By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Four years ago Orrin Busenitz started his college football career on the bottom rung of the Washburn University football ladder after a standout career at Shawnee Heights.
Former Shawnee Heights standout Orrin Busenitz, a former walk-on, has worked his way up the depth chart for Washburn football to become a mainstay on the offensive line. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
But through hard work and perseverance, the 6-foot-2, 295-pound junior right guard has progressed from walk-on status to becoming a mainstay on the Ichabods' offensive line, earning the respect of his coaches and teammates along the way.
"Since his freshman year he came in and earned himself a spot and passed guys up with his work ethic,'' Washburn first-year head coach Zach Watkins said. "He's what our 'Be The Standard' culture is all about because he sets a high standard in everything he does.
"At this level you've got guys who are 6-2 and you've got guys who are 6-7, but when you've got guys that work hard and do everything right and are a great teammate and student, you're eventually going to be on the field doing something.''
Busenitz said that despite challenges along the way he's very proud of what he's been able to accomplish at Washburn.
"The COVID year kind of messed everything up and I'm a little bit undersized, so I had to go the walk-on route,'' said Busenitz, who played in the Kansas Shrine Bowl after his senior season for the T-Birds. "This is always where I wanted to be. It was always a good, successful program and I'm just kind of a homebody.
"My philosophy, even in middle school and high school, has always been just to try and out-work everybody else and eventually good things will happen.''
After redshirting as a true freshman, Busenitz suffered a setback his second season when he broke his hand during fall camp. Busenitz fought back to earn some special team work later in the season before cracking the Ichabods' starting lineup last fall.
"That second year, with the hand and some life stuff, it all kind of got pretty tough and it was all starting to pile up a little bit, but hey, the hungry dogs, they run faster, so it just pushed me even further,'' Busenitz said.
"That third year I got my shot and was a starter and am hoping to keep that spot.''
Busenitz's younger brother, Parker, a 5-10, 170 safety, has joined him at Washburn this fall.
"We talk football all the time and I had serious talks with him,'' Orrin said. "I was the first sibling to go play college sports and he asked me about it and I was like, 'If you're going to play a college sport you've got to love it, you can't just like it.' He was also a baseball guy, but he really liked football and that's what he wanted to go do.
"He's a walk-on, so financially it's a better situation here and I'm excited to have him here. I never pushed him, but in the back of mind I was like, 'You should be coming here.' ''
Washburn, picked ninth in both MIAA preseason polls, will kick off its first season under Watkins on Aug. 30 at home against non-conference foe Truman State. The Ichabods will open MIAA play on Sept. 6 at home against Northwest Missouri. Both games are set for 1 p.m. kickoffs.
Washburn held its first practice on Wednesday and will don full pads on Friday.
