Friday, October 18, 1968
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
9
KU's Shanklin in dizzying pace
DON SHANKLIN . . . a fake, a step, he's gone
(Photo by Jim Wheeler)
Many people would argue that nothing travels faster than a hot rumor.
But anyone worth his "Go Big Blue" button would probably tell you differently. Talk about fast travelling and the conversation is bound to include KU's explosive Don Shanklin.
Shanklin, the 5-9, 177-pound speedster from the Texas Panhandle, has been flashing his heels at opposing defenders for three years. While those would be tacklers have been gasping for air, Shanklin has been racing—and erasing—past records.
Statistically, Shanklin has zipped near the top among alltime KU leaders. But the numbers game is hardly the attraction for the Amarillo, Tex., senior. His eyes are fixed on professional football.
"That's always been my only personal goal—to play pro football," says Shanklin. "I'd just like to play, either as a specialist or as a regular."
The business at hand, however, is the Jayhawks' role as a Big Eight contender and the possibility of a bowl invitation. That brings you back to numbers—and Shanklin's impressive totals.
As a sophomore, Shanklin dashed for 732 yards on the ground and with considerable yardage from kickoff and punt returns, ranked fifth in the nation in all-purpose running with 1.373 yards.
"It seemed like everything I did that year, I was another this or that," says Shanklin. "It kind of bothered me."
Then, and more so now,
Shanklin was compared to the
fabulous Gale Sayers, whose
2,675 career rushing yardage
tops the all-time KU charts.
What to do for an encore as a junior?
Switched from tailback to flanker, Shanklin dropped from the statistical derby. Only 20
rushing assignments, yet 126 yards—chiefly on inside reverses. Shanklin's 10 pass receptions netted 169 yards, but at season's end, he was playing behind fleet John Jackson.
During spring drills, Shanklin returned to his tailback post. KU opponents probably wish he was still catching passes.
His finest effort, to the dismay of Indiana's Hoosiers, started talk of his joining O.J. Simpson of Southern Cal and Leroy Keyes of Purdue in everyone's
AllAmerica backfield.
Shanklin scored three touchdowns and put on dazzling exhibition. A 59-yard punt return and long hauls of 54 and 65 yards from scrimmage left Indiana breathless.
' He and teammate Bill Bell share the Big Eight scoring lead with 36 points. Shanklin now averages 10.2 yards-per-carry (333 yards, 33 carries), has returned seven punts for 201 yards, and has taken six kickoffs for 123 yards.
In his climb up the statistical chart, Shanklin now needs 55 yards rushing to pass Wade Stinson into 10th place. And with only 221 more yards, he will become the first Big Eight back—other than a quarterback—to gain more than 3,000 yards in all-purpose running since Sayers did it.
How do you explain the lofty figures?
"The big factor is (Bobby) Douglass," says Shanklin. "Other teams are forced to concentrate on him. As they find out that (John) Riggins and I are threats, it justs makes it tougher for them to defense."
Shanklin also feels that the team's blocking has improved this year.
"I've never had trouble following blocks. But there's a problem of adjusting to a new system and finding the holes," he explains.
"And there have been plenty of big holes to run through."
Shanklin also feels that his running style has changed somewhat.
"I've stopped running laterally so much. Now I try to cut upfield to gain yards and I don't try to use so many moves.
"But every once in a while, I get a dude in the secondary and try to put a move on him," he says, grinning.
There is one important area in which Shanklin is still striving to improve—blocking. His assignment is a "hook" block for quarterback sweeps, and Shanklin feels his blocking has improved as the weeks go by.
While a specialist in kickoff and punt returns, Shanklin has also developed what is called his "squib" kicks. It's a punt aimed inside an opponents 10 yardline, and Shanklin has been very successful with the special punt.
Even though the Jayhawks are one of the nation's most celebrated college teams, Shanklin says the rankings don't affect the players too much.
X-country meet set
The KU cross country team will try to make it three consecutive victories tomorrow at the KU Invitational at Lawrence.
The Jayhawk squad has posted victories the last two Saturdays at Oklahoma State and Southern Illinois.
Competing in the meet will be Haskell Institute, Allen County Junior College, Hutchinson Junior College and Butler County Junior College.
Last year KU placed first in the invitational and Glenn Cunningham, the top Jayhawk, placed second.
Leading the KU squad will be freshman Rich Elloit, who has been runner-up in the last two meets.
Olympic medals
MEXICO CITY (UPI)—Medal standings in the Olympic Games at the end of yesterday's competition:
NATION G S B T
Russia 5 7 6 18
United States 9 3 5 17
Hungary 3 4 5 12
Kenya 2 3 1 6
Poland 2 0 4 6
Australia 1 2 1 4
Great Britain 1 2 1 4
West Germany 1 2 1 4
Romania 2 1 0 3
France 2 0 1 3
Japan 1 1 1 3
East Germany 1 1 1 3
Sweden 1 1 1 3
Czechoslovakia 1 0 2 3
Italy 0 0 3 3
Iran 1 1 0 2
Tunisia 1 0 1 2
Austria 0 1 1 2
Holland 1 0 0 1
Brazil 0 1 0 1
Denmark 0 1 0 1
Ethiopia 0 1 0 1
Finland 0 1 0 1
Jamaica 0 1 0 1
Mexico 0 1 0 1
ACME Salutes
Player of the Week:
Bobby Douglass ...
VOTED BIG 8 BACK OF THE WEEK
Good Job in KU-NU Game!
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