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Monday, August 28, 1978
University Dally Kansan
Home-run King starting all over
By LEON UNRUH Sports Editor
Third baseman Franklin King's visage might not be as cute as George Brett', but a good side shot of him would.
-UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN-
King also says he's better with the stock than Brett a, but he has yet to be accounted for.
Sports
He spent the summer running at least as much for his Pocatello, Idaho, softball team as Brett did for the Royals. Round and round these bases, home run after home run.
"Homers. That what I was on the team for," says King, KU its feared former defensive tackle. "Let's say that four out of five of my hits in tournaments were home wins."
That King is a slugger on beyond reproach.
But at 25 pounds on a 6-four foot, he'll
probably never win the prize for fastest sprinting from home to first. (He did return an interception 38 yards for a touchdown two years ago.)
LAST FALL, torn cartilage made him prime dugout material. His left knee is in perfect condition.
"I've had no problems with my knee," he said after more than a week of practice as an offensive guard. "I have lost no speed as far as running is concerned."
So, Franklin, if you're so fast, why were you slamming for the fences instead of
taking shorter hits that you would have to run out?
"I didn't have to," he said. "I just did it because it comes natural."
And, if slugging comes, perhaps so did running all those laps. After all, that was how he spent each spring football practice on monotonous laps around the practice fields.
That was to fix his knee. But it didn't make it any easier for him to learn the Jayhawks' new offenses. He was moved across the line of scrimmage to bolster a weak offensive line and to relieve a little competition for defensive tackle.
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His senior year won't be a picnic.
That was the campaign in which the barrel-chested King moved from Pocatello into the defensive line. He wound up as a heavy fighter for the Balgaan, as conference freshman of the Ballaga.
1307 Massachusetts
"TIVE GOT to prove myself again like I did my freshman year," he said.
In last year's injury-shortened season, King had 44 tackles, third-best on the KU line. He has flattened 142 runners in his career.
Now though, he is playing out a change that he hadn't thought would be permanent. He's just getting used to it.
"I didn't think it would be a permanent move," he said. "But when fall practice began, there I was playing offense. That came as a shock."
King has always been a team man. He saves he doesn't mind the change in scenery.
"It would take a lesser athlete—a lesser person—to not deny himself to help the world."
King counts on the Jayhawks to make a better showing than they did a year ago. The 1977 'Hawks showed an underwhelming effort, but the team's team record for number of punts.
"LAST YEAR WE had a lot of problems
and we couldn't get them to work,
had people who wouldn't give that extra inch."
"This year we have a lot of people with character who will. That's what makes a character."
a bunch of prognosticators picked KU to finish deep in the Big Eight stands. King, however, sees another Cinderella season—a player when KU went 74-and played in the Sun Bowl.
Since that year, King annually has forecast good seasons. They weren't.
"The last two years I really did that," he admitted. "I'd say we could go for it. But
Staff Phoh
"I'm not just saying that to sell tickets."
New start
Franklin King, one of the Big Eight's most-feared defensive tackles for three years, is fighting for a job as offensive guard as the new season starts. He underwent knee surgery last winter, which slowed his transition. The surgery he says, was a success: There are players with the knee. It certainly didn't bother his slugging in an Idaho summer softball league.
Moore glad scrimmage not real
By STEVE HERBERT
Sports Writer
Bud Moore is thankful his Kansas Jayhawks were facing only friendly faces when they walked to the line of scrimmage Saturday afternoon at Memorial Stadium.
He's glad there are two weeks before the Jahyahws will have to line up against the not-so-friendly faces of the Aggies of Texas A&M.
Although he found a few reasons for optimism in the scrimgum, Moore says that the problem is not solved.
"I have mixed emotions," he said after the workout. "There were some nice plays
but also some big errors. I'm not confident
we're totally prepared in any manner."
IT WAS highly unorganized, which is my fault," he said. "I had hopes of it being more like a game. We were too slow out of the bumble."
In preparation for the opener, Moore had hoped to make the scrimmage like a game. But he took the blame for it's being disorganized.
Moore's first concern is injuries. Sixteen players try to do the sidelines for a goal or a kick.
discipline ("We're not as disciplined as we need to be").
Only defensive tackle Steve Oliver left the scrummage with an injury. Moore said it was a mistake in the game.
As expected, the Blue squad, composed of first- and second-season teams, easily defeated the White, composed of those on the third and fourth teams, 23-3.
JUNIOR TAILBACK Mike Higgins was the most prolific runner. He gained 102 yards on 10 carries, including a 60-yard run for a touchdown. Bobby Barrow had 69 yards on three carries, and Tracy Levy managed 66 yards on 10.
THE OTHER OF Moore's complaints concerns the running game ("It's not as solid as I would like"), consistency ("We're good and bad from time to time") and
The five KU quarterbacks completed five of 16 passes for 32 yards. Senior Brian Bethek, the No. 1 quarterback, completed his six passes and had one interception.
Although insisting his team is far from Moore, Mays says the Jawahres have made it a bit easier to win.
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Lunch 11:00-2:30 Dinner 4:30-10:00
CATNAY
Specialists in Chinese Cuisine
Closed on Tuesdays
Holiday Plaza 842-4976
Bear hesitant about ranking
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) -Alabama coach Bairy Bryant says he hopes starting out No. 1 means he will be No. 1 when the war, but it'd we'll work that way in 1966.
Alabama has been named by the Associated Press as the team most likely to win the 1978 season college championship, and it is one of the poll of sports writers and broadcasters.
The next 10 were Washington, UCLA,
Louisiana State, Pittsburgh, Kentucky,
Texas A&M, Florida State, Clermon,
North Carolina and Iowa State.
Completing the top 10 were Michigan, Ohio State, Texas, Southern California and Nebraska.
Baseball meet set
Bryant said that in 1966 the Crimson Tide had started No. 1, all won their games by a total of 301 points to 44 and defeated Nebraska 3-7 in the Sugar Bowl—and finished with a third place ranking.
Any KU student interested in playing collegiate baseball will get a chance to learn about the sport.
"THE POLLS are interesting," Bryant said, "but they don't mean anything until January."
KU baseball coach Floyd Temple will hold a meeting for prospective players at 5 p.m. tomorrow on the second floor balcony on the west side of Allen Field House.
The meeting is open to any student. Information about practices and tryouts will be given.
Arkansas, Penn State and Oklahoma were picked behind Alabama. Notre Dame was ranked fifth.
It's YOUR Choice!
- start and finish a course ANY time during the year?
Would you like to • supplement your regular class load?
- conduct ALL your studies at home
- receive individualized instruction?
Then try the LOGICAL alternative
Independent Study by Correspondence
For a catalog of courses available through correspondence, call 864-4792 or stop by the Continuing Education Building on the north side of campus.
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