THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THURSDAY, JANUARY 17, 2008
SPORTS
3B
football notebook
The Kansas seniors may have
finished their careers several weeks ago at the Orange Bowl, but several have at least one more game on tap. Running back Brandon McAn
derson, defensive tackle James
McAnderson
McClinton and wide receiver Marcus Henry will participate in the East-West Shrine Game at 6 p.m. Saturday. The Shrine game, televised on ESPN2 (Sunflower Broadband channel 34), is an all-star game for college seniors that showcases the players for professional scouts. All three of Kansas' representatives in the game enjoyed banner campaigns in 2007. McAnderson topped 1,000 rushing yards for the first time in
his career, McClinton earned AP first-team All-American status and Henry became just the third Jayhawk to hail in more than 1,000 receiving yards in a season. The players have spent the last week making hospital visits for charity and practicing in Houston.
Kansas coach Mark Mangino added to his trophy collection last week, winning the American Football Coaches Association
Coach of the Year Award, Mangino received the honor, which is
voted on by active members of the AFCA,
at the end of a coaching convention in Anaheim, Calif.
Mangino did not win every coach of the
year award given this season,but
Mangino
he did take home eight titles, Including the Associated Press Coach of the Year award and the Eddie Robinson Award (voted on by the Football Writers Association of America).
》 The Jayhawks will hold an awards presentation on Saturday, Feb. 23, at 7:30 p.m. The event is slated to take place at Allen Fieldhouse and is open to the public. Mangino said it would serve as
an opportunity to thank Kansas football fans for a great season. "Our fans were also terrific throughout the year, and we wanted to have a celebration in a venue that could hold as many of those fans as possible," Mangino said in a statement. "We're all looking forward to a great evening."
-Asher Fusco, Case Keefer
FOOTBALL
Talib, Collins to pass up senior season for NFL Draft
BY ASHER FUSCO afusco@kansan.com
The Kansas football team lost just once all season long. The week after its Orange Bowl victory, it lost three times.
Junior cornerback Aqib Talib and junior offensive tackle Anthony Collins announced that they would forge their senior seasons to enter the NFL Draft, and wide receivers coach Tim Beck officially took over as Nebraska's running backs coach.
The departures of the two juniors should not come as much of a surprise considering Talib and Collins have held starting jobs at Kansas since their freshman seasons and both earned All-American status this season. Talib recorded 66 tackles and five interceptions in 2007 and finished the season with one of his finest performances as a Jayhawk, winning the Orange Bowl MVP award for his 60-yard interception return for a touchdown.
"I talked to my family and coach Mangino, and we all decided that if I wanted to get better, it was time to take it to the next level." Talib said in a press release. "We had an excellent era."
and the Web site nfldraftcountdown.com havelist Talib as a possible first-round selection, but his official draft-status inquiry netted a second-round estimate. In a statement released Jan. 7 when Talib made his official
"We had an excellent season, and this is how I want to go out. It was a quick decision."
son and this is how I want to go out,
It was a quick decision."
AQIB TALIB Junior cornerback
ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr.
announcement,
Kansas coach
Mark Mangino
said he supported Talbis
decision to leave
campus for the
NFL.
"Aqib has had a great career here at Kansas and he has had
Junior cornerback Aqib Talib intercepts a pass at the Orange Bowl. Talib earned All-American status this year and will not play next season to enter the NFL Draft.
KANSAN FILE PHOTO
Big 12 underclassmen entering the NFL draft
a big impact on your program." Mangino said in the press release. "I wish him the same kind of success at the next level that he had here in our program."
Player Position
Alphonso Moran DT
Malcolm Kelly WR
Curtis Lofton LB
Reggie Smith S
Bobby Reid QB
Martellus Bennet TE
Jamaal Charles RB
Jermichael Finley TE
wide receivers for the past three seasons, attended the same high school as Nebraska coach Bo Pelini. Rumors of Beck's move to Nebraska had been swirling since Pelini took over at Nebraska in early December.
Collins, a 6-foot-5, 310-pound, first team All-America selection, anchored a Kansas offensive line that paved the way for the Jayhawks' formidable run game. Collins officially declared his intention to bypass his senior season the day after Talib's announcement. Collins said he and Talib, who roomed together as freshmen at Kansas, agreed from day one that they would make the move to the NFL at the same time.
Beck, who has coached Kansas'
College
Kansas State
Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma
OSU
Texas A&M
Texas
Texas
Beck's most important contribution to the Kansas program may have been his recruiting ties. He coached at RL. Turner High in Carrollton, Texas, from 1999 to 2001, and at Summit High in Mansfield, Texas,
from 2002 to 2004. The layhawks' 2007 roster had 27 players from Texas, nearly as many as from Kansas (30).
Edited by Elizabeth Cattell