Perseverance and Gratitude Have Been Key for KJ Shankle Throughout Football and Life

EL DORADO, Kan. – A player that gets the nickname 'Unc' from his teammates probably has some knowledge and has been around the block a time or two.

That much is true for third year running back and Houston native KJ Shankle, or 'Unc' as his teammates affectionately refer to him as.

Shankle has been on a journey that has been filled with setbacks, growth, learning and gratitude ever since he graduated from Ft. Bend Travis High School and enrolled at Kansas State as a preferred walk on in the 2020 season, which was affected by Covid-19.

The covid year saw the Wildcats have to cut back on their roster size and unfortunately, Shankle was part of the cuts made in Manhattan. When asked if he still has love for K-State, Shankle did not hesitate.

"I always do," said Shankle. "I'm grateful for everything. I'm the type of guy that takes responsibility for everything and I knew I was not playing to my potential at the time."

Kansas State director of recruiting Taylor Braet was able to connect with the staff at Butler and find a home for Shankle, somewhere where he could go and reinvent himself and show what he was made of.

"Going into it I did not know what to think because I heard all types of stories in Houston about jucos, and that you need to stay away from jucos," said Shankle. "When I came here I had that idea of a juco, not understanding that this is Buco. This is truly the Alabama of Juco and I learned that real fast."

The two people that impacted Shankle right away were offensive coordinator at the time Brice Vignery as well as assistant coach Kyle Woodall.

"Coach Vignery and Coach Woodall were great for me as soon as I got here. Those two helped me out and made this a family atmosphere for me. They were not only coaches but friends. I could talk to them about anything."

The family atmosphere is oft mentioned when talking to student-athletes across all programs at Butler and Shankle quickly confirmed that notion.

"I'm a person that can read energy and tell what kind of person you are after one conversation. I could feel the family atmosphere as soon as I stepped onto campus. We do everything together as a team and the coaches said if you ever need anything, call me, and they meant it."

Shankle's first season at Butler in 2021 saw him play in eight games, racking up 268 rushing yards and four touchdowns before injury struck. Shankle suffered a Jones fracture (pinky toe bone fracture) in his foot that held him out of the rest of the season.

"My first year was fun, the team was close and we had some success. I ended up getting injured later in the season which was heartbreaking. That led to a lot of recovery that spring but the injury I ended up getting, it's inevitable to get it on the other side of your body as well. So I was wary of that."

Shankle had never dealt with injuries prior to college so this was all a new experience.

"It's funny because I never had any injuries in high school," said Shankle. "My very first injury, first surgery and first time not being able to play was here at Butler."

Shankle went through the recovery process and was ready to go for 2022. It did not go how anyone expected it to, however.

"I was able to recover from my left foot after my first season here. I came back and was excited for the new season. The very first game in 2022 against Garden City, I re-injured the same foot and the other foot. The same injury on both sides. Both feet in the same game, I had a Jones fracture in."

"It was first quarter and I was on my way to having one of my best games in a Butler uniform. As soon as it happened I knew what it was. It was the same feeling and same limp. That was devastating, it put me in a situation that was mentally hard to get out of."

Dealing with the same injuries in back-to-back seasons is mentally and physically taxing to say the least. Shankle put his head down and continued to rehab and recover after surgery and his coaches and teammates were there for him every step of the way.

"It was hard because I always try to hide my emotions. The team looks at me and calls me "Unc" because I've been here for so long and have some of that wisdom. Every coach on this coaching staff and all my teammates were there for me. Not only was I having to go through surgery and rehab but I had grandparents that were in cancer treatment and that made it that much harder.  It was a really rough semester."

"There were times that I admitted that I don't know if I can keep on playing. I just don't know if I can do this anymore. I have to keep saying that Coach Vignery and Coach Woodall, they really helped me get back to my old self and learn that I should not let certain speed bumps on my journey derail me."

Shankle got through the energy and looked to 2023 as the year he would get back on the field. He had to work through some rough patches and rust at first.

"The injury is a mental battle because you still feel some pain and uncomfortableness once you come back," said Shankle. "But you have to keep working and push through because the foot is weak and needs to get stronger."

"Now that we're here, it took a while to get confidence this season. I had to get the rust off the wheels and Coach V gave me some time to get back in football shape and get comfortable on the field."

Shankle has played in five games this season, with 135 yards and a touchdown on the ground and 52 yards receiving. He has four games this season with double-digit carries and is just now feeling like his old self. He says the team has turned a new leaf, as well.

"It took a while for us to all get chemistry and get on the same page, but now that we've figured it out, it's over with. I don't see any teams competing with us from here on out because we are so close as a team. This is the closest team I've been on throughout my three years at Butler.

"It hurt the team that we lost the game as Coach Braet was being honored. That game meant a lot to us. We don't want to have that same losing feeling anymore. We came together and it's about to get real scary for a lot of teams."

Shankle is locked in on the finish of this season and doesn't yet have a clear picture of his future plans.

"I'm undecided on my plan. The level of college football that I potentially play at does not matter to me. As long as I am getting my degree with a high GPA and getting to play, that is all I can ask for."

"Even if football does not work out for me, I'll move back to Houston and spend time with family. You never know what can happen, especially with me having sick family members, spending as much time with them as I can is something I want to do."

Shankle knows the day he graduates and wraps up his tenure at Butler will be emotional.

"I call Butler Community College home, I've been here for three years. It's a bittersweet moment for me having to leave after the season because you don't want to leave but you have to."

"The difference at Butler compared to anywhere else is the people. The people make the school and the environment. The community is a loving community, we have host parents here who help us get comfortable, it's been a great opportunity."

When asked how Butler impacted him, Shankle's answer should make supporters of the Grizzly football program proud.

"Butler was a place of learning and growing for me," said Shankle. "I am leaving here as a grown man who understands life, who understands how to connect with people and also how to speak. You learn how to be a man here. If I went anywhere else after K-State, I would not be me. Butler shaped me into the person that I am today."