Fridav. April 18. 1980
5
Smith finished first in 10.1. But Smith was not just a star track standout during his four year run, he became the record-setting rusher for the NL with 279 hits, he's hoping for a pro football career.
Leverance Smith (right) jips teamsmates Larry Jackson and Clifford Wiley at the tape to the 100-meters at the 1976 Big Eight Outdoor Championships.
Tape chase
Track refines Jessie's instinct
By JIM SMALL
Sports Writer
Joniss Neesie plays for the Los Angeles Rams of
National Football League. But football hasn't
gone that far yet.
1970. Jesse was a standout flanker in football at KU and an even better long jumper in track. But halfway through his senior year, he had a decision to make.
"I knew that there is a lot of life for me in football so I quit the track team," Jessie said. "But that wasn't the only reason. I was tired of going to snark track meets all sorte after football practice."
BUT HE WAS a track star. In 1980, he helped lead the NCAA Indoor Championship with a first-place finish.
Later that year, in the fall, he led KU on the
football field in receiving. He had 15 receptions on 39 catches, and he scored two for the Orange Bowl. He also carried the ball 131 times for 603 yards, 59 fewer than John Riggins. Riggins now for the Washington Redskins.
"I got to be hard at times doing both, especially in the spring," the 32-year-old Jessie said. "I would have spring football practice three or four days a week, and I would meet on the weekend. It was hard to do the time."
The Dallas Cowboys picked Jessie in the 1970 NFL college draft. But he was traced to Detroit, where he spent four seasons. Then he skipped to the Rams since. Then he, he's been their deep receiving threat.
ball," he said. "By competing in both the long jump
refine my instincts and refine my refinctions. I use on the football field."
"AS A WIDE receiver, all I do is run and catch the
"in sports like football, basketball and baseball,
you have a chance to make some financial profit
after college," Jessie said. "But there isn't a whole lot of money in track."
BUT THERE is a lot of money in football. Jessie's player bucks in big bucks last season by making it to the playoffs.
University Daily Kansan
Jessie, however, wasn't playing at the time. His season was wined out by a broken leg.
"Hopefully, next year at this time, I know what it feels like to lauv in a Sumer Bowl rame." he said.
next season will be his 10th in the pro. And 10
his 9th in the chapel on the gridron and
few through the air on the track.
Smith's athletic feats prove overall talent
There have been some good two-sport athletes in KU athletic history, and there have been great ones.
By MIKE EARLE Sports Editor
On the football field, he established KU's single season rushing record with 1,181 yards in 1974. He is KU's leading career rooker with 3,192 yards. These statistics, along with those of J.D. Williams, Delvin Williams, Gale Sawers and Noa Crowwell.
But Smith's athletic accomplishments don't stop on the track. On the track, he is tied for KU's fastest outdoor time in the 100-meters at 10.1. He ran a leg on the NCAA outward champion 400-meter team race, in 1976. He played All-American status. He was a member of the 400-yard relay team that set KU school records in that event.
But Smith's first love is football, and the one thing he doesn't own is a professional football contract and he is determined to change that in the upcoming weeks.
**AFTER HIS senior year, Smith was drafted in the fourth quarter of the season. He was a Steeler's best player on an amateur, with that seemed a bright future贮于 him. He was seeing spot duty in the Steeler's backfield and was returning to training."
But in mid-season, Smith's dreams were shattered.
His left leg was broken, and since the he has been out of work, it is not clear if he
"I was running a quick pitch. "Smith recalled. "I was trying to turn the corner on a muddy floor. I made a quick move and my left leg slipped completely out from undermeathm.
"I was almost doing the splits and couldn't move I were d jumped on top of me. I was an awkward position."
"In a way it was blessing from the Lord. The way I went down I couldn't veer my knot up, too. I think I should."
THE MESSAGE has been a painful one for Smith. His recovery and rehabilitation of his leg have caused him to miss three seasons. But during that time, Smith says he has received a message from the Lord and that message has NFL肋.
"After a guy breaks his leg, teens don't like to give you a shot because they think you'll never be the same." Smith said. "But the Lord has given me another shot, and in my mind I know I will make it somewhere."
"I've been to a lot of different doctors and one of them has told me the leg is 100 percent. But with any kind of break you go through a mental stage where you worry about getting hit there again."
"MY LEG WILL never be 10 percent. I wake up in the morning and sometimes it hurts. But I can run as fast now as I could before I bleed. It can still cut as fast as my body. I'm really looking forward to getting back into it."
If Smith can run as fast as he previously could, his prospects for a pro contract appear to be good. But along with Smith's speed is a determination that separates good athletes from great ones.
The thought of running track for KU never occurred to Smith until Waddell Smith, now one of the premier pass receivers in the Canadian Football League, talked him into it.
"When I went on for track, I was only thinking about running on relay甩杆s. Smith said, 'Guy usually goes in and does the drill.'"
***
it's something about the type of competitive person that I am.
"I saw guys run and said to myself, 'I can best three
of them.' I took back and watch people win and score
points against me."
"COACH TIMMONS deserves a lot of the credit. He told me that I should have had to do it because I would work a lot harder."
"I got more exposure in track than I did in football.
Court Timmons lets people know if you do something good."
Although he might have gotten more exposure from his track accomplishments, Smith said football scouts
That theory disputes Texas A&M's Dickie Tursky's hypothesis. A speedy running back who has established himself as a world-class sprinter, Dickie said that when he was drafted in the in the pro ranks increased. Not so, says Smith.
"I don't believe winning races will improve his chances that much," Smith said. "When I was drafted, I was one of the fastest backs in the nation and I didn't go until the fourth round.
"I WASN'T that small at 190 pounds, either. I think it was a little chinny," he said. The season, if record draws some attention, and it depends on the coaching staff says about you. I don't know if Bud Moore (former head coach) and his staff had anything to do with that.
Whatever bitter memories are left over from the Moore era, Smith still has plenty of good ones from his playing days. During his career, KU had some outstanding athletics, several of which have gone on to the Olympics and world championships, along with some successful seasons and a 1955 Sun Bowl appearance, stick out in Smith's mind.
"I really enjoyed beating Oklahoma in '75. "Summon" like beating Kansas State and Mokum, but something else happened. "We were really enjoyable. I look back now and see how a lot of people thought we would have had a better team with the game."
"RUNNING ON the in my mind, too. I really liked to run with guys like Waddell Smith, Larry Jackson and Anderson. People should be confident in people. Team people thought we should have won the NCA-1."
One can once ever take Smith's past accompaniment from him, but he isn't the type of athlete to rest on his knee after a game. He must prepare for his next shot at making the NFL. He can usually be found working out at the practice fields.
"The New York Jets and Giants are interested in me and so is the Houston," Smith said. "My agent has been negotiating with them, but nothing is sure yet. I should get a twitch with one of those teams.
"I FELLE IELFT I've got my speed back, but I need to work on my endurance. That's what coaches are looking for, a player who can keep getting up and running the ball again without getting tired.
"I accomplished a lot, and I take a lot of pride in that I've done. People talk about what Sayers and Riordan say."
"I can't say that I'll be that well known, but Laverne Smith will be back. I've been down a long time, but I'm thankful the Lord has given me another chance to play. Things will be different this time around."