University Daily Kansan, August 22, 1984
SPORTS
Page 9
KU linebackers finish at top
By GREG DAMMAN
Sports Editor
The NCAA Division 1 total defense rankings might not show it, but Kansas linebackers Wille Fless and Darnell Williams plugged a lot of holes last season in KU's porous defense, which ended the season ranked 91st out of 105 NCAA Division 1 teams in total defense.
How else could they finish first and second, respectively, on the final Big Eight tackling charts?
Pless, a junior, and Williams, a sophomore, opened a few eyes and provided hope for the future of KU's defense by using their Big Eight baptism as starting linebackers last year to finish the season as the top two tacklers in the conference.
AT 6-0 AND 215 POUNDS, Pless was considered by many to be too small to play major college football, despite a standout career at Amniston High School in Alabama. But after leading the Big Eight with 188 tackles, 80 unassisted, in 1983, Pless has made believers of the sketcies.
Pless was one of two sophomores to be named first team All-Big Eight in 1983. His best single-game performance came in the season finale against Missouri, when he recorded a season-high 17 unassisted tackles, with five assists for 22 total tackles. He also had a quarterback sack, a fumble recovery and an interception. Williams, on the other hand, was
mightly recruited out of Sumner High School, in Kansas City, Kan., and was sought by Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Iowa and LA. His eventual success was expected, but not to the point of finishing second in the conference with 147 tackles in his freshman year, after a redshirt season in 1982.
WILLIAMS WAS NAMED honorable mention All-Big Eight as a freshman. He had four tackles for losses and two fumble recoveries in 1983.
Ironically, neither player started the 1983 season at linebacker. Mike Arbanas and Eddie Simmons were KU's starting linebackers for the opener against Northern Illinois, but after a 37-34 loss, Coach Mike Gottfried moved Pleas, who had been playing defensive end, and Williams a backup linebacker, into the starting linebacker positions for the rest of the season.
The results were immediate. In the next game, against Texas Christian University, Williams responded with 10 unassisted tackles and 15 assists and Pless had eight unassisted tackles and 20 assists for a total of 53 tackles between the two.
EVEN THOUGH PLESS was honored on post-season all-conference teams and gained the respect of opposing coaches and players, he said that his success didn't put pressure on him to repeat his league-leading performance.
"I won't put any pressure on myself." Pless said. "I always just go out there and do my best."
Williams said that he was placing pressure on himself, but that he thought he could improve over last year's performance.
Williams also said that having Pless next to him would keep opponents from trying to avoid one side of the defense.
sure he's "That's going to play a big part this year." Williams said. "We both proved ourselves as two of the top linebackers in the conference last year."
PLESS AND WILLIAMS, like most major college football players, are strong, and spent the summer lifting weights and getting stronger. Pless can bench press 333 pounds, and Williams, who bench presses 400 pounds, mentions strength as the best part of his game.
"My biggest asset is being able to take on a 260- or 270-pound guard or tackle and not get blown back." Williams said.
Williams also took on the pre-season predictions — in the same manner he takes on opposing guards and tackles — head on.
"They have us picked last," Williams said. "I think we're going to do better than that. We're going to surprise a lot of people."
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