Now they're both playing in the NFL, Wenning with the Cincinnati Bengals and Snead with the New Orleans Saints.
When Wenning wanted to get in some throwing on Jan. 27, one text is all it took for Snead to join him for a workout on Ball State's campus. The throwing session brought in current and former Cardinals to work on their craft.
“The last couple of years, I’ve always tried to come back and get some work here,” Wenning said. “I’m looking for anyone to come in and run some routes with me because I’m trying to throw as much as possible.”
Wenning communicated with some of his former wide receivers, knowing that they were either on campus or nearby. Snead is taking classes at Ball State to finish his degree, while Canadian Football League receiver Jamill Smith lives in Muncie during the offseason.
The three pros remain in contact with each other, as well as a few teammates who are still at Ball State.
A pair of soon-to-be senior wide receivers, KeVonn Mabon and Efe Scott-Emuakpor, were informed of the workout as well. While the setup was “random,” Scott-Emuakpor knew it would benefit him.
“When we get in here, we’re about our business, trying to get better,” Scott-Emuakpor said.
The day began with Wenning and Snead playing catch along the wall of the Jo Ann Gora Student Recreation and Wellness Center turf field while Smith, Mabon and Scott-Emuakpor ran ladder drills and stretched.
After they warmed up, the receivers lined up on the right side of the field and began running routes, which were met with bullet passes from Wenning.
Smith embraced the opportunity to be return to Ball State and work out with some of his old teammates, with whom he hasn't played in full pads since Jan. 4, 2015.
“It feels great, these were the people I grinded with,” Smith said. “We were doing this every day [in college] even when we didn’t have to."
The group of five began the session at noon, but Wenning, “figured some of the receivers still here would be around," and willing to run routes. And they were.
Wenning sent out a tweet, and a few more current Cardinal players started showing up.
Back to BSU to get some throwing work in! Any receivers wanting to run routes be at the Rec turf at 12!
— Keith Wenning (@Wenning10) January 27, 2016
Upcoming sophomore Devin Reece and senior Aaron Hepp came in to catch some passes from Wenning.
“I wasn’t expecting them to be out here, but they came out, and it was good for them because they are up and coming in the program,” Mabon said. “They’re going to be here when we leave, so we need people like that to get the experience that we got today.”
It's a unique experience - especially at Ball State - for receivers to have a personal connection to professional athletes. It's even more rewarding that those professionals are so willing to return to campus.
“It’s really good to get out here with the guys,” Snead said. “Being able to give our knowledge to them so that they can use it now, some stuff that we didn’t know.”
Throughout the session, Snead and Wenning talked to the younger guys to help them improve their routes.
And, of course, there was a little fun.
Each one called each other by a nickname and teased when there was a dropped ball, but they wouldn't allow a route with an incompletion.
Snead led the session by sharing what each receiver can do differently. He even lined up as a cornerback for the young guys to get around him.
As the session winded down, the receivers became antsy and wanted the long-ball down the sideline. Wenning made sure he got through all of his different routes were covered, then complied.
As the group finished up the workout, Wenning assured them that he'd be back for more in the future.
“I’ll be back and forth from Muncie a few times this offseason to work out and throw… I don’t know when that will be exactly,” Wenning said.
But before the session ended, Snead stopped Wenning mid-stride, pointing one-finger in the air and indicated that he wanted one more pass.
The route-running workout was set up to end just how it began, with a pass from Wenning to Snead. As the ball went over Snead’s left shoulder into his outstretched arms, he completed the near-perfect catch off the near-perfect throw.
Just like when they played together at Ball State.
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