DeShawn Hanika stepped up and was able to represent Kansas football during Big 12 Conference media days. However, there’s more to that story.
FRISCO, Texas — DeShawn Hanika didn’t follow college football media days closely growing up.
Hanika, a football fan himself, would just watch clips of the coverage of the sport if he was home and it was on TV. With family, he’d tune in to see what was being said about the schools they were all interested in. But that’s about as far as that interest went.
Fast forward to last week, though, and Hanika is at Big 12 Conference media days in Frisco, Texas, explaining what it means to him to be there representing Kansas football. The redshirt senior tight end, who filled in after redshirt senior offensive lineman Bryce Foster couldn’t make the trip due to injury, is explaining that when coach Lance Leipold called about his interest in going, “You don’t tell the boss man no.” And that excitement Hanika is expressing, about being on a stage he never thought he’d be on while representing KU, goes deeper than just the jersey he’ll wear this fall.
“Topeka holds a very special place in my heart. I’m a 785 baby,” said Hanika, a native of Topeka, Kansas. “(Kansas State’s) Desmond Purnell, he was here. That’s like a little brother to me. I’ve known him since he was a little guy. We played together. So, having two guys from Topeka representing the two universities in our great state is unbelievable.”
Hanika, listed at 6-foot-6 and 245 pounds, actually has yet to play in a game for Kansas because an injury kept him out of the 2024 season. Prior to that, he played for Iowa State. So, he felt the ability to still be a part of the group that represented the Jayhawks at Big 12 media days shows how much trust Leipold and his teammates have in him to be a voice for the team.
Hanika doesn’t view the sport differently now, after having to sit out for so long, but he does think he learned a lot. He dedicated time to watching film so he could better understand various coverages and blitzes, and see what redshirt senior quarterback Jalon Daniels does. Hanika thought that helped him out during spring ball this year, as he continued to prepare for his return to the field in game action.
Having to be on the sideline and watch last fall, as KU struggled and fell short of expectations as a team, certainly proved to be a challenge. As much as Hanika would acknowledge to himself he’s not out there on the field, seemingly nodding to not being able to be in a position to fully judge what was going on, there would be moments he’d wonder what might be different if he was available to play. Overall, though, he viewed the time away as a blessing in disguise, something that slowed his timeline down and has him in position to enjoy a breakout season this year.
Hanika is surely poised to have the opportunity on the field to step up in his position group, for a team that’s looking to bounce back in 2025. Throughout his college stops, and even dating back to high school, he’s viewed himself as the best tight end in the country and had a chip on his shoulder to prove that to everyone. In not too long he’ll have the opportunity to showcase his potential, and highlight how well he can run routes, catch the ball and use a level of speed he doesn’t think many guys have at his size.
“We talk about a lot of guys, but a guy that’s been through a lot, still been an outstanding leader in our program, have somebody to come through — again, it’s great,” Leipold said as he explained why he brought Hanika to Big 12 media days. “He jumped at it. And again, what he means for our football team not just on the field but off, deservedly so to have him here today.”
Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. He was the 2022 National Sports Media Association’s sportswriter of the year for the state of Kansas. Contact him at [email protected] or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: DeShawn Hanika represents Kansas football, Topeka at Big 12 media days
Category: General Sports
