Former Appalachian State University football all-American Daniel Kilgore, who was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the fifth round of last month’s National Football League Draft, hosted a field trip for a class of special-education students from Hardin Park Elementary School at ASU’s athletics facilities on Monday.

Kilgore spent the spring semester as a student-teacher at Hardin Park while also preparing for the NFL Draft. As part of his student-teaching duties, he worked with special-education students in adaptive physical-education classes. Kilgore graduated from Appalachian on Sunday after majoring in physical education and adaptive physical education.
Following Sunday’s graduation, Kilgore hosted a field trip for his special-education students on Monday. The field trip included a tour of ASU’s athletics facilities, activities in the Sofield Family Indoor Practice Facility, lunch on the club level of the Appalachian Athletics Center and taking in a few innings of the Appalachian-Western Carolina baseball game at Beaver Field at Jim and Bettie Smith Stadium.
While pro football holds the next chapter in Kilgore’s life, he aspires to be a coach and special-education teacher following the conclusion of what is hopefully a long and prosperous playing career.
“I am very happy that I was drafted, but I absolutely love working with these kids,” the 6-3, 308-pound offensive lineman said. “I have had a great student-teaching experience and I know that when my NFL career is over, I will get to work in another field that I love and that is working with special-education students and coaching.”
Mary Williams, the adaptive physical education specialist for Watauga County schools, believes that Kilgore is well-suited for his second career.
“Daniel is a model student with great heart and compassion for teaching,” Williams said. “He has a great work ethic and is really kind-hearted. He wants his students to learn and is willing to do whatever to ensure that they do. The students really benefited from Daniel being their teacher. He taught the class a variety of things, including swimming, yoga and the group even made hula hoops. I know that Daniel will make a great teacher and we wish him nothing but the best for the future.”
Kilgore will continue to work out in Boone until there is a resolution to the NFL lockout, at which time he will report to San Francisco.
He is among over 2,000 ASU students, including 50 student-athletes, that received degrees from Appalachian during seven graduation ceremonies over the weekend.

ASU STUDENT-ATHLETE GRADUATES — SPRING 2011

Baseball
Doug Jones
Taylor Miller
Jack Myers
David Port
Jason Wallace

Men’s Basketball
Anthony Breeze
Donald Sims

Women’s Basketball
Sam Ramirez

Men’s Cross Country/Track and Field
Phillip Bush
Jarod Gardner
Jacob Lane
T.J. Lockard
Malcolm Styers
Michael Walker
Michael Wilson

Women’s Cross Country/Track and Field
Kiara Crutchfield
Bianca Harvey
Lynda Hiller
Chenel McFadden
Michaela McGriff
Amy Neilson
Dani Reese
Natalie Shaw
Whitney Smyre

Field Hockey
Caitlin Counts
Jennifer Heiss
Nicole Morgan
Christine Zanowicz

Football
Josh Jurius
Daniel Kilgore
Dominick Magazu
Pat Mills
Jason Jones
D.J. Smith
Louis Swaba

Men’s Golf
Jacob Eggers
Colin Hobbs
Dustin Hudson
Jake Wiesehan

Women’s Golf
Kerri Dice

Men’s Soccer
Drake Branson
Antonio Harley

Women’s Soccer
Shannon Healy

Softball
Morgan Price
Sarah Rappe

Men’s Tennis
Russ Ferrari

Women’s Tennis
Laura Janke

Volleyball
Caroline Sedon
Lauren Swecker

Wrestling
Dylan Temple