player from rural Kansas.
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