One play in Iowa State’s win over UNLV summarized Ryan Baum’s career with the Cyclones.

Baum, a senior safety and the team’s punt returner, fielded a punt and brought it back 39 yards, giving his team excellent field position well within its opponent’s territory.

“That punt return, he left about five guys in a phone booth there,” said wide receiver Todd Blythe. “He got a couple blocks, but the first five guys he made miss all by himself. One sleeve of his jersey was pulled up and the other sleeve was pulled way down.”

Baum has made his mark as the Cyclones return man, bouncing around like a human pinball carrying a football. This season, he is averaging 23.7 yards per kick return and also has three special teams tackles.

But Baum’s Cyclone career almost ended before it started.

When ISU coach Dan McCarney asked Baum – who hails from nearby Gilbert – to walk on before his freshman year, the player quickly accepted.

“He came out and worked all summer, worked with Getty [strength and conditioning coach Matt McGettigan] that summer prior to his first year here,” McCarney said. “Then he quit that first week of practice.”

Baum’s quitting the team completely surprised McCarney.

“That really shocked me,” McCarney said. “Matt McGettigan told me we didn’t have anyone in that weight room who worked harder that summer in preparation.”

Baum wasn’t ready for the daily grind of college football, and he knew it.

“I got into a week of two-a-days and found out I wasn’t physically ready for the everyday competition and beating college football would take,” Baum said. “I knew athletically I could play, but physically I wouldn’t be able to go through an entire season. I took four months off and put on 20 pounds and came back that winter.”

Baum refocused and came back ready to play. He watched every Cyclone home game from the stands.

“I was there every game in the stands during warm-ups when there was 10 people in the stands,” Baum said. “I was there watching everything and trying to get myself refocused and ready to get back.”

Baum’s work during the 2004 Independence Bowl was rewarded as McCarney put the return specialist on scholarship afterward.

“I’ve always had a special place in my heart for small-town Iowa kids,” McCarney said. “When you have one in your backyard with the attitude he has and the opportunity we thought we could give him, I just wanted to do it.”

Even after earning a scholarship, the obstacles for Baum haven’t gone away.

After the graduation of Todd Miller, Baum earned the starting punt returner job before the 2005 season. Midway through the year, Baum went down with an injury, tearing his anterior cruciate ligament against Baylor.

He worked his way back, but a stable of receivers left Baum on the outside looking in. Instead of giving up, Baum went to the coaching staff asking what he could do to help the team.

“Adversity, I appreciate it,” Baum said. “I knew we had plenty of wide receivers and that missing me at receiver wasn’t an issue. We were lacking depth at safety and I told Coach Mac that anything they wanted me to do I would try.”

Baum moved to safety and is comfortable enough with the position that he may see time on the defensive side of the ball against Iowa.

“He’s one of the biggest team players I’ve been around,” Blythe said. “He doesn’t care what the coaches ask him to do, he’s going to say yes and he’s going to step up and do it to the best of his ability.”

With everything Baum has overcome, there is one thing he will never really be able to get over – a lack of height.

Baum is listed at 5 feet, 10 inches, not the biggest player on the field.

Asked what impressed him most about his player, McCarney deadpanned, “Height and size. He’s a physical specimen.”

What he lacks in inches, Baum makes up in heart and desire.

“He’s a tremendous teammate to be around,” Blythe said. “He’s fiery and can get after you in the locker room. He’s a guy you want on your side.”

However, Baum has worked his lack of height to his advantage.

“I had one guy come out of left field and almost take my head off, and I was able to crouch underneath him,” Baum said. “If I was 2 inches taller, I might not have a head right now.”