AMES — The moniker “student-athlete” has come under assault in certain quarters in recent years, but for Iowa State University linebacker Kane Seeley, both adjectives clearly apply.
Seeley, a redshirt junior, had found success both on field and in the classroom in his three years in Ames. The former Perry standout is on track to graduate with a degree in communication studies this December, and applied for grad school earlier this week.
A First Team Big 12 All-Academic selection as a freshman, Seeley was named to the All-Academic Second Team last year. This year he will qualify for one of the teams, although which designation is not yet known.
“I have been averaging 15 credits a semester,” Seeley said when interviewed by ThePerryNews.com Thursday during ISU’s annual Media Day. “My first summer I took six credits, and took three last year and again this year, so everything is on schedule. Getting my degree is very important to me, and I am glad I will be graduating this year.
Seeley said class checks for attendance are strictly enforced, as is the monitoring of player grades.
“There are study groups and tutors if you need them,” he said. “Everyone also has a mentor, to help make sure you are taking the right classes and that sort of thing.”
Excelling in the collegiate classroom is a difficult enough chore without having to balance life as a full-time athlete.
Seeley played in 11 games and made two tackles as a freshman. Last season he appeared in all 12 games, starting the final five at the inside, or “Mike” linebacker position. He made 52 total tackles and one for a loss. In his five starts he made 45 tackles, including 13 (nine solo) against Kansas, nine against Oklahoma and nine against TCU, while also forcing a fumble against the Horned Frogs.
“Every team you play against has great players, or they wouldn’t be there,” Seeley said. “Oklahoma and TCU and teams like that, they have really great players. I loved the challenge of playing against them and I think it helped my confidence when I realized I deserved to be on the field, too.”
Seeley (6-2, 239) is being pushed for playing time this season by JUCO transfer Jordan Harris (6-0, 233). A redshirt junior from Clarksdale, Miss. Harris led the NJCAA in tackles in 2013 while playing for his hometown Copiah-Lincoln CC. He chose ISU over Memphis, Southern Mississippi and Tulane.
“No one can say their job is secure,” Seeley admitted. “The coaches watch everything, and you have to be willing to go all-out all of the time.”
Seeley described what is called the “Catapult” system, which is a lightweight GPS-style device worn on the upper back. The system tracks each player’s speed, resting periods, exertions, etc.
“I am not sure how it all works, but the coaches do, and they believe in it,” he said. “All I see are bars on a graph, but I know it means they are looking to see who is slacking and who is going hard.”
One of the areas head coach Paul Rhoads and defensive coordinator Wally Burnham would like to see Seeley improve upon is his quickness https://theperrynews.com/isu-coaches-confident-in-seeley-look-for-continued-improvement.
“I am pretty happy with my speed, but I agree that I have to have a better first-step, have to get to the ball quicker,” Seeley explained. “They call it ‘quick-twitch’ and I have been working those sets of muscles and doing specific training and drills to make myself better.”
When classes start up again Seeley and his teammates will have the entire morning for academic work, with football beginning after noon. Until then the schedule for the Cyclone players is packed with gridiron-related responsibilities.
Breakfast is at 7 a.m. with special teams or assignment work from approximately 8-9:30 a.m. Practice follows and runs until 12:30 p.m. with a lunch break lasting until 2:30. Weightlifting and mobility drills continue until roughly 4 p.m., at which point players watch film (video) until nearly 6 p.m. A break is allowed for dinner, with film study resuming from 7:30 until approximately 9 p.m.
“It does keep you busy,” Seeley laughed.
Now that he is an upperclassman and returning letterman, Seeley said he has followed suit on what was done for him and helps new players and freshmen adjust.
“I have taken some of the younger guys through film study basics and showed them things it was important to do,” he noted. “You need the older guys to help you learn the ropes.”
ISU is 5-19 over the last two seasons. The Cyclones were just 2-10 last year and have not won a Big 12 game since Nov. 30, 2013. Changing those trends and avoiding two consecutive home losses to start the season are high on the team list of goals.
The season opens Sept. 5 at 7 p.m. with a visit from Northern Iowa. It will be the first time fans will see, and sit in, the recently finished south end zone addition, which raises the capacity of Jack Trice Stadium to 61,000. Another addition fans will note is a running video board along the outside edge of both concourses.
“I think everyone will like it,” Seeley said. “I can’t wait to hear how loud it gets.”
The second game of the season is a big one for ISU, as Iowa will visit Sept. 12. The Cylcones won the Cy-Hawk Trophy with a 20-17 win at Kinnick Stadium last year.
“Every game is a big game for us,” Seeley said. “The Iowa game, of course, is very important because it means so much to our fans and to the whole state. We definitely want to win it, and hopefully it will make us 2-0.”
A trip to Toledo is set for Sept. 19, with a bye week following before Kansas visits Oct. 3, giving ISU a legitimate shot at a 4-0 start.
“That would be awesome,” Seeley said. “Nothing beats winning.”
IOWA STATE 2015 SCHEDULE
Sept. 5 NORTHERN IOWA, 7 p.m.
Sept. 12 IOWA
Sept. 19 at Toledo
Oct. 3 KANSAS
Oct. 10 at Texas Tech
Oct. 17 TCU
Oct. 24 at Baylor
Oct. 31 TEXAS
Nov. 7 at Oklahoma
Nov. 14 OKLAHOMA STATE
Nov. 21 at Kansas State
Nov. 28 at West Virginia
