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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Friday, September 13, 1968
Experience-KU's strongest
Experience seemed to be the key word at the University of Kansas last week as coach Pepper Rodgers and his staff assembled the 67-man 1968 football squad for the start of fall drills.
Rodgers' second Jayhawk squad, which met here August 29 to begin practice, includes 24 lettermen, 15 of whom are seniors with two letters apiece. Included in this group are most of those who played key roles in KU's spectacular restoration last autumn when the Jayhawks tied for second in the Big Eight at 5-2 after failing to win a conference game the previous year.
The Hawks began drills without pads August 30 and started two-a-day drills in full practice gear three days later. This means that they will have had only three weeks of practice when they meet Illinois at Champaign September 21.
Heading the list of veterans are a pair of 1967 all-Big Eight stars, defensive end John Zook and quarterback Bobby Douglass.
The Jayhawks are extremely strong "up the middle" this year.
At center will be Dale Evans, 210-pound junior from Russell, Kan., who as a rookie last year played nearly every down on offense.
According to coach Pepper Rodgers, Evans was "one of the most under-rated players on our squad" last year.
"We think he'll be as good a center as there is in our conference."
At quarterback the dayhawks boast one of the nation's best in 212-pound senior Bobby Douglass, a hard- running, rifle-armed southpaw who led the Big Eight in total offense as a Junior.
Last season the Eldorado dynamo ran and passed for 1741 yards, missing the conference total offense record by only eight yards as he sparked the Jayhawks to a second place tie with Colorado.
Fullback could wind up as Kansas' strongest position from both a quality and quantity standpoint.
Listed No. 1 to start fall drills next week is Mike Reeves, a 205-pound junior from Concordia, Kan., who shared regular duties a year ago with departed C.J. Hixon. Reeves gained 243 yards to rank third among KU's rushers and his 5.3-yard average per carry was nearly twice that of either Douglass or tailback Junior Riggins, the only other Jayhawk to outgain him.
Contending with Reeves for the job will be John Riggins, swift, 225-pounder from Centralia, Kan., and Rick Rucker of Olympia, Wash., two of the brightest of numerous sophomores.
Returning double letter winners include Zook, Douglass, Junior Riggins, Rick Abernethy, linebacker; Tommy Anderson, safety; Tommy Ball, defensive halfback; Keith Christensen, offensive tackle; Mickey Doyle, linebacker; Bill Greene, defensive tackle; Bill Hunt, defensive halfback; John Jackson, wingback; Dave Morgan, safety; Don Shanklin, tailback; Orville Turgeon, defensive tackle; and Ken Wertzberger, offensive guard.
Abernethy missed all last season with a shoulder injury after lettering as an offensive back in 1965 and as a defensive halfback in 1966.
Other returning lettermen are:
Evans; Reeves; Bill Bell, placekicker; Grant Dahl, offensive tackle; Dick Fortier, linebacker;
Emery Hicks, middle guard; Pat Hutchens, line backer; John Mosier, tight end; and Vernon Vanoy, defensive end.
Coaches run
To condition themselves for the rigors of football practice Kansas coach Pepper Rodgers and his aides began running a mile a day in Allen Field House the last two weeks of August.
The joggers capped their running program with a five-mile relay matching the offensive coaches against the defensive coaches. To balance out the five-man teams Rodgers inserted himself in the defensive lineup.
DOUGLASS A KEY MEMBER OF JAYHAWK OFFENSE
DOUGLASS A KEY MEMBER OF JAYHAWK OFFENSE Bob Douglass, who will quarterback the Jayhawks this season, led the Big Eight in total offense last season with 1,741 yards and won the conference Back of the Year award. Douglass, a 212 pound senior from ELDorado completed 82 of 173 passes for 1,326 yards and rushed 175 times for 415 yards.
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