Kansas State QB Collin Klein is being mentored by ex-Bronco Jake Plummer

The pre NFL draft process prepares the league’s new faces for their spotlight run.

A lot of times behind these kids are names from the ‘ whatever happened to?’ file.

In the case of Kansas quarterback Collin Klein, his mentor is former Broncos quarterback/enigma Jake Plummer.

Plummer who was both loved and hated by the Mile High faithful faded into retirement in lieu of playing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers when he was traded in 2007.

He told the Denver Post that years of thought and experiences such as coaching high school football have led him to where he is now.

“After taking the time off, the years off, reflecting back on what I was doing, I’ve had many opportunities to do a lot of different things,” Plummer said.

“But it’s funny how it came to be Collin I’m working with right now. “I was watching him his junior year, and I was thinking: ‘Man, this kid just has it. He can run, he’s got great feet, he can throw the ball all around the field.’ I just thought he was one of the top prospects at quarterback I had seen. Then this year he has a great year, scrambling, making plays. … You can’t coach that. And it just came together. It’s funny that it turned out to be him, and that I was just ready to do something like this.”

The 2012 Heisman Trophy finalist stated that he was a bit reserved when the opportunity to work with ”
The Snake” presented itself.

“Sure, I was a little anxious at first, just because I didn’t know what to expect,” Klein said. “I knew of (Plummer) as a player, but I just wanted to make sure we maximized our time together, getting ready.

But after the first week, I knew it was right. I knew we would make great progress and he was going to help me, and he has helped me every time we’ve worked together.”

Plummer expounded upon how this relationship has helped him grow.

“The coach-player relationship is unique, and I probably took it for granted when I was playing a little bit,” Plummer said.

“It’s a strange thing when you get out of playing in the NFL. There’s nothing that would make you feel the way the game does. I struggled for a while with that, but I think I can give back something, and the time just felt right.”

The bottom line to all of this is how Plummer experiences will help improve Klein’s chances of starting at the NFL level.

Despite what Plummer may say, Klein is not in many conversations for such an opportunity even in what is considered a weak quarterback class.

“I just want Collin to have success. I want him to feel good about what he can do, where he can go,” Plummer said. “He’s such a good kid. I’m having fun working with him. And he makes all the throws, and he can do some things other guys can’t. Hey, what’s not to like there?”

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