BEVO BEAT Football
Top opponents for Texas in 2017, No. 75: Kansas State WR Byron Pringle
Posted June 19th, 2017
The countdown to kickoff is on. Over the 100 days before Texas takes on Maryland, we’re counting down the 100 best players the Longhorns will face in 2017. This series is all about impressing your friends at pregame tailgates and watch parties, so grab a notepad and buckle up.
Who is he?
The most remarkable part about Byron Pringle’s college football career is that it almost didn’t happen. Kansas State coach Bill Snyder took a chance on the Tampa native with a criminal past. So far, it’s worked out. Pringle caught 39 passes for 631 yards and four touchdowns in 2016. He also earned first-team All-Big 12 honors as a returner, with a 28.7-yard average and a 99-yard touchdown against Texas Tech.
The 23-year-old took a circuitous route to Manhattan. At 16, he was arrested and charged with multiple felonies for a series of crimes in Tampa, according to court documents obtained by the Kansas City Star. Charges including burglary, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and grand theft led to probation, 100 hours of community service and the loss of his junior football season.
He initially signed with Youngstown State, but another robbery charge when he was 19 (later dropped) led him to Butler (Kansas) Community College, where Kansas State discovered him.
Just a quick reminder for you that Byron Pringle is pretty fast and stuff (via @KWCHArielle) #kwch12 pic.twitter.com/Fy3oEx13ID
— Matt Henderson (@KWCHMatt) December 29, 2016
What should the Longhorns watch for?
Speed kills. One wrong step while guarding or tracking Pringle can result in a touchdown. This is especially true on kickoff returns. No offense to Kansas State, but if a returner like Pringle played for a blue-blood program you’d already know his name. If all else fails, you can always punch him in the gut … no, wait, it looks like his K-State teammates already did that.
Way too funny …. Byron Pringle scores on a 99 yard return and get punched #espn #KStateFB pic.twitter.com/8Hgynpgoqo
— AXM (@axmnews) October 16, 2016
Past encounters
Pringle caught four passes for 42 yards and a touchdown against the Longhorns back in October, and he returned a kickoff for 31 yards.
Catch up on the series
No. 77: Anu Solomon
No. 76: Deshaunte Jones
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