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University Daily Kansan Monday. Sept. 10, 1956.
KU'S 1956 FOOTBALL SQUAD—Top row (left to right): Simeno, Steppe, Wertzberger, Peppercorcorn, Dryer, Cunningham, Remsberg, Bell, Husar, T. Russell, Martin, Horner; fourth row: Coach Schofer, Gnam, Slicker, Walt, D. Lewis, Magaracco, Lane, Bynum, Robinson, Held, Gibson, Letcavits, Kraus, Drake; third row: Coach Replogle, Strauch, Francisco, Schmidt, Hoesing, Swengros, B. Blasi, Morris, Brooks, McIntosh, B. Baker, Palmer, Preston, Coach Piskoty,
Trainer Nesmith, Coach Gebert; second row: Coach Putts, Swoboda, Horn, Moles, Floyd, McCue, J. Baker, Head Coach Mather, Burke, Staab, Eaglowski, Pilya, Whitenight, Claiborne, Coach Wartiainen; bottom row: Marshall, B. Lewis, McKown, Merritt, Stevenson, Wahlmeier, E. Russell, Traylor, Pfutzenreuter, Brenner, Prelock.
A Quick Look At The 1956 Football Squad
An improved season in 1956 is the expected yield of two years of rebuilding under the guidance of head coach Chuck Mather who took over the reins of the Kansas University football team in 1954.
Twenty lettermen return from last year's 3-6-1 unit which finished with surprise wins over Oklahoma A & M and Missouri, along with a promising group of transfers and sophomores. Experts expect Kansas to win at least five games and be in the thick of the battle for the Orange Bowl trip to Miami.
Player thumbnails: Ends
Ends
Bill Bell—Veteran right-sider . . . showed best form of career during spring practice . . . contending. for starting job . . . regular last five games of 1954 as sophomore, took six passes for 74 yards . . . played only beifely last year.
Bruce Benner—All-Ivy at Cornell before transferring to Kansas . . good blocker and receiver, will be bidding for starting berth against fierce competition.
Jim Letcavits (Let-cah-vitts)— Regular last year on right side as sophomore . . . missed two games with broken hand . . . led team in pass receiving with 169 yards for nine catches . . . scored both KU touchdown against SMU.
Don Martin—Lettered as reserve last year after playing regular as sophomore in 1954 . . . form best yet in spring practice and is being counted on to carry part of load this season.
Dale Remsberg—Among top six
ends after fine showing in spring practice . . . started with freshmen last year . . . fast and a good receiver.
Tackles
John Walt- Sophomore prospect who was regular with freshmen last year . . . promising in all departments . . expected to develop into fine end with experience.
Frank Gibson started all ten games last year as sophomore . . . good blocker, both interior and open-field . . . good speed, but must sharpen defense to hold startting position.
Ron Claiborne (Clay-born)—
Strong sophomore . . . expected to
develop into good tackle with game
experience . . . tallest man on squad
at 6 feet 5 inches.
Tom Horner—Fast lineman desi te 230-pound bulk . bidding for regular position this season.
Jim Hull—Lettered as secondstringer last year . . . held right side job through most of spring practice . . . potentially good tackle with fine physical equipment.
Ed Prelock—Stout, fast 230-
pounder who will be difficult to
keep out of starting lineup . .
rugged defensively.
Bob Kraus—Dependable starter as sophomore last year . . . normal
Guards
improvement in all departments would lift him to status of fine football player.
Dewitt Lewis—Frost regular last year . . . good sophomore prospect who will be making strong bid for starting lineup . . . furious scraper . . . tireless hustler . . . may shoulder part of punting load.
Bob Lewis-Served four years as Navy frogman-stout defensively will make strong bid for starting job.
Don Pfutzenreuter (Phoot-zen-writer)—Believed to be smallest lineman (5-6 and 153) to have played regularly in major college ranks past two seasons . . . part-time starter during that stretch and promises to remain in thick of scrap for starting role.
Centers
Frank Black -Sidelined after six games with neck injury last season . . steady improvement in all phases of pivot play last season . . will nompete with Galen Wahlmeier, team captain, for starting spot.
Bruce Bynum—Promising blocker who is expected to develop into capable pivotman with experience. Galen Wahlmeier (Wall-mire)—One of the most durable players in modern Kansas football history . . . missed only six minutes of action in four games last year . . . team captain this season . . . plays steady, bruising game.
John Wertzberger—Massive Lawrence high school product . converted from tackle last year . . .
needs game experience to round
out center roster.
Quarterbacks
Bob Marshall - Fine all-around sophomore prospect . . . good runner and promising passer . . needs only experience to develop into top-notch quarterback.
Dave Preston—Came off bench to engineer winning touchdown drives against Oklahoma A & M and Missouri last year as sophomore . . . sidelined part of last season with knee injury . . . reckless defender and good ball handler.
Wally Strauch—Part-time starter as sophomore last year . . . second in Big Seven passing race with 498 yards, a figure that lifted him to tenth on all-time Kansas career tables.
Left Halfbacks
John Francisco—Started most of last season as a sophomore . . . not particularly fast but elusive ground gainer . . . sixth in league last season with 459 yards . . . topped all backs in tackling last year with 28 singles and seven assists.
Bob Hoesing (Haze-ing) - Sophomore with good all-around potential . . . Fullback with Missouri freshmen before entering service . . expected to develop into good back with game experience.
Ted Rohde (Road-ee) -Longest punter in Kansas history ranked second among NCAA major colleges in '54 with 43.7 yard average . . . set new school record with an 84-yard boot against Iowa State . . . fleet-footed ball-carrier
. . . with defensive improvement should see considerable playing time this season.
Right Halfbacks
Don Feller—Returning from service . . . impressive as runner during 1951 freshman season
Duane McIntire—all-around athlete . . . part-time starter with 1954 freshmen . . . dislocated shoulder knocked him out of spring practice.
Ernie Russell—Most likely starter at the right side . . . good power-speed running combination . . . can play the defense.
John Traylor—Lettered last year as sophomore reserve . . . ranked seventh on team rushing tables . . . hard blocker and tackler despite 165-pound heft.
Fullbacks
Jerry Baker—Hampered by injuries as sophomore last year after opening season as regular . . . best line-backer among fullbacks and stout straight-ahead runner.
Homer Floyd-Leading rusher and scorer on last year's freshman squad .. fast ball carrier and hard tackler.
Joe Held—Eager battler who plays hard every down . . . sturdy runner hard blocker and tackler, and creditable punter . . . needs defensive improvement to complete all-around abilities.
Hawks Must Face Three Top Stars
The third candidate will appear in the Jayhawkers' opening game with Texas Christian. He is halfback Jimmy Swink, who was the "surprise" back of the Southwest Conference in 1955.
McDonald, a lightning-swift breakaway runner, last year became the first Oklahoma player in history to score a touchdown in every game of the season.
The KU football team will face at least three players who have been tabbed as sure-fire all-American candidates by most pre-season forecasters.
Oklahoma, the early-season favorite to repeat as the national champion, will provide two of the top candidates in center Jerry Tubbs and halfback Tommy Mac-Donald.
Tubbs, a converted fullback, won plaudits for his Orange Bowl play last year, and also gained national recognition when he intercepted three passes in the Sooners' battle with Texas.
Only One Veteran—
The picture at this position is not so bright as that at quarterback and all of the line slots.
The top three right halfback spots are up for grabs. Depth behind Francisco must be secured at left half. This problem is complicated by the fact that both Francisco, at 178 pounds, and Traylor, at 165, are small. Furthermore, Mather switched his best 1955 freshman halfback, Homer Floyd, of the fullback corps, which likewise is short of proven performers.
Strong Francisco Showing Francisco's offensive credentials are fairly impressive. Splitting time with the graduated Ralph Moody
There are two other lettermen in camp, but one of *n*em, Ted Rhode, is primarily a punter. The other, John Traylor, tiny scooter who played on Chuck Mather's last great high school eleven at Massillon, Ohio, earned his "K" behind the departed Dick Blowey last year.
Kansas will have only one established halfback, junior John Francisco, when it opens the season against TCU.
Hawk Hopes Hinge On Halfbacks
Trayler netted 103 yards in his first varsity season last year, being hampered from mid-year on with a leg injury.
All this means two or three inexperienced reportees must come through if the Jayhawks are to equal much of their competition at these positions.
last year as a sophomore, he finished sixth on the Big Seven rushing tables with 459 net yards. Only nine Jayhawk backs in modern history have logged more in a single season. His four touchdowns also topped the club and he is a handy receiver.
Happily the list of promising prospects is a long one. On the left side it includes Bob Hoeing, 180-pound transfer from Missouri; Bobby Robinson, unheralded Peru sophomore; Chrlie McCue, talented Coffeyville Junior college graduate, and Rhode, who flashed the best all-around form of his career during
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spring practice. He is the longest hunter in Kansas annals, averaging 43.7 and 42.3 the last two seasons to rank second and third on the NCAA tables.
Many Good Prospects
Hoesing was a stout fullback prospect at MU before entering service, but was hampered by injury during the spring. McCue is considered by many the finest halfback in recent Lawrence high school history. Robinson impressed with his defensive play last spring.
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Ernie Russell, squat 185-pound junior, grabbed the right half post during spring drills. He carries good power and speed. He is being challenged by Traylor; Don Feller, the big service returne, and Bill Horn, holdover squadman. Blowey's blocking is certain to be missed.
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Feller is swift and powerful. He broke into three games as a freshman in 1951 and played well with the B-eleven of that season when the yearling rule was suspended. Horn is a stout straight-ahead bucker.
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OU Is Picked To Top Nation
The old favorites, Oklahoma,
Michigan State, Notre Dame, and
Maryland, dominate the top places
in almost all pre-season national
football rankings, with Oklahoma
and Michigan State sharing most
of the first-place honors.
The Sooners, winners of their last 30 games and Big Seven champs or co-champs for the past 10 years, are expected to get through their first four games without difficulty. Then they meet always-tough Notre Dame at South Bend, Ind., in a game that could well decide the national championship.
Michigan State, winner of a 17-14 thriller in the Rose Bowl, appears to have the material necessary to propel coach Duffy Daugherty's multiple offense to the Big Ten title this year.
Maryland, although without former coach Jim Tatum, who is now at North Carolina, is expected to continue to dominate the Atlantic Coast, as the Terps won everything except the Orange Bowl last year with a sophomore-studded lineup.