10
Friday, October 27, 1972
University Daily Kansan
Returners and Headhunters Rugged
Life Rough for Specialists
By GARY ISAACSON
Korean Sports Writer
A lonely man with his eyes to the sky the skies for the ball while eleven other men come in with violence in him with violence in their eyes.
The lonely man is the kick return specialist who stands back on a punt or a kick-off and waits either to run for glory or get smothered under a wave of opaque covers whose only goal is to get him.
Bruce Adams, Gary Adams, and Vince O'Neil are three such men for the University of Kansas that they have made very definite ideas about the
Good communication between
the server and the client when
ween the client and the blockers are what is needed in
order for a backflow to be su-
cured.
Although the result of a tackle by a man running at full speech can be disasterous, O'Neil said, he enjoys his job.
"I LIKE to run back kickoffs because it is the only chance I get
Moving at full speed is a prime requisite to not getting hurt, O'Neil said.
"You get clobbered when you second guess and slow down," he said.
Bruce Adams Signals for Fair Catch
if something goes wrong, it's your fault.
duties and hazards of their job
duties and hazards of their job. O'Neil, North Plainfield, N.J., said that the worst hazard control was a blind-side tackle.
"I MAKE SURE that I con-
tend on the blue shirts in
their hands," he said,
other people." O'Neil said,
"Whenever you have eleven
coming down on you, it's very
much easier for them, so they
could slip by and hit you."
to do some open field running,' he said.
Gary Adams, Bartlesville, Okla. senior, runs back punts for the Hawks and he is very blunt when the main danger in that job is.
"The main hazard I face is getting killed." he said.
That would seem to be true.
kickoffs there are ten men spread
out evenly in front of the return
man but in punts there are
usually 40 yards of open field for the tacklers to choose from.
"I don't think about it that much, though," Gary said. "There is usually enough time to make a few moves."
Gary said that he first concentrated on catching the ball.
"I watch the ball from the time it leaves the punter's foot," he said. "It helps keep my mind off the people coming to get me."
BEING ABLE to know when to fair catch is helpful in the punt return man's fight for survival, and he is always high, he said, the pursuit will usually be there and then he knows he should call for a fair catch. Adams said that a good man also possessed a sixth sense.
"You can tell how close they are," he said. "You can feel them when they get within tackling range."
Bruce Adams, Prairie Village and punts for the Jayhawk. He agreed with what 'Nell and I had to add few thoughts of his own to add
"My big fear on punts is fumbling," Bruce said. "Whenever you are back there, you're taking a chance."
He said that many of the people who cover kicks are there strictly for self defense, not only job, he said, and, whatever happen, the returner is
"IF SOMETHING goes wrong it's your fault," Bruce said, "There is nobody else back there."
On kickoffs, Bruce said, he hopes the ball will come to him.
"If I can do something with and break a long one, it gives our offense the advantage," he said.
While he is in a game, Bruce said, he doesn't think about getting hit. He said he tried to avoid the big hit.
"But you have to take the times you get knocked funny right along with the 99-yard returns."
If a back runs one back to touchdown he gets the prize. If it hits the fence on the field, too, and they have a key job. They are the blockers who hit the fence.
Gordon Stockheimer, Andale
Merritt, and Robert
Arkansas City junior, are two of
the men who make up the first
line of protection on the Jayhawk
"EVERYBODY has a man." Stockemer said, "and our job is to try and hold our block long enough for the back to get by."
The opposition has 10 to 15 yards to get up a head of steam for their run at the return man. He shakes his hands and he watches the kick and then moves back in to get up a little speed himself.
Bryant said that he tried to push his man away from the ball carrier.
"I try to wait until the return man is right up behind me and then push my man one way or the other. I can quickly block, your man can get
'Hawk Basketball
Continued from page 9 NCAA eligibility requirement and must sit out this year.
"We have a chance to win it also, if we can coordinate the young with the veterans before conference play begins."
"I'd like to stay with the single post if we could," he said, "but it would be much easier to walk out of one of our big guys at a forward so he can swing into the post
back up and it is a lot harder to bring him down the second time."
ANOTHER CHANGE this season in the addition of the 30-second elite golf game and conference games. The clock runs into the half-minute time limit within the half minute time limit.
With the addition of the big men KI Joe returned to the double post offseason and took over agon when Roger Brown and Dave Robilach led the "Hawks to the championship finals in Houston. Last year Owens used the
Last year Owens used the single post setup but he said he was not sure which offensive he would use this season.
Asked who the teams to beat in the Big Eight, Owens said, "You have to say K-State and Oklahoma because of the experienced men they return. But you can't forget Iowa State and Oklahoma."
"It's going to focus national attention on our conference for the day," stressed. "People are really going to be anxious to see the conference."
"However it is to our advantage that we play our first seven games at home, but that we have guaranteed success," Owens said.
Owens said the 30-second lock was one of the best things the conference has done in a long time.
Last year KU had one of the toughest schedules in the country and this year is no different.
Bryant said that he worried that they were on the field. He said that they people came at you that fast, concussions or knee injuries
In December the Jayhawks play in Indiana Iowa and Kentucky. The game at Kentucky will be the only contact game seven games on home game.
The veteran coach said that all team practices are also going to be held with the clock in mind.
However, if KU would win the Big Eight Championship this rear there would be no postseason competition because of the probation invoked on the 'Hawks by the NCAA.
"I've had my bell rung a couple of times." he said.
ON THE OTHER side of the line from these men are the "headhunters." This is the group called the suicide squad. These team members prevent the big runback and put the opposing offense in a hole.
"I guess you could call me a headhunter," said Odell Weddner, Topeka sophomore. "I just go to the ball goes at full speed."
As the kickoff return man fears the blind-side (tackle), the kickoff coverage man fears the blind-side block.
"I don't think about it in "i
"I don't think about it in "
"guitar. Weider said, "but
something I get back in the
wrong way." What else
could have happened."
It is called the suicide squad but Weidner believes that it is a prestige position.
"You're out there because you're fast or a sure tackler and I feel that that is the coachs feel you are good," he said.
Wedder said that each man had his own line or alley to cover on the roof, and they were two important things he kept in mind on his way down the stairs.
"I always have to go from the outside in and, most importantly, I have to get to the ball," he said. But while he is doing this, there are men on the opposite side trying to prevent it. And Wedner knows it.
"While you are hunting," he said, "you are being hunted."
Sell It Fast With Kansan Classified
Malls Olde English Village Apartments
2411 Louisiana Street Lawrence Kansas
843-5552
unique design . . interior roominess . . wall to wall carpeting . . air conditioninging . . sound conditioning. . all electric Frigidaire kitchen . . dishwasher . . disposal . fireplace . saunas.
Come see these surprisingly inexpensive luxury apartments
afternoons weekdays and weekends
Welcome K.U. Alumni and Friends
---