University Daily Kansan / Wednesday. April 15, 1992
13
SPORTS
Tight end returns to lineup
By Jerry Schmidt
Kansas sportswriter
In a spring in which three of the top tight ends on the Kansas roster are injured and sitting out of practice, it seems fitting that Chad Fette is No. 1 on the depth chart.
Despite a season-ending injury and heart ailment in the past two seasons, the Kansas junior has come back as the No. 1 tight end on the spring depth charts.
In last season's opening game against Toledo, Fette injured his knee and was sidelined for the entire season. Although he could have returned after six weeks, Fette was redshirted so he could salvage a full-season with the Jahwaws.
Before and after a 1990 game against Kansas State, Fette's heart began to beat rapidly and irregularly. He had been taking medication for Wolfe Parkinson White Syndrome most of his life. But the Kansas coaching staff decided that rather than risk a more serious condition it would keep him out the rest of the year.
Fette had heart surgery in December of 1990 to correct the condition. He said he no longer took medication to control the problem, and Kansas tight
ends coach Tim Phillips said the doctors assured the coaching staff and Fette that his heart condition was under control.
With those setbacks behind him, Fette is focusing on the new season. But looking back, he said the ordeals have been frustrating.
FOOTBALL
"I was incredibly disappointed," Fette said of his knee injury. "I had just come back from heart surgery, and I get hurt on the 10th play of the season. All that after I had gone through spring, summer and fall drills."
Fette now wears a brace to protect his inured knee.
"I felt a bit slow at first," Fette said.
"The brace is bulky and I don't feel as mobile."
Fette is in the running for playing time at tight end with five other returning letterwinners. Although Fette is No. 10 on the spring depth chart, a fierce battle will ensue in the fall when Dwayne Chandler, Pete Vang and Brent Willeford return from injuries. All three are sitting out spring drills.
Chandler is recovering from off-season shoulder surgery, and Vang and
Willeford are coming back from knee injuries sustained last season. Phillips said Chandler played last year with the injured shoulder and waited until after the season to have surgery.
Phillips said the three are adjusting as well as can be expected considering they cannot participate in spring drills.
"They've kept themselves involved," he said. "They would rather be playing, and they are getting a little itchy. They spend a lot of time in the weightroom improving themselves."
Chandler was the Jayhawks' regular tight end last fall, catching 18 passes for 345 yards. Phillips said Chandler would start next fall as the No. 1 tight end.
Phillips considers the number of quality tight ends a luxury. The more competition the better.
"We can do a lot of things and it creates good competition," he said. "I am kind of anxious. It's going to be a dog-fight."
"Dwayne ended the season No. 1 and he'll start the fall No. 1," he said. "But Chad also has an edge because he has been there before and I have seen him all spring. He's back at 100 percent. He's having a great spring and looks better than he ever has."
Are you...
Then YOU could be a KU Student Ambassador!
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Interested in people?
Student Ambassadors will be hosting an informational meeting for students interested in becoming involved in the program for the 1992-1993 school year.
The Ambassadors assist with such projects as meeting with prospective students and their family, special events, and providing campus tours.
INFORMATIONAL MEETING Thursday, April 16 at 7:30pm Daisy Hill Room at the Burge Union
The new Apple* Macintosh* Classic* II computer makes it easier for you to juggle classes, activities, projects, and term papers and still find time for what makes college life real life.
It's a complete and affordable Macintosh Classic system that's ready to help you get your work finished fast. It's a snap to set up and use. It has a powerful 68030 microprocessor, which means you can run even the most sophisticated applications with ease And its internal Apple SuperDrive disk drive reads from and writes to Macintosh and MS-DOS formatted disks-allowing you to
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