PAGE SIX
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN, LAWRENCE, KANSAS
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 1951
Oliver Spencer Bidding For McCormick's Vacated Tackle Slot
By DON PIERCE
K. U. Sports Publicity Director
Key figure in Kansas' hopes to produce another sharp-blocking line is Oliver Spencer, huge converted fullback from Ulysses.
The western Kansas plowboy has moved into Mike McCormack's old brogans at right tackle this spring and his progress through the hot-weather milling could well sound the keynote to next autumn's line prospects.
Nobody in the Jayhawker camp is mentioning Spencer in the same breath with his tremendous predecessor, but the big boy definitely has grabbed the bit between his teeth since being accorded a fling at a starting role. He's virtually as massive as McCormack, at 6 feet 2 inches and 225 pounds, and, if hard work will get the job done, he should make the Kansans a first class blocker by the middle of next season.
Spencer's improvement this spring has been even more than Coach J. V. Sikes, and his line lieutenant Pop Werner, had hoped for. He hasn't arrived yet, but continued improvement would take up much of the slack left by McCormack, the human snowlow.
Spencer played just enough last fall to earn a letter as a sophomore. He was switched into the line just a year ago after maintaining his old high school spot at fullback through his freshman hitch. He was first tried at guard, then tackle.
The broad-backed farm hand is faster than McCormack and slightly more mobile. However, he can't match the Kansas Citian's power, and lacks the experience. How far he moves along this spring and early next autumn before the Texas Christian opener carries a large percentage of K.U.'s hopes for another prairie fire ground attack.
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tackle in camp, George Mrkonic, the swift, fierce sophomore from McKeesport, Pa., who split time between tha spot and guard last year. He will hold the left side, possibly playing much of the time on defense as well as offense.
If Spencer can take up the slack on the right side, Sikes can begin thinking about another ground-grinder.
Playing that side during the first two weeks of spring drills, along
with Spencer, have been a brace of freshmen, George Helmstedter, 220-pound Wilmette, Ill. product, and Orville Poppe, towering Fairbury, Neb. prospect.
The prominence of the above three candidates despite their inexperience typifies K.U.'s problems along the interior. Mrkonic and Center Wint Winter are the only returning offensive regulars along the five center positions. The Hawkers lost two other top-flight tackles in Bob Talkington and S. P. Garnett, plus right guard Dolph Simons.
This pair also has been flashing steady improvement. Poppe, a 6 foot 4 inch, 222-pounder, may fit into a starting defensive role.
Winter is sitting out rough work through the entire spring because of a wrist injury. Mrkonic was sidelined a week because of a split
thumb suffered in baseball practice, two other vets, Aubrey Linville, Salina co-captain, and Jerry Bogue, regular quarterback in 1949, also are on the shelf for the duration of drills. Linville re-hurt a knee during
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