'His story is one-in-a-million': Kyle Kempt gained a big fan after Oklahoma upset — Carol Stoops
Randy PetersonAMES, Ia. — No one had Kyle Kempt on their 2017 media day radar.
Shoot, few even knew Kyle Kempt was on the Iowa State roster.
Last year at this time, we wanted to hear how much time linebacker Joel Lanning would spend at quarterback. We wanted to hear all the corny stuff Jacob Park could give us.
Kyle Kempt?
No one in my profession really cared about the guy sitting almost alone on the bleachers, while better-known teammates answered question after question.
Oh my, has his life changed.
It’s changed so much that Kempt is the main cog in Iowa State’s quest to win a second bowl game in a row.
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He’s clearly the Cyclones’ most important player, as we head into Matt Campbell Year Three — and he’s got a letter from the wife of one of the most famous college coaches of all time to prove it.
Yeah, Kempt’s life changed substantially since we saw him this time last year.
It started the week of last year’s Oklahoma game, after Park suddenly took his well-documented season-ending leave of absence three days before a game on the third-ranked Sooners’ turf. It changed when Kempt, the 2017 media day unknown, led Iowa State to its biggest road win ever.
That's right ... ever.
And Kempt was so impressive that he received a hand-written letter from Carol Stoops, wife of Bob Stoops, the former Oklahoma coach who retired four months before that Cyclones' upset.
“I’d be lying if I said that wasn’t cool,” Kempt said during Tuesday's media day in which he was more than a bored bystander. “She reached out and congratulated me on the victory, and on my journey. It was really cool.”
Kansas State coach Bill Snyder writes notes, not only to players that he likes on opposing teams, but sometimes he drops lines to reporters. This one was from Big Game Bob’s wife.
“Carol Stoops ... Carol Stoops ... I knew that I’d heard of that name, but it caught me off-guard so much immediately after getting the letter that I had to look it up,” a somewhat embarrassed Kempt admitted Tuesday.
Bob Stoops is from Youngstown, Ohio. Kempt is from Massillon, Ohio. Kempt still had to Google search "Carol Stoops," but that’s OK — and that’s not the point here.
The point is that this letter is an inspiration — and part of this story of determination that Kempt has to tell.
Fifth-year senior walk-on. Started career at Oregon State. Transferred to a junior college. A media-day nobody in 2017. Upset at Oklahoma. Bowl-game win against Memphis. Recipient of an additional year of eligibility by the NCAA.
“Last year, that game was a devastating loss for us, but you can’t ignore his story,” Carol Stoops said this week. “The bottom line is that we’re all just human beings.
“There are some incredible stories in sports — and his story is one-in-a-million, with all the things he went through and persevered through.”
More from media day:
- WR Hakeem Butler ready to be the No. 1 target
- JaQuan Bailey embracing leadership role ahead of junior season
- Kamilo Tongamoa more confident heading into second year in Ames
After completing just two passes during his entire college career before facing the mighty Sooners, Kempt completed 18 of 24 passes for 343 yards and three touchdowns in a 38-31 win. All three of his touchdowns were in the second half — of 46, 54 and 57 yards — as the Cyclones rallied from a 24-13 deficit.
“What he did stood out to me because he beat us on our own field — two or so days after learning that he was going to be the starting quarterback,” Carol said. “His story was fresh on everyone’s mind after the game.”
Kempt still has the letter. He plans to get it framed.
“That’s how much it meant to me,” he said. “To hear it from someone like that ... that was cool.”
Kempt was 6-foot-5 and a wiry 210 pounds when he was a spectator at the 2017 annual gathering of media at Jack Trice Stadium. He stood on the grass Tuesday at 6-5 and a legit 225.
He was the focal point of every photog’s lens.
He’s evolved from obscurity to becoming a bona fide Iowa State football star.
“When the light came on for me was practice in this fall camp,” Campbell said. “You saw a confident young man, saying 'How do I evaluate what I did well and what I didn’t do well, and how do I drive myself forward?'
“Watching these early practices — it’s like, 'Wow, he’s confident.' He understands the system. He’s not making the mistakes. He’s a polished football player.”
He completes low-risk passes, but that certainly beats the alternative. He’s methodical. He won’t stand out in a crowd.
He just wins games.
“This offense is his,” top receiver Hakeem Butler said. “Coach Campbell gave Kyle the keys to the car, and we add a little accessory to it every day.
“He’s gotten smarter, and I really don’t understand it, because he already knew everything about the offense.
“He was just chillin’ at this time last year.”
And now he a star.
“His story is bigger than the game,” Carol Stoops said. “It’s an amazing story — his journey — even if he wouldn’t have beaten us.”
Iowa State columnist Randy Peterson has been with the Register for parts of five decades. Randy writes opinion and analysis of Iowa State football and basketball. You can reach Randy at rpeterson@dmreg.com or on Twitter at @RandyPete.
