Friday. December 1, 1961 University Daily Kansam
Page 9
'Tex' McFarland Is Homeward
By Steve Clark
Rodger McFarland. Jayhawker left halfback, will return to his native state when KU plays in the Bluebonnet Bowl in Houston on Dec. 16.
"It's going to be a big thrill for me." McFarland said. "I have a lot of friends around Houston.
"I sure hope we play Rice. Being a Texas boy naturally I would like to play a Texas school. I think Rice would draw a bigger crowd. The Houston people really support their football team. (Rice Institute is in Houston.)
HE SAID FOLLOWING the Missouri game the KU team felt badly. "We didn't want to vote on the bowl then. We doubted at first if we
Rodger McFarland
really deserved to go. Many felt that we didn't have the kind of season we should have had and that we were unworthy to go.
"On Monday we voted and decided to go. Many seniors wanted to go down because this would be their last chance to play football. Also it would give us another chance to end the season right.
"We want to win the game real badly and that's what we are going down to do."
McFarland presently has a shoulder injury.
"I don't know how I hurt it," he said. "It just started hurting all of a sudden. I looked at the game films and on one play there was a big pile-up. I might have hurt it then.
"IVE HAD THE SHOULDER hurt before," he said. "This aggravated an old injury. At my size you have to expect to get injured. Believe me, I've had a multitude of injuries."
McFarland started the season as second unit offensive quarterback and first unit defensive halfback. After KU's first two games (a loss and a tie) Coach Jack Mitchell hoping to find a backfield combination that would click, inserted McFarland at quarterback and moved Hadl back to his original position of left halfback.
McFarland is the unsung hero of the Jayhawker squad. This year he has played in the shadow of John Hadl and Curtis McClinton, both All Americas.
and fired-up play. He directed the Jayhawkers to three touchdowns against Colorado in what was then their most explosive offensive showing of the season.
THE KANSAS OFFENSE started to roll in McFarland's guidance
McFarland carried a major portion of the offensive load himself, toting the ball 10 times for 69 yards.
After the Colorado game McFarland became a permanent member of the Javhawker backfield.
The Jayhawkers, with McFarland in the lineup, developed into the ball club that they had been forecasted to be.
THE JAYHAWKERS WON their first conference game over Iowa State 21-7. They then defeated Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Nebraska, Kansas State and California.
Hadl and McClinton got the flattering press accounts, but McFarland was the stabilizing factor.
Before the Nebraska game McFarland was permanently switched to left halfback. Hadl had found new confidence with a pair of contact lens, so Mitchell moved him back to quarterback to take advantage of his passing arm.
"I HAD NEVER PLAYED left halback in my life." McFarland said. "If anyone had told me at the start of the season I would be playing left halfback, I would have told them they were 'nuts.'"
In his first game at left halfback McFarland averaged 5.2 yards per carry. He hauled in two passes for 54 yards, one a touchdown.
The converted quarterback showed that he could be on the receiving end of a pass as well as the throwing end. He became Hadl's favorite target and in four games caught eight passes for 141 yards, an average of 17.6 yards per reception.
HE TIED FOR THIRD in team scoring with five touchdowns for 30 points.
He compiled the best rushing average of the starting backfield, carrying the ball 53 times for 274 net yards, an average of 5.2 yards per carry.
McFarland does not have natural speed. Some have said that he is too small, too slow and lacks the natural ability to play major college football.
Bound
McFARLAND COUNTERACTS
McFARLAND COUNTERACTS these liabilities with natural quickness and agility, and a tremendous desire to play. "I can run a hundred yards just barely under 11 seconds." McFarlane said. "I'm not too bad for 10 yards but when I get to 50, I fizzle out."
McFarland, in addition to football, takes time to participate in the KU-Y "Big Brother" program. "We try to be big brothers to kids who have problems," he said. "Maybe they aren't interested in school and we tell them, using our own experience, why school is important."
"We also try to tell them how important it is to lead the right kind of life," he added.
McFarland is a physical education major. He plans to go into coaching, radio and television, or public relations.
Evening novelties for the hair include glamour twists. These are two-inch wide rhinestone or pearl motifs mounted on a wire circle to be pressed into your hair and twisted into place.
Boston's Schwall Top AL Rookie
MIAMI BEACH — (UPI) – Pitcher Don Schwall of the Boston Red Sox, who won 15 games even though he was brought up five weeks after the season started. was named American League Rookie of the Year today in one of the closest races in the award's history.
The 22-year-old right-hander received seven of 20 votes cast by the Baseball Writers' Association of America, barely beating out Kansas City shortstop Dick Howser, who collected six votes.
Schwall's distinction followed closely a similar one by outfielder Billy Williams of the Chicago Cubs, who was voted the National League Rookie of the Year. Williams, 23, was named on 10 of 16 ballots and became the first member of the Cubs ever to gain the award.
Outfielder Floyd Robinson of the Chicago White Sox, second baseman Chuck Schilling of the Boston Red Sox and outfielder Lee Thomas of the Los Angeles Angels each received two votes, while second baseman Jake Wood of the Detroit Tigers collected one.
THE BELL TELEPHONE COMPANIES SALUTE: LOREN GERGENS
Three years ago he was an economics major in college. Today he is a salesman introducing Bell System products and services to business executives. Loren Gergens and his sales staff have improved the communications efficiency of many firms by analyzing their operations and recommending advanced Bell System products and services.
Loren Gergens of Mountain States Telephone & Telegraph Company, and the other young men like him in Bell Telephone Companies throughout the country, help make your communications service the finest in the world.
BELL TELEPHONE COMPANIES